Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Birdseed crackers. Vegan. Gluten free.

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

These birdseed crackers have been a longtime favorite in my house & now that I’m focused more on eating healthy fats – they are a weekly staple.  Even my clients love & request them, often!  They are filled with heart healthy fats. Great as a bread replacement – think smashed avocado or hummus (my faves) and you have a perfect snack or side dish to a big salad.

As the holiday quickly approach, I’ve been working on sharing healthy food ideas for you and your family as well as gift ideas for those on your holiday gift list.  Not everyone cherishes the endless plates of cookies or treats.  I always love to share something different, of course healthier, and it always is received with great joy.  This recipe makes a lovely batch that could easily serve, wrapped up with a pretty plaid ribbon, to 2 or 3 friends/co-workers or special people in your life that you don’t necessarily buy for but appreciate.  Plus homemade gifts come with great heart and love.

This recipe has many substitutions that you can make & I’ll note in the recipe.  I hope you give these a try.  They will most certainly be on a appetizer buffet during Christmas.

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— Knead to Cook

Cranberry Pomegranate Relish. Vegan. Raw. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday, Party Foods, Salads, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vitamix Leave a Comment

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Cranberry Pomegranate Relish.

Thanksgiving is one week away.  ONE WEEK!  I cannot get my mind wrapped around it.  I’ve been working so much the past few weeks, I feel like this truly snuck up on me.  I’m starting to prep some dishes and this is hands down, one of the easiest and favorites.

Long gone are the days of that gross, canned cranberry sauce/gelatinous blob.  Creating homemade relish is super easy and takes just minutes. Seriously. Even if you hate to cook, think you cannot— this recipe is fail-proof!  Plus it isn’t sugar laden like most recipes.

Cranberry relish is great on salads, in smoothie bowls, burgers, sandwiches or wherever you need a fresh flavor punch with some texture.  Flexible recipe and this will keep in your fridge for weeks!
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— Knead to Cook

Wheat Berry Cran Salad. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Holiday, Side dish, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 7 Comments

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Wheat berry cran salad.

This salad is a staple on my Thanksgiving menu.  The orange flavored cranberries are such a fun twist on a classic seasonal berry.  Wheat berries are not gluten free so please note that for any of your gf guests.  As many grain types – the wheat berry is packed with carbs, fiber and protein.  If you’ve never had a wheat berry, they are a very sturdy grain that holds up nicely in salads.  This dish can be made several days ahead of time, allowing the vinaigrette to develop with the wheat berry.  Serve cold or at room temperature.  This salad is perfect to take to your host’s home or to place on your Thanksgiving buffet.  This salad is also perfect for lunch or during the week or as a side dish.

Is anyone ready for Thanksgiving?  I feel like we went from September to Thanksgiving in a hot second.  Crazy to think I’ll have a Christmas tree in my house next Friday.  Time to babysit the dogs/tree for hours on end… lol.

I also wanted to let you all know that the winner for the tempeh will be posted on Instagram!

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— Knead to Cook

Lima Bean Garlic Hummus. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Lima Bean Hummus. Vegan & gluten free.

I love to cook seasonally.  I shop at farmer’s markets at least 2 times a week and love buying local seasonal produce.  I’ve been seeing tons of lima beans popping up & wanted to put a spin on their preparation v. the traditional boiling method.  Plus my girls will eat hummus but not a lima beans.

We consume a lot of hummus in our house.  I love it on my daily monstrous salad as an extra boost of protein & because I don’t use dressing – I like the flavor punch hummus provides.  My husband uses it daily on his veggie sandwiches he takes to work.  Plus of course, dipping veggies, crackers and chips is a must.  Lima beans are buttery in texture and are a wonderful source of Thiamin, B6 and folate.  The blend down to a lovely consistency in hummus… and if you like to mix up your beans, and plant based proteins – you will love this one.
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— Knead to Cook

Lentil Salad with Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Beans, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Lentils, Party Foods, Pressure Cooker, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free 4 Comments

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This recipe is inspired by one of my favorites from Gwyneth Paltrow’s It’s All Good cookbook.  This salad is great as a stand alone, paired up with greens in a salad (think protein source) or as a side dish to another protein.  We’ve even paired this with gf pasta and love it.  The flavors are light and summery with the citrus boost of lemon.  Also a great addition to your taco bar or for your Sunday brunch.  Think outside of the box.

Lentils are packed with nutrients critical to help you running on all cylinders.  So not only are they a wonderful source of protein they also boast…
90 percent of folate
37 percent of iron
49 percent of manganese
36 percent of phosphorus
22 percent of thiamin
21 percent of potassium
18 percent of vitamin B6

This recipe, stored in an airtight container is perfect to keep in the fridge all week long.  Hope you give this one a try!

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— Knead to Cook

Grilled Lemon Shishito Peppers. Vegan. Gluten Free.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Grilling, Party Foods, Running/Races, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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Grilled Lemon Shishito Peppers. Vegan. Gluten Free.

