Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Kohlrabi Veggie Soup. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Potatoes, Running/Races, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 3 Comments

Kohlrabi Veggie Soup. Vegan. GF.

Kohlrabi Veggie Soup. Vegan. GF.

Last week I got the largest kohlrabi bulb ever in my CSA from Lancaster Farm Fresh.  It weighed over 4 lbs!  I had kohlrabi before as a mock chip but never have I had the chance to cook with one. It was chilly last week and we were going to be away for the weekend so I wanted to make a soup for dinner with leftovers for my father and youngest to eat while we were away on a college tour.  The soup is creamy and perfect for seasonal eating.

Kohlrabi is foreign to many so let me give you a little background.  Known as German turnip or turnip cabbage, kohlrabi is a tasty and versatile cabbage variety (crucifer) which is often listed under ‘root vegetables’. It can be eaten cooked or raw much like cabbage.  It includes more vitamin C than fresh oranges.  Vitamin C helps keep your immune system strong. Helps with losing weight as it is a low calorie veggie.  It’s perfect for snacking on too!  It’s also high in potassium which helps reduce blood pressure. It has a very mild flavor and works perfect when blending in soup or eating raw.

Wanted to share a pic so you have a visual when you go to the grocery store or farmer’s market.  The outer skin is thick and needs to be removed before eating or preparing for a recipe.
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— Knead to Cook

Lancaster Farm Fresh. Farm Co-Op operations.

by Filed Under: Beef, Brunch, Cheese, Chicken, Fitness., Gluten Free, Potatoes, Running/Races, Travel & eating, Vegan, Vegetarian 2 Comments

Lancaster Farm Fresh. Farm Co-Op operations.

Lancaster Farm Fresh. Farm Co-Op operations.

Did you ever wonder how farm co-ops work?  Are you not a gardener but would love to buy local farm goods directly from the farmers?  Prefer to eat seasonal foods?  Farm co-ops are growing and growing throughout the country.  I recently had an opportunity to meet with a very fast-growing farm co-op in my own local town but wait… there’s a twist.  They are growing and offering residents and restaurants an opportunity to buy locally, right from the farmer.
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— Knead to Cook

Rosemary Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Potatoes, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Rosemary Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes. Vegan. Gluten Free.

Rosemary Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes. Vegan. Gluten Free.

Hump day already?!  Summer is coming fast and furiously.  Our weather has moved over to warm, sunny days.  We’ve been grilling a lot more lately and with a lot of garden planted – I’ve been using some fresh herbs in some of my favorite recipes like this one.

I’ve been working on several jobs this week that are coming up so it limits my free time for recipe  testing but I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes.  Rosemary roasted carrots and sweet potatoes (insert major heart emojis).  Benefits of carrots are packed with carotenoids; which help lower the risk of heart disease.  Improve vision.  Vitamin A helps flush toxins from the body. Vitamin A also helps prevent damage from the sun.  And they possess anti-cancer properties.

Sweet potatoes are packed with fiber and potassium. They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health.  Sweet potatoes are a great source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function to name just a few benefits.

Rosemary has been revered since ancient times for its medicinal properties. Rosemary was traditionally used to help alleviate muscle pain, improve memory, boost the immune and circulatory system, and promote hair growth. It is also a good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin B6.

This recipe is very simple and pretty much full-proof. I hope you enjoy!

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— Knead to Cook

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Potatoes, Running/Races, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 1 Comment

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes. Vegan.

Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes. Vegan.

I found this recipe ages ago from Minimalist Baker and I finally got around to making it.  It serves as a side dish for my carnivores and a main dish for my husband and me.  The reason I loved this recipe so much, despite being incredibly flavorful, it was super easy to roast everything on one baking sheet.  I seriously mean SUPER EASY!  I also made a few modifications to the spices and the dressing but this recipe is definitely a winner and I will be keeping it in my arsenal of go-to recipes.  I hope you give this one a try!Perfect for weeknight menus and meatless Monday.
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— Knead to Cook

Rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Potatoes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 4 Comments

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

Yesterday, while strolling through Trader Joe’s I stumbled upon these sweet tiny potatoes in mesh bags.  I grabbed three bags and thought they would be fun for our St. Patrick’s Day dinner – a twist on typical bangers and mash.  I am hosting a meeting tonight at my house and wanted to prep these early so I had them ready for tomorrow – plus they roasted while I cleaned my house.  These are totally fun and easily popped into your mouth – kids love them and they are a bit of a departure from typical fries.  You can slice regular potatoes or use fingerlings if you can’t find these little baby potatoes.  Perfect for breakfast, a lunch side, snack or with dinner.

