Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Smoky lentil stew. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Indian-inspired., Pantry, Soups, Vegan, Wheat Free

Going to be super honest, I’m sharing because this has been our go-to weekly meal prep idea this fall but I’m not spending the required time to stage and make this post picture perfect. Life is busy, hectic and crazy. We are in the midst of selling our lives, packing what’s left and getting ready to move. Blogging recipes has not been on my radar with all that going on plus working. However, this one is too good not to share so let’s go!

Ingredients:

2 tbl of a neutral oil (I used walnut and avocado)
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced (I add if I have it)
6-10 garlic cloves, minced (I lately have been adding whole cloves that are small and about 20 of them)
2 cups of brown or green lentils, rinsed
1-2 large potatoes, cubed (I use whatever I have on hand)
7 cups of veggie broth
2 tbl of Dijon mustard
1 tbl Worcestershire (make sure it’s vegan) sauce
1 tbl smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1-2 cups of fresh or frozen peas

Method:

Into a large Dutch oven or stock pot, add your oil and heat over medium heat. Then add your onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes until cooked. Then add your garlic, lentils, potatoes, broth, mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, bay leaves, thyme, and Rosemary. Bring to a boil. I only add the peas right before serving so they don’t get mushy.

Once it’s been simmering for about 3-4 minutes, I reduce the heat, cover and let it cook for up to several hours. Right before you serve, add your peas.

Serve with a good crusty bread and enjoy! You can refrigerate the leftovers for a quick and easy meal all week.

Okay back to packing! Love ya bye!

— Knead to Cook

Hearty Lentil Stew. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Lentils, Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Right now, I’m finding using up pantry essentials for our dinners quite cathartic. I feel like I’m hoarding my fresh veggies for my salads and focusing on beans and lentils with quinoa or rice as our main meal. Plus saving money where we can, during this unsure time, is necessary.

I’ve been off from work recovering from yet another knee surgery. My husband is still going into work daily. Both of our daughters are still doing classes online and working outside of the home as well. In fact our oldest remained at school in her apartment to remain at work. Such a weird time. I’m hoping you are getting into the kitchen to whip up some good comfort food even if you aren’t a cooking fan. This dish is very easy and forgiving. A great place to start 🙂 I served it with some fresh homemade dinner rolls which everyone loved.

Ingredients:

Olive oil to coat your pan
1 yellow or red onion, diced
3 large carrots, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped (keep the leaves and add them as well)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large potato, I used a purple sweet potato but a white potato will work as well*
2.5 cups of green lentils, washed and drained
1 tsp of dried oregano
1-2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of smoked or regular salt
A few cracks of fresh pepper
1 tsp of liquid smoke
8 cups of vegetable broth
2 tbl of tomato paste
1 tbl of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of frozen kale

Method:

Into a large stock pot, add a drizzle of olive oil to the bottom of the pan over medium heat. Add your onions, carrots and celery to cook for 6-8 minutes stirring often. Add your garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add your potato, lentils, seasonings, smoke, broth and paste. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and cover your pot. Cook until the lentils are softened throughout. Prior to serving add your acv and frozen kale. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional s&p as desired.

*When choosing your potato the sweet version will add a slight sweetness to the dish. The purple potato also makes the stew dark. A white or Yukon will not add sweetness and will keep the stew more red/tomato colored.

I hope you enjoy this dish. It’s better the day after as the flavors will develop more. We served over basmati rice along with some fresh dinner rolls.

Sending you all of my love~

— Knead to Cook

Vegan sausage chili. Super easy!

by Filed Under: Chili, Mexican, Soups, Vegan proteins

Woo hoo I’m on a blogging roll however my pics have been quite disappointing. Hoping the sun comes out again and that I get my photography groove back… lol. My work schedule is a bit open this week and I’m not complaining. Only working 2 days this week before 3 solid weeks to follow.

Today Sydney flew back to school. We got home and ate lunch & I decided I wanted to make a big batch of chili for the week. I normally try to make one big pot of soup, lentils or something for the week. Having a nice healthy option on hand is perfect for quick lunches or dinners during the week. Meal prepping doesn’t have to be daunting!