Haven’t seen or heard of these beauties?  No worries, once trying you’ll never forget them.  Shishito peppers are small, finger length, slender and thin walled peppers.  One in about 10 are spicy but most are mellow. Very low in calories, I use these as an appetizer or on my taco bar.  These take mere minutes to prepare and devour so make sure you buy a hearty supply.  I find these at my local farmer’s market or Asian market.  I hope you venture out and give these a whirl.  My whole family loves them.
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— Knead to Cook

Coconut Bacon Flakes. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Homemade Chips, Party Foods, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments

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Coconut bacon?  Why yes!  I first haphazardly stumbled upon this insanely delectable treat a few months ago while traveling.  I bought a bag and was addicted at first bite.  I brought it home and vegans & non-vegans alike couldn’t stop eating it.  I knew I had to recreate it because it would become a staple in our pantry & boy was I right!

So it has the smokiness of bacon, the crunch factor & is totally healthy v. the real deal. You can use it virtually in the same manner – like topping you salad, baked potato etc.  But wait… this is coconut so let’s travel down other avenues of usage.  Topping vegan yogurt (my new favorite is So Delicious), vegan ice cream, cereal, roasted veggies, mixed in granola… anywhere you want to create that sweet/salty/smoky flavor profile.  OHHHH and think of all the holiday food you can top with it!?!  Mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus… yum!  So many uses & so little time. And yes, straight up eating is also quite acceptable.

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— Knead to Cook

Quinoa Summer Veggie Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette. V. GF.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Beans, Brunch, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Salads, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Happy August!  The summer is flying by.  School starts this month.  We’re prepping for that & submitting the last of our college applications.  Pure emotional roller coaster.  Last week was our first week without any swim meets during the work week.  It was nice to get back to cooking and having mostly everyone home for dinner in the evening.

As apart of my food prep each weekend I always make a large batch of quinoa and rice.  I opted to add a ton of our garden veggies to it for a filling and vitamin-packed salad.  My carnivores ate this salad as a side dish & the rest of us had this as a main.  Plus this salad is perfect for brown bagged lunches.  And because it has no dairy to spoil – a great option to take to a BBQ or potluck.
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— Knead to Cook

The Best Crispy Baked Fries. Oil free. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Party Foods, Potatoes, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free 9 Comments

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The Best Crispy Baked Fries. Oil free. Vegan. GF.

Potatoes are one the most nutritionally well-rounded foods you can eat yet so misunderstood. Of course, we live in a world that bastardizes them with oils, butter, sour cream and a variety of other artery-clogging agents.  I know many people shy away from potatoes because of the carbs and belief that they make you fat.  They don’t.  One medium baked potato has only 161 calories, plus 4 g of filling fiber.   Chilled, cooked potato is packed with resistant starch, a fibrous substance that could help you lose weight. “If you keep portion sizes in check—no more than one medium potato in a given meal—and eat the fiber-rich skin, potatoes make a satisfying, low-cal, nutrient-rich side dish,” says Michelle Dudash, RD, a Gilbert, AZ-based nutritionist.

Other benefits:
Lowering blood pressure:  Potatoes have a blood pressure-lowering compounds called kukoamines.
B6: Many of the building blocks of protein, amino acids, require B6 for their synthesis, as do the nucleic acids used in the creation of our DNA. Vitamin B6 is essential for the formation of virtually all new cells in the body.  B6 is also necessary for the breakdown of glycogen, the form in which sugar is stored in our muscle cells and liver, so this vitamin is a key player in athletic performance and endurance.  Support cardiovascular and nervous systems in the body.

There are a variety of potato recipes on the web but this recipe is my all-time favorite.  Fix it and forget it recipe.  You can use whatever spices you love.  I opt for no salt seasonings. No oil.  I eat these many nights for dinner and they keep me filled all night long.  Obsessed.
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— Knead to Cook

Let’s Go Lucy Blog Post Mediterranean Summer Salad. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Dressings, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Lucy Let's Go Post, Salads, Side dish, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Summer is here! I’m so excited.  Warm, sunny longer days.  All the fresh local fruits and vegetables. Farm stands.  Gardening and get togethers with friends and family.  After what seemed to be an endless winter, as it always is in the Northeast, I’m so ready for carefree summer days.

We love eating dinner outside in the summer.  Weekends are made for slow-paced evenings with friends- eating, laughing, time by fire just enjoying special moments.  To be honest… food is always on my mind.  I love hosting and my food always needs to be easy, fresh and seasonal.  Because so many people have various dietary restrictions, and with most of my family being plant-based, I love to infuse my menu with food that is allergy-free for most.  No nuts, seeds, meat and dairy-free.  This salad is a twist on a classic salad that is protein-packed and infused with the brightness of fresh lemon.  This salad is great on it’s own for lunch or an easy dinner or to take to a pot luck or pool party.  I also will share tips on how to keep this salad crunchy and fresh without it getting soggy after a few hours.  This recipe is very flexible with the ingredients so you can get creative infusing flavors you love.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

Click here to view the recipe.
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— Knead to Cook