Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Single serving chia pudding. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Raw, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

For years I’ve been a diehard overnight oats fan. Still am. But I work extremely crazy hours and sometimes the oats aren’t leaving me satiated a long time and I need that. Still one of my favorite breakfast go-to items but lately, I’ve been dabbling with an overnight chia pudding recipe. Simple. Easy. Packed with fiber, healthy fats, omega 3’s, protein, antioxidants and the net carbs are pretty low. With all that said, this breakfast has staying power. Tested it out last week when I had 4a shift and this kept me filled until noon! NOON! What?! Yep. So let’s go!

Ingredients:
3 tbl of black or white chia
3/4 cup of a unsweetened plant based milk
1/2 tbl of maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Into a glass jar add your ingredients. Close with a lid securely and shake vigorously. I leave it on my counter for about 10 minutes shaking often. Once everything is blended well, place in your fridge. The next day, or whenever, dump into a bowl and top with your favorite fresh or frozen fruit, nut butter & whatever else you love. You can easily double or triple this recipe for the week. I’ve also added some vegan yogurt to my bowl with the chia pudding. It’s so good! Enjoy.

~0x

— Knead to Cook

Lemon Protein Bites. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Nuts, Snacks, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

So our sweet Meyer lemon tree went from our old house to our neighbor’s house while we lived in a hotel and then moved into our new home. During that time, he traveled a lot and the tree didn’t get watered or loved. She lost most of her lemons and the 2 that did survive – my husband gave him one as a thank you. I’ve resisted picking it as long as I could but she was ready. I knew I had to use it for a good recipe and here it is. A fun little protein, fat bomb kinda lemon bite. Refreshing. Quite filling. Heart healthy. So good! We keep these in the freezer for a quick and easy dessert or pick-me-up!

Ingredients:
12 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
Juice and zest from 1/2 lemon
1 tbl hemp hearts
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Pinch salt
1/2 cup + 2 tbl almond meal

Method:

Begin by adding your pitted dates, almonds & cashews into a jar or bowl and add hot water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Then drain. Add that along with your other ingredients to your food processor. Blend. You may need to scrape the sides down occasional to blend well. Then scoop (I used a small cookie scoop) balls out and place on a plate or tray. I freeze for 30 minutes then transfer to a container. I prefer to keep these frozen or refrigerated for freshness. Last 1 week in the fridge or 30 days in the freezer.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Chocolate chip cookie baked oatmeal.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brownies, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

Baked oatmeal is trending big time but this recipe is a twist on that traditional, more textured counterpart. Think oatmeal meets cake! I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and each time it lasts a hot second in my kitchen. It a great on-the-go breakfast or snack… or for us, dessert after dinner. I hope you give this one a whirl!

Ingredients:
2 small, very ripe bananas
1 tbl flax meal
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 c almond milk (unsweetened)
5 tbl nut butter
1 tbl vanilla
2 cup rolled oats
2 tbl baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of chocolate chips or cabob chips (I did half and half because my husband is allergic to chocolate)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your 8×8 pan with baking spray and set aside. Then to your high powered blender, add your bananas through cinnamon. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan. Add your chocolate chips to the top. If you prefer to have them mixed in, use a knife to mix them around gently. Bake for 20-22 minutes. The baked oats will resemble a cake-texture and be soft yet firmer to the touch. Interior will be heavenly -basically a cross between a muffin and a lava cake!

I got a aggressive with the chocolate 🙂
Final product – this is the carob chip side.



Enjoy!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Easy homemade granola. Vegan & GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Granola is one of those things we mindlessly buy but can easily make and YES a healthy, not-sugar laden version. My recipe below is flexible and totally customizable to what you have on hand in your pantry and what you love. So let’s get started 🙂

Ingredients:
3 cups of rolled oats (I prefer One Degree as they are certified glyphosate free because no one wants to eat Round up!)
2 cups of your favorite nuts
1 cup of large coconut flakes
1/2 cup of your favorite seeds (I used hemp, sunflower and chia)
4 tbl of oil of your choice (walnut, avocado, coconut or olive)
4 tbl of maple syrup
1 tbl of ground cinnamon (Ceylon is best)
Pinch or two of a coarse salt
Optional: Dried fruit* see notes.

Method:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
Into a large mixing bowl, add all of your ingredients and stir really well. Spread the mixture out on your baking sheet and place in the middle rack of your oven. I bake for 45 minutes or so or until golden, stirred every 15 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing.
*If you wish to add dried fruit, add it to the cooled granola before storing.

I used a combination of spicy maple syrup and classic.
Store in an airtight container or a glass jar with a lid for optimal freshness.

Hope you try this one out and put your own twist on it! Let me know how it turns out. ~ox

— Knead to Cook

Upside down apple cake bake. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan

When the world leans toward pumpkin, mad respect & I do love it, I’m leaning towards apple. I love apple things. So good. Plus having an abundance of them in my produce drawer… this was a no brainer for me. I made it in my cast iron pan I use for everything & legit it was gone in 2 days! Bill and my dad couldn’t stop. Not a big fan of chatting forever or wasting time so let’s get to it…

Ingredients:

6 smaller Fugi and honey crisp apples, peeled and diced pretty thin
1/3 cup of brown or coconut sugar
2 tbl of vegan butter
1 tbl ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

Cake batter recipe:
1 cup of whatever plant based milk you prefer
1 tbl of apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup of oil (avocado, coconut or olive work great)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda


Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet with oil & set aside. If using a cast iron pan to bake in omit spraying with oil and just move forward to heat over medium flame to heat up the pan. Add your butter and allow that to melt. Once melted, add your apple slices, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, stirring gently. This will allow the sugar to melt, flavors to combine and apples to soften. Set that aside. If using a baking pan, cook the apples in a separate pan. Then add them to your prepared pan and set aside.

Grab 2 mixing bowls. You’re going to mix your wet ingredients first. So add your milk and apple cider vinegar together and stir. Allow that to “curdle” for 1 minute. Then add your oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

In your separate dry bowl, add your flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and powder. Whisk to combine. Then add your dry mixture to wet and blend until just incorporated.

To prepare to bake,
Add your cooked apples to the bottom of the pan or if using cast iron just leave the apples in the pan. Spoon the batter over top carefully. Bake for 38-40 minutes or until set when you touch the top of the cake.

Serve warm or room temp. I left this covered on my countertop until the boys devoured the entire thing in 2 days.

Look at that steam rising. So good and perfect served with vegan ice cream.

Hope you enjoy and happy almost weekend!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Kale or Spinach Flatbread.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast, Brunch, Quick Bread, Snacks, Vegan

In a wonderful attempt to start cleaning out our garden, my husband had harvested a ton of kale. I made several dishes including this massaged kale salad and a big batch of sautéed kale for bowls. But when I woke up on Monday, I thought I would attempt to use up some of the cooked kale in a flatbread recipe. It turned out so good – we used the flatbreads as pizza crusts and as a side bread for soups, pastas and salads. I’ve since made 3 batches of these and they hold up nicely in the fridge all week or can easily be frozen. Let’s get started!

Ingredient:

2 cups of greens (you can use cooked or raw)
2 cups of ap flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 – 2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tbl avocado oil
1/2 cup of water
Oil for cooking

Method:

Into a food processor, add your greens through water. Process until a sticky dough forms. In the meantime, heat up a cast iron pan with a drizzle of your favorite oil. Turn your dough out onto a floured rolling surface. Coat the dough ball with flour (it will be sticky) and roll out until about 1/3 inch thick or slightly thicker depending on your taste. Divide into 4 sections. Roll until you achieve a flatbread looking oval. Add to your hot pan, working with one flatbread at a time, allow to cook until golden on one side. Then flip. Cooking took me about 3 minutes or so on each side. Remove and allow to cool.

You can use these as a pizza crust by topping with sauce and cheese and baking at a 450 degree oven until the cheese is melted.

We also used on sandwiches, as a bread side for bowls, salads and soups. Also incredible topped with hummus for a snack.


Can’t wait to hear what you think! This recipe can be adapted to most greens or a combination of what you have on hand. Spinach, chard, dandelion etc. would all be fantastic.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Vegan frosty smoothie bowl.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Raw, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegan, Vitamix

I’m admittedly not a summer weather fan. It’s been an oppressive 90+ degrees for an endless stretch of time. For dinner most nights, I’ve been opting for this very chilly & refreshing bowl. It’s protein-packed, flavor packed and it tastes so indulgent! I hope you enjoy 🙂

Ingredients:

Skant 3/4 cup of unsweetened nut or oat based milk of choice
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use either vanilla or chocolate)
1 tbl of your favorite nut butter OR 2 tbl of an organic powdered nut butter if you prefer
1 frozen banana
Pinch of salt
8 – 10 ice cubes
Optional:
1 tbl of raw cacao (if using a vanilla protein but want chocolate flavored)
If using vanilla protein and you want a strawberry bowl (add 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries).

Method:
Into a blender add your milk through ice cubes (see notes about optional flavors). If using additional berries, add them too!

Blend, you may need to stop and scrape the sides down often. Blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon into a bowl and top with whatever you love!

My faves:
Organic bran flakes
Granola
Pomegrante seeds
Cacao nibs
nut butter
berries
seeds
nuts
Enjoy immediately!


~ox

— Knead to Cook

Blueberry Oatmeal Bake. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Snacks, Vegan

Summer means an abundance of fresh fruit in my house. We love eating seasonally and it is one of the most affordable ways to navigate your grocery list. With blueberries constantly on sale, I’ve been stocking up. This recipe serves as an easy breakfast, snack or dessert topping with a little whipped cream or vegan ice cream on the side. I would recommend keeping it stored in the fridge versus on the counter as it would get moldy rather quickly in the warmer temps. I hope you enjoy this one as much as we did!

Ingredients:
1 tbl ground flax meal
3 tbl water
2 cups of rolled oats (organic)
1.5 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat and 1 cup of ap flour)
1 tbl ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups of plant based milk
1/4 cup of a neutral oil (I used avocado and coconut)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup*
3/4 cup blueberries washed and tossed with a bit of flour to coat
Nut of your choice for topping (almonds, walnuts, pecans, hemp hearts, pepitas).

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 8×8 or 9×9 pan with cooking spray. Set that aside.

Start by making your flax egg by mixing flax meal with water and allow to sit for about 4-6 minutes until thickened.
Into a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl, add all of your dry ingredients oats through salt. Whisk to combine. In that bowl, add your flax egg and plant based milk, oil, extract and syrup. Combine until just blended.

In a separate bowl, add freshly washed berries and toss with a tbl or so of your flour. Coating will allow the berries to be suspended in your bake versus sinking to the bottom of the bake. By hand, gently mix the blueberries in the batter. Then gently spoon into your prepared pan.

Top your batter with whatever nuts or seeds you like then pop it in the oven for 38-40 minutes. When the top is more solid, the color is golden, it’s done. Mine took about 40 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

*This recipe is NOT overly sweet. Feel free to adjust the sweetness by adding additional maple syrup or 1/4 cup coconut or brown sugar.

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Easy Pickling Recipe for Veggies with a seasoning packet.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Condiments, Gluten Free, Pantry, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Wheat Free

While exploring one of my favorite little markets this past weekend I noticed packets of pickling spices. I haven’t used them before but we have quite a crop of cucumbers in our garden and I thought it would be fun to make my own pickles…the way we like them. Using a seasoning packet makes pickling very fast and easy needless to say. This recipe is extremely flexible and so easy. These little jars will sit in our fridge for about 2-3 weeks before consuming. Also, make a great hostess gift if you’re attending a party or bbq.

Tip: Save any glass jars you have in your pantry. My favorite are my artichoke jars that are empty. Perfect for overnight oats or pickles!