This recipe is super forgiving and you can add or omit what you love/hate. I serve this along with some cornbread and it’s the perfect, comforting winter meal.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
Soy sausage links (I used Trader Joe’s Soy Sausage link) but whatever vegan sausage you prefer would work.
1 red onion, diced
8-10 cloves of garlic, minced (trying to keep everyone healthy here)
1 bell pepper, diced and whatever color you have on hand
2 tbl of chili powder
1 tbl of cumin
1 tbl of smoked paprika
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt (add more as you prefer once it’s done cooking)
1 large or 2 smaller (14 oz) cans of organic crushed tomatoes- I prefer fire roasted
3 cans of beans (I used a mix of red kidney and black), drained and rinsed
1 small can of diced chilis
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 tbl of apple cider vinegar or the juice from one lime
Cilantro for garnish


Method:

Begin by heating the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan. Once hot, add your soy sausage and cook until browned. Then proceed by adding onions and peppers. I cook for 4 minutes and then add the garlic. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the spices and stir well. Proceed to add the tomatoes, beans, chilis and broth. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. Allow to cook for 40 minutes up to several hours (I let it simmer for hours till dinner). Before serving add the apple cider vinegar. Taste to adjust seasoning. Then ladle in bowls and top with fresh cilantro leaves. Optional other toppings: vegan cheddar, diced red onion, green onions, fresh jalapeños or avocado cubes.

— Knead to Cook

Hearty Mung bean and lentil stew. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Beans, Gluten Free, Holiday, Indian-inspired., Soups, Stews, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

Happy 2020! We’re kicking off the new year with a hearty, comforting stew that is perfect for meal prepping. Packed with fiber and protein -super satiating.

I apologize for the less than perfect images but I wasn’t expecting to love this stew as much as my entire family did and the weather has been less than desirable, cloudy and rainy, for a proper shoot. Regardless, ugly food that tastes great… I’m in for it.

Ingredients:

1 cups of mung beans
1 cup of green lentils
6 cups of veggie broth
2-3 cups of water (as needed)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion – chopped
1 can of full fat coconut milk
4 tbl of tomato paste
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 cups of frozen spinach

Method:

Into a larger Dutch oven, over medium heat, add your broth, mung beans and lentils. Cook uncovered for 40 minutes total. Every 10-12 minutes check and add water as needed. I added about 3 cups additionally. I wanted the soup to be more stew-like so closer to the end of cooking, I added less water.

While that’s cooking, add a drizzle of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat oven medium flame. Once hot add your onion and cook 4-6 minutes. Once golden, add your garlic and cook 2 additional minutes. Once done, turn off and add to your soup mixture once its done cooking (40 minutes).

After the 40 minutes, add your onions/garlic, coconut milk, paste and give that a good stir. Once the paste is blended well – add your frozen spinach and stir. I allowed that to cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt/pepper. Serve immediately and leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freezing is also an option.

We served over brown rice with crusty bread accompaniment. It is the perfect hearty meal. It’s been on repeat as lunch and dinner for days here… cannot get enough.


Enjoy!


— Knead to Cook

Dill pickle soup. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Gluten Free, Holiday, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

When I saw my favorite Instagrammer, Erin Ireland, make this soup I knew I had to give it a whirl. It was so good I wanted to share with you all.

I know it may sound super weird… dill pickle soup!?! However it’s a potato base, very thick and creamy with a dill twang. Seriously, it’s everything. I made this soup on Sunday while Sydney was home on fall break. My girls are dill pickle fanatics! She, and her lovely boyfriend, really loved it as my taste testers. Everyone else followed suit. It was a warm and comforting dish all week for dinner. Perfect fall dinner idea.

Ingredients:

1 tbl of vegan butter or olive oil in a large stock pot (use a large pot, I had to change it out mid way through as I needed more space)
1 medium sized onion, diced
4 dill pickles, chopped
4 large white potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup of pickle juice
4 cups of vegetable broth (reserve 1/2 cup to blend with your sour cream)
1 container of Tofutti or vegan sour cream
Fresh dill for garnish
Salt and pepