Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

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Mexican Instant Pot Black Lentils. Vegan.

May 4, 2020 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lentils, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Since I received a preview copy of my friend’s first book, Fiber Fueled, I’ve become very conscious of eating way more fiber in each meal. Lentils are, of course, the king of the fiber world so I thought it was fitting to share my lunch today considering tomorrow is the epic Taco Tuesday with Cinco De Mayo on the same day! These lentils can easily be a replacement for you taco “meat” or a lovely addition to your taco bar.

These lentils are super easy to make in your instant pot and store beautifully in your fridge all week. I love to add leftover lentils to my salads or tofu scramble. Okay so let’s get started!

Ingredients:

1 cup of Beluga black lentils (green or brown would work)
1.75 cups of water
Pinch of salt
1 tbl of ground cumin
1 tbl of smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of chili powder
Lime juice from one lime

Method:

Add all of your ingredients to your Instant Pot insert and swirl around to mix. Set the manual timer for 6 minutes allowing it to release pressure naturally. Once its done, stir and adjust your seasoning per your taste and add your citrus juice. I added additional salt.

Endless ways of using these lentils. I added to Romaine boats and made tacos that way. You can use as a protein for your salad. Add these to nachos.

Hope you love these as much as I do!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Plant based meal prepping.

August 23, 2019 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Air Fried, Breakfast, Brownies, Brunch, Chili, Desserts, Gluten Free, Lentils, Nuts, Pantry, Potatoes, Pressure Cooker, Salads, Snacks, Soups, Tofu, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Since I’ve been working outside of our home for the past 15 months with a very demanding & crazy schedule – meal prepping has been a saving grace for me.

Meal prepping can be super easy & small or quite elaborate… its simply up to you. We keep ours very basic, but it allows us to throw lunches or dinners together in a snap – especially when you’re starving & can devour everything not nailed down while preparing dinner. Does this sound familiar? Yes, we’ve all done it.

So in this post I’m going to cover quick & easy ideas that will keep you afloat all week long without breaking the budget for time or money. Let’s get started…

The name of the game in our house lately is to use up all of our veggies from our garden that we’ve harvested. This week we’ve been inundated with plenty of tomatoes and green peppers. Being torn between salsa or homemade marinara… Bill voted for sauce. So I roasted all of my tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic to make a marinara that we could use for dinner one night. Click here for one of my roasted tomato sauce recipes. You can easily go this route as well with a tomato soup. Honestly roasting these veggies and blending them down… it’s such a versatile sauce to use for dipping, atop of a vegan meatball hoagie or over zucchini noodles.

I rarely use salt or oil when roasting. Maybe a slight spritz of olive or avocado oil and tons of fresh herbs from the garden are all you need. In the winter, tap into your spice cabinet and experiment.

While roasting that goodness, I will always roast up in my second oven or use your second rack in you oven, potatoes. ALL the potatoes every single week! I always do yams/sweet potatoes and Japanese sweet potatoes (always organic and unpeeled). If you roast other veggies with it, try to keep the baking sheet separated because veggies will cook at varying times. But feel free to roast as many veggies as you can! Here’s one of my favorite recipes. Cold, cooked potatoes are a wonderful prebiotic fiber source. I normally eat them in my salads cold but feel free to warm before serving if you wish. Also fabulous topped with your favorite nut butter as a snack.

So your oven is working away so let’s turn our attention to your stovetop. I’ve gone back to making my grains, mainly rice on the stove top as I cannot get the perfect texture in my instant pot for my long grain brown rice. So I will normally do one or two grains for the week. Quinoa and brown rice. We also use a ton for the dogs so double or triple the recipe if need be. Both serve as a wonderful base to curries, as a side dish, on a salad… whatever! Use the cooking instructions on the package.

Next up super simple overnight oats with chia. Ohhhhhh these are my favorite. They take NO TIME to prep and will stay perfectly in the fridge all week long. I use these jars and love the size/wide mouth opening.

It’s imperative that you buy organic rolled oats. Sadly the glyphosate aka Roundup contamination is a huge issue with grains.

My super simple recipe can be found here for this easy, healthy and delicious breakfast. Add your favorite nut butter, fresh or dried fruit in the morning.

Now for snacking… I always make a treat for the week. It’s healthy and I normally go for something portable like muffins, cookies, baked oatmeal squares etc. I have a ton of super easy recipes that can be found here. This week I was testing out a oat scone recipe I hope to be sharing in the future. Bill and my dad couldn’t get enough!

These were a lemon pistachio version.

Snack ideas are limitless. Here are some of my favorites… bites, muffin, or brownie.

Next up… savory proteins.

So if you’re looking for some meat-free protein options great for reheating or eating cold (like me) in a big bowl of greens – I’ve got some recipes for you. I always prep tofu. Bill and I go through a ton! Here is my favorite recipe which I’ve been cooking in my air fryer. More recipes you can prep ahead can be found here, here and here. My tofu scramble makes a great meal any time!

If you aren’t a tofu fan… here are some other great prep-ahead ideas. This tempeh recipe is one of my favorites. This salad recipe is great on sandwich bread or atop your favorite greens.

This bbq tempeh is so easy!

Soups or stews are another super easy, one pot meal that will serve you well all week. This one pot lentil stew is so good. I just made these lentil sloppy joe’s again and they are perfect on a bun or I add a big scoop to my salad. Or this double protein vegan chili made in your instant pot for the win!

And then finally, once a month I make my own nut butter combo deal. I’ve found it very hard to find organic nut butters that aren’t super spendy so I make my own. One batch lasts us at least a month and the recipe is super flexible.

This is a blend of cashews, almonds and walnuts.

Taking the time to food prep one or two dishes at a minimum helps to make your meals easier all week long. I hope this post helps you gain some helpful tips on meal prepping. Again, it can be a small or grand as you desire. Happy weekend friends!

— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Coconut Steel Cut Oats. V. GF.

May 30, 2018 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 5 Comments

Instant Pot Coconut Steel Cut Oats. Vegan. GF.

Steel cut oats are the super food that you can prep on the weekend and enjoy all week long.  Serve hot or cold!  You may have heard of them but steered clear because they differ from the traditional rolled oats you’re so accustomed to seeing.  Well steel cut oats are from the same plants but they aren’t rolled in their processing.  They are also not steamed like regular oats before they are sliced and rolled to flatten.  Rolled oats cook much faster and can be used in the raw form of overnight oats.  Steel cut oats take about 10 minutes to cook but are so worth it because the benefits outweigh it’s flattened counterpart.

Steel cut oats are considered a power food.  They are an exceptional source of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Steel cut oats help improve blood sugar levels thanks to the beta-glucan and also help assist in lowering cholesterol.  I partnered these powerhouse oats with coconut which is excellent for one’s immunity as we quickly approach flu & cold season.  Coconut’s saturated fat also doesn’t impact cholesterol.  Its antioxidant properties are known to slow down the aging process by protecting the body from harmful free- radicals. It supports healthy hair, bones and teeth.  The benefits are vast!

This tasty breakfast can be prepped on Sunday and it can be warmed up quickly in the morning for up to 5 days.  Perfect quick breakfast idea!
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— Knead to Cook

Lentil Sloppy Joe’s. Vegan. Gluten Free.

September 12, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lentils, Party Foods, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 3 Comments

Hi there everybody & happy Tuesday!  Remarkable feat that I’ve gotten two recipes created, shot and posted this week already… maybe I can go for a streak?

I whipped this lovely dinner up in heartbeat on Sunday for the NFL kick-off.  Sloppy Joe’s is one of those dishes that everyone loves, and now this is my healthy spin on it.  No one even noticed that they weren’t eating meat and let’s face it… the lentils are packed with nutrient-dense protein so I was happy to serve them to family & friends.  The tomato sauce was made my from my freshly roasted tomatoes, recipe here, and it added a great tanginess along with the smoky flavor.  The recipe I linked makes a wonderful soup but the first part of the recipe has how to easily roast up your tomatoes.

This recipe, made in the Instant Pot, is one of those set and forget type deals, great for a party.  I left the IP on warm post cooking so that guests can grab a roll and make their own sandwiches when hunger hit.  Because I’m gluten free, I added this to rice and ate it that way.  I love it also topped in a salad, yes, strange but good!  Leftovers are great for busy weeknight dinners and it also freezes nicely.

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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Vegan Bean Étouffée.

July 31, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Beans, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

 


Vegan bean Étouffée made in the Instant Pot.  

Happy Monday my friends!  Hoping you had a lovely and restful weekend.  As we start up with a brand new, fresh week – I’m all about making a big pot of something delicious for the week.  Bill will take leftovers for lunches, I’ll use it on nights when dinner prep is lacking.  Hey it happens to me too! To optimize this recipe, and boost up the protein substantially, I used quinoa instead of rice as the base layer.  Easy swap but substantial benefits for recovering muscles.

A friend of mine shared the inspiration for this recipe with me a few weeks ago from this cookbook.  After testing it a few times, I tweaked it and amped up the flavor.  I’m planning on making this dish a lot during the cooler months of fall and winter.  I cannot wait!
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— Knead to Cook

Red beans & rice bowls. Vegan. Gluten free.

May 8, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

Red beans and rice. 

Happy Monday my friends!  After a lovely weekend of sleeping (I slept 30 hours between Friday night and Monday morning) I feel great.  I have no idea where that came from but my body/mind so needed it.  I hit the ground running today and was at the gym nice and early. In fact, after speaking to a trainer friend of mine… I bumped up all of my weights 10-15 lbs per machine and I killed my workout.

IT
FELT
SO
GOOD!

