Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Frozen chocolate banana bites.

by Filed Under: Desserts, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Who’s up for a frozen chocolatey treat?  I am!!!  Chocolate + banana + coconut + chocolate chips + sea salt = Ohhhhh MY GoOdNesS!

Super easy & equally fabulous tasting.  A must-do recipe this summer.

Ingredients:

2 bananas, cut into 2 inch chunks
8 ounces of dark 60% chocolate chips
1 tsp of canola oil
Sea salt
Toasted coconut
Mini dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.  Set aside.  In your microwave, melt the chocolate chips and oil.  If your microwave has a melt setting, use that.  If not, melt and check on every 30 seconds.  Avoid overheating or the chocolate will burn.  Stir until just melted.  Dip your banana bites into the chocolate and coat.  Place onto your lined cookie sheet.  Top with your favorite toppings.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes.  Then… EnJoY!!!!

— Knead to Cook

Strawberry Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Bars.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Snacks Leave a Comment

 

 

Cleaning day at home and I decided to whip up something fun for the kid’s after-school treat.  We just bought some fresh strawberry jam from our favorite strawberry farm that we pick/buy our berries from and I thought this would be a great way to use it 🙂

Ingredients:

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 tsp of salt
1/2 cup of butter or butter substitute, cut into pieces
1 cup of strawberry jam
3 tablespoons of toasted coconut
3 tablespoons of slivered almonds, toasted (or any other nut you prefer)
You can also top with chia seeds (sprinkled on top by hand)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your 8×8 pan with non stick baking spray.

In your large mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, soda and salt.  Using a pastry knife or your hands, blend in the butter pieces.  It will resemble a very crumbly mixture.   Press 3/4ths of the mixture into your prepared pan.  Push it down so it’s firmly packed.  The spread your jam over the top, evenly to the edges.  Then top with the remaining mixture.   Add the coconut, almonds or whatever nuts/seeds your prefer.  Press that down as well so it’s firmly packed.

Bake for 34-38 minutes or until golden.  Remove and let cool.  Slice and enjoy!  Store in a sealed container.

 

— Knead to Cook

Double Chocolate Chobani Muffins.

by Filed Under: Muffins, Snacks 12 Comments

Another rainy day here and I have teacher’s gifts on my mind.  This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I wanted to thank our awesome teachers with a sweet treat.  Chocolate immediately came to mind and from there… these sweet little treats were created.

Ingredients:

1 c of all purpose flour
1/2 c of good quality dark cocoa powder (I used Wilbur)
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt
3/4 c of sugar
1 c of non fat Chobani plain yogurt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 c of canola oil
1/2 c of dark chocolate chips (you can add more or less depending on your taste)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your muffin pan (I used a mini muffin pan) with non stick floured baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, sift you flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Then add sugar and mix to combine.  In your stand mixer, paddle attached, add yogurt, eggs, vanilla and oil.  Combine.  Then add the dry ingredients to the wet. Combine, avoid over-mixing.  Then fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Using a small scoop (I use a melon baller) add batter to the muffin tins.  Fill 3/4 of the way allowing room for the muffin to grow.  I baked mini muffins for 18-20 minutes.  I inserted  a toothpick to ensure the muffins were done baking.  Some chocolate from the chips may be on the toothpick but as long as the batter isn’t present, they are done.

— Knead to Cook

5 Ingredient Chocolate Energy Bars.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Nuts, Snacks 11 Comments

The 3 ingredient energy bars have been such an overwhelming success in my house that I needed to start making more for everyone.  Being a self-proclaimed chocoholic – this version was inevitable!  🙂

Ingredients:

1 c almonds, toasted
16 pitted Medjool dates, pitted
3 tbl of good quality cocoa
3 tbl of dark chocolate chips (optional)
1/8th tsp of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.  Add the almonds to your processor and blend until you have fine chunks of almond.  Then add the remaining ingredients to your food processor and blend until a large mass forms.  Break it up and process again until it it is well blended.

In a lined (parchment) 8×8 or 9×9 glass pan, add the mixture.  I then add a piece of plastic wrap over the top and roll a small glass over top to smooth it out and make it even.  Refrigerate for 45 minutes. Then remove and slice into bite sized squares or bars.  Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

3 Ingredient (No Bake) Energy Bars.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, Snacks, Vegetarian 8 Comments

I love energy bars but typically dislike the nutritional information.  These bars are so delicious, no bake (well you do toast the almonds) and with only 3 ingredients.  So why not get energy from real ingredients, no preservatives & something truly healthy?