This recipe is super forgiving and not strict to follow at all.  You can use as many potatoes as you have on hand or need, use as little or as much seasoning as you like. But they are addicting.
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— Knead to Cook

Curried Potato Spinach Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Potatoes, Running/Races, Soups, Vegan, Wheat Free 1 Comment

Curried Potato Spinach Soup.

Curried Potato Spinach Soup.

Curried Potato Spinach Soup. Vegan. Gluten Free.

New Year, new me?  Ha. Not so much. I’m not a big fan of resolving things. Every day I try to be a better person. Ignore nonsense.  Be more organized. Patient. Do more kind acts for others.  And I try with my eating to be mindful of my choices.  And finally push my fitness.  Happily I  made it through the holidays shredding a few LBs.  Overall, a win-win.

This year I am vowing (not resolving) to make menus and stick with them.  That way my food bill stays in check and I stay on task.  I cook for me – a vegan, my husband – a budding vegan but claims to be vegetarian, my oldest who is gf and dairy free and my father and youngest daughter who are both carnivores.  Making food choices that can be modified each night can be a struggle but I really despise playing diner making many dishes for everyone so simplification is key!

Here is this week’s menu prominently displayed on my chalkboard wall in my kitchen. All items will be customized per each person’s dietary needs.  Remember to always have a leftover day so you don’t waste any food that may get “lost” in the back of the fridge.

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This soup was on the menu for Saturday and it turned out great.  It’s inspired by a famous vegan restaurant in NYC named Candle.  It has a wonderful warmth of spices.  Perfect to make on a rainy or snowy day.  Makes a ton so you can freeze some for future use.
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— Knead to Cook

Sweet Potato Casserole – Vegan and Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Nuts, Potatoes, Running/Races, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Vegan and Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole.

Vegan and Gluten Free Sweet Potato Casserole | Knead to Cook.

This Thanksgiving my husband is vegetarian.  I’m vegan.  My oldest is dairy and gluten free.  I started to think about our Thanksgiving menu, because we host, and I knew I had to revamp my sweet potato casserole recipe because its the one dish my kids clammer over.  Today I opted to do a test run of subbing out the dairy and flour to make sure they love it and that everyone else will too.  I take some heat about my vegan diet and I don’t want anyone to feel like my dishes are boring and flavorless because they are vegan.  Vegan food is so flavorful!  No one will miss the decadence with this dish… it is so good.  #thankful

I served this for dinner last night and my family loved it.  So thankful for no complaints (especially from my youngest).  The revamp was a success!

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— Knead to Cook

Smashed vegan baked potatoes.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Potatoes, Vegan, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Smashed vegan potatoes.

Smashed vegan potatoes | Knead to Cook.

Potatoes.  I have a love affair with them.  Smashed.  Mashed.  Roasted.  I’m not picky, I’m just being honest here. I do love smashed potatoes for the mere reason that there is more surface to be crunchified (yes, making up words again) and I’m all over crunchy food. These are the perfect side dish for breakfast to dinner.  Kids love them. Adults love them. You just can’t go wrong. Also, these are perfect for the holidays – because you can pre-boil and then just broil when needed for a few minutes.  Easy is good! Let’s get to it!  These also would serve as a fun side dish for Thanksgiving if you don’t want to do the whole mashed potato thing…
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— Knead to Cook

Cinnamon Rosemary Sweet Potato Baked Fries.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Appetizers, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Potatoes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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We grilled on Memorial Day – it was sunny and absolutely perfect weather.  Mid 80’s.  We hit up the pool for a few hours while our daughter was lifeguarding (proud parents) and then came home to make a nice holiday feast.  I had several sweet potatoes on hand that I wanted to use up along with some blossoming Rosemary in the garden.  I thought that paired up with a dusting of cinnamon would be perfect.  They turned out great and I wanted to share this super easy recipe with you all.  Hope you enjoyed the holiday with family, friends and good food too!
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— Knead to Cook