So back to the kitchen for menu prepping, client cooking and all things food.  I made this dish over the weekend and I was excited to share a super easy recipe that is perfect for week/leftovers for lunch or freezer for a future quick dinner on the fly.  I also love this for your taco bar on Tuesday!  It’s really easy to prepare and you can add or subtract your favorite veggies/spices etc. I’ve also made this with leftover quinoa for a hefty protein-punch!  Think about serving this with your favorite main protein, with tortillas, in a salad or alongside a tofu scramble!

Time to get started… happy new week!

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— Knead to Cook

Asian tofu protein bowl. V. GF.

March 27, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Asian inspired, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Pressure Cooker, Running/Races, Tofu, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Asian tofu protein bowl.

In the pursuit of feeding one of my Boston bound marathon runner clients, targeting foods that are high protein & a less bean focused menu this week.  My mind obviously went to tofu, my absolute favorite source of protein and this dish was created from experimenting in the kitchen.

Now if you follow my Instagram story, you’ve seen me whip up marinated tofu similar to this recipe but I’ve never really documented it.  It was always a recipe I whipped up from memory but never shared.  I had literally hundreds of emails asking for the recipe and so it goes… here it finally is!  My apologies for my tardiness but I’ve been quite busy with recipe jobs/blogging, cooking and oh hey all things college-related including many flights being booked for travel.  But I digress… this recipe is a trifecta of protein, carbs, fiber and all thing good in the world.  One dish meal that is pure perfection.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as we do.

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— Knead to Cook

Banana Walnut Oats Instant Pot. Vegan. GF.

February 14, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts, Pressure Cooker, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 7 Comments

Banana walnut steel cut oats for the Instant Pot. Oh how I love my Instant Pot & steel cut oats.  Seriously, they are the easiest breakfast going and oh so healthy.  I love making a big batch earlier in the week and have them for quick snacks or breakfasts on the go.  My daughter warms a bowl up before heading out to school and eats hers on the bus.

Steel cuts oats are nutritional powerhouses.  Per 1/4 cup of steel cut oats – they are packed with 7g of protein, 4g of fiber and 10% of your daily allowance for iron.  They take forever to digest in the stomach -helping keep you fuller longer without snacking all morning long.  These oats prep so easily and make for super simple mornings all week long.  I spoon 1/2 cup into reusable containers and warm in the morning.  Top with your favorite berries, nut butter or seeds and you’re good to go!

Let’s get this started & oh Happy VaLEnTiNE’s Day!!
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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Mexican Taco Lentils. V. GF.

January 26, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Running/Races, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 3 Comments

Mexican taco lentils.

This week we weren’t able to partake in Taco Tuesday due to an away swim meet so Wednesday it was!  We aren’t fans of missing our favorite cuisine.  So Wednesday I had a much needed day off & was excited to create a meat substitute for our taco bar.  I took a traditionally Indian lentil and did a bit of Mexican fusion by adding salsa and roasted poblanos.  These lentils came out perfectly & cooking in the Instant Pot made this dish exponentially easier.

These lentils would be lovely as a side dish, atop a salad or mixed greens for lunch or straightaway with tortillas or naan.  Lentils are packed with protein, iron and potassium.  We also love lentils with scrambled tofu for breakfast.  Just some ideas to incorporate lentils into your menu.
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— Knead to Cook

Instant Pot Double Protein Lentil Chili. Vegan. GF.

January 3, 2017 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Chili, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Lentils, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 2 Comments


Double protein lentil chili.

Guys!!!  We made it to 2017 & survived the holiday season.  I hope your holidays were incredibly fun!  We had the best 10 days.  My husband & kids were all off, minus swim practice… we had all the free time.  I stopped cooking for clients on the 19th and enjoyed a much-deserved respite as well. I wish I could say it was relaxing and easy going but hosting company, cooking, parties and attempting to keep up my fitness did take its toll.  Plus both of my girls and father all managed to get sick right over Christmas/New Years.  Never fails, right?

We hosted this year, as we always do.  We had a lovely Christmas and then headed to NYC to get out of town. We’ve made it our tradition to go and visit the tree at Rockefeller Center, eat all the vegan food and check out the incredible window displays.  It was a lot of fun.  But today, reality hit and everyone headed back to school, swim and work – including me.  I got up at 4a and got my run in and then began prepping food.

Today I wanted to get a jump start on dinner early because we have a swim meet after school.  The timing always falls over dinner prep time.  I typically stress the entire meet thinking of what to make for dinner – but not today.  Taken care of and quickly in my Instant Pot.  Did you happen to get an IP for the holidays?  If you did… this is a must-try, easy plant-based recipe.  This recipe has a huge protein punch with two types of lentils and the heartiness is perfect for a chilly winter dinner.  I also love serving this over rice or quinoa.  Makes a great lunch idea if you have any leftovers.

Let’s get started…

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— Knead to Cook

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