Ingredients:

Packet or two of pickling spices
3 cups of vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar are perfect)
3 cups of water
5 tbl of organic white sugar
2 tbl of salt
4 small/medium sized cucumbers
2 large beets
3 jalapenos
1 small red onion
5 cloves of garlic
Dill or your favorite herbs
Other veggies that would work well:
Green beans
Okra
Asparagus
Carrots
Radishes

These are all estimates of portions. Depending on your jars, you can fit more or less. I just prefer to cut the veggies thinner so more surface can be pickled. Place the herbs in the bottom, garlic if using and 1 tbl or so of the spice blend. Then pack in the veggies along with another 1 tbl or more of the spice blend. Then top off with more veggies. Pour the liquid over the top and fill to the top of the jar. Once cooled, place the lid on top and store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks prior to consuming. The longer you allow to pickle, the more intense the flavor.

So for my batch of beets I added no herbs but just the pickling spice and liquid.

The cukes got dill, garlic, jalapeño, spice blend and liquid.

I then pickled the red onion with just the spices/liquid.

I did one jar of jalapeños with spices/liquid.

Add what you love. Have fun with this food project. 🙂


Method:

Into a saucepan, add your vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk to combine. The sugar and salt will take about 2 minutes to melt. Once done, turn the heat off and allow to cool a bit.

Into you jars, pour the liquid carefully over your veggies filling to the top of each jar. Allow to cool a bit and place the lid on. Refrigerate for at least 2 weeks. The longer, the more intense the flavors.

If you’re pickling beets- my tip is after slicing them add some coarse salt to the palms of your hands and “wash” to remove the red color from your skin. Then wash with soap and water.

Can’t wait to hear what you pickle!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

The best chocolate chip carob cookies EVER. NY Times.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Cookies, Holiday Baking Ideas, Snacks, Vegan

You know those cookies…. the ones you grew up eating. Nestle tollhouse, hot-from-the-oven, ooey, gooey circles of perfection? Yeah… the NY Time nailed it in this kicked up VEGAN version. I morphed it so that my chocolate-allergic (I know, smh) husband could eat using carob chips. But how has this recipe eluded me? I feel like I’m a chocolate chip cookie connoisseur. I mean really, who doesn’t love this all-American staple? Well these cookies, needless to say are heaven. I made them huge! Perfect to be used in ice cream (vegan, of course) sandwich. Warmed up with a matcha latte or coffee. Or frozen…. yep! The original genius recipe can be found here. Okay, let’s get started!

Ingredients:

225 grams or 1 3/4 cup of all purpose flour (I highly recommend organic)
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
140 grams or 5 ounces of vegan butter (I used Earth Balance sticks) room temp.
125 grams or 1/2 cup organic sugar
125 grams or 1/2 cup of brown sugar (coconut sugar doesn’t add as much to the flavor as brown does)
1 flax egg (1 tbl flax meal mixed with 2 tbl water -stirred and allow to thicken for 3 minutes or so)
2 tsp of vanilla extract
12 ounces of vegan chocolate chips or carob chips
Maldon flaked salt (I used smoked salt) but this is optional


Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Into your stand mixer, cream the room temp butter with both sugars for about 3 minutes. While that’s working, make your flax egg. Then add it to the sugar/butter mixture. Add vanilla. Then add your flour mixture. Blend until JUST combined. Avoid over-mixing. Then add whatever chips (chocolate or carob) to the mixture and blend by hand. I used a large scoop and scoop out each ball of dough, add to your prepared pan. Then I add a pinch of Maldon salt to the top of each one. I gently push the cookies down a bit. Then bake for 15-16 minutes. I prefer a bit underdone but you do you. If making smaller cookies, adjust the time to 8-10 minutes or so.

When the cookies are done baking, remove the sheet pan and allow to cool and firm up for about 4-5 minutes.

Crunchy exterior, chewy interior.
Devour.

Hope you enjoy! ~ox

— Knead to Cook