Ingredients:

1 c of dried, Medjool dates that have been pitted
1 c of raw almonds
1 c of dried, tart cherries

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes until toasted.

In your food processor, place the pitted Medjool dates that have been pitted and the cherries.  Process until it forms a large, pasty ball.  Remove and set aside.  Then add the cooled almonds to your processor and process until they are finely chopped (avoid over processing into flour).  Your looking for small pieces.  Then add the date/cherry mixture back and blend again until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Line an 8×8 glass square baking pan with parchment or tin foil.  Place the mixture on top.  Then I added a piece of plastic wrap over the top to press it down into one even layer.  I used a small glass to even it all out.  Refrigerate for 45 minutes.  Remove and slice.  Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Chobani Guacamole.

by Filed Under: Dips, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Salsas & Guacamole, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

 

We love taco night in our house.  Plus, it’s my go-to quick dinner that I know everyone will gobble up.  Tonight my kids had swim practice & my father & I have been tirelessly working on our backyard construction project/re-do.  Finally today, it’s taking shape!  Can’t wait for it to be done & for our parties to start!

This recipe is super easy, adjustable to your taste and protein-packed.  Plus with the crazy price of avocados, it extends them a bit by adding the Chobani.

Ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeño, seeded (if you don’t like it spicy, leave the seeds in if you do)
3 avocados, pitted and the inside scooped out
2 tbl of lime juice
1/4 c of Chobani non fat plain yogurt
1 handful of cilantro leaves, washed
1 tbl ground cumin
1/2 – 1 tsp of cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like it.  (omit if you don’t like it spicy)
1 tsp of salt (adjust this per taste)

Directions:  In your food processor blend the garlic and jalapeño until finely minced.  Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Adjust the spices to your liking.  Serve immediately.

— Knead to Cook

Lemon Chobani Poppy Seed Muffins.

by Filed Under: Muffins, Snacks, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I needed a pick-me-up today and I knew these would do the trick!  Light and lemony and my favorite thing of all time — Chobani!  These are delectable!

Ingredients:

2 c of unbleached, all purpose flour
1/2 c + 1 tbl of sugar
2 tbl of poppy seeds
2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
3/4 tsp of salt
3 tbl of grated lemon zest
2 eggs
6 oz of lemon Chobani (single serving cup)
8 tbl of melted, cooled butter
1/2 c of fresh lemon juice
2 tsp of vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp lemon extract)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl, blend all of your dry ingredients with a spoon (flour through zest).  Then in your stand mixer, paddle attachment on, blend all of your wet ingredients.  Once incorporated, slowly add the dry ingredients 1/3rd at a time.  Avoid over mixing.

I did these in a mini muffin pan for 15 minutes.  A regular sized muffin pan would take about 18 minutes or so.  Remove when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

— Knead to Cook

Strawberry Shortcake Shish Kabobs with fresh vanilla whipped cream.

by Filed Under: Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Valentine's Day 1 Comment

Farmer’s Market today yielded a wonderful bounty of strawberries.  They caught my eye immediately and I couldn’t resist.  Once my daughter saw them… her wheels were spinning and she made some wonderful strawberry shortcake shish kabobs, her favorite!  I got to make the whipped cream 🙂  Such a wonderful, fun dessert idea.

Ingredients:
2 pints of strawberries, wash and cut the stems off
1 angel food cake, cut up into cubes
Skewers

Directions:

Start with a strawberry and then alternate angel food cake cubes.  Add as many as you like.  You can certainly add other fruit like berries, pineapple, mangoes etc.

Whipped Cream:

Ingredients:
1 c of whipping cream
2 tbl of confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean (seeds on the inside only) or 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions:

In your stand mixer, with the whisk attached, pour in the whipping cream and beat.  I typically beat this for about 1 minutes then add the sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium to high until it takes on a whipped cream consistency.  Serve immediately .

Served on the side as a dip for the shish kabobs.

— Knead to Cook

Roasted red pepper hummus.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, No bake/cooking required!, Snacks, Vegetarian 2 Comments

I made this yummy roasted red pepper hummus last Friday night for a friend’s birthday party we were hosting.  It was so good and so much better than store-bought hummus.  I love controlling the ingredients, especially the salt, that goes into my foods.

Ingredients:

1  – 15 oz cans of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 c of chopped roasted red peppers
3 tbl of olive oil
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
2 tbl tahini
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp of salt
1/8 of tsp of ground pepper
If you like spicier hummus, add 1/2 tsp of Sriracha sauce

Directions:  Add everything to your food processor and blend.  If it’s too dry, add  additional lemon juice.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.  Then serve with your favorite veggies, chips or pita bread.

— Knead to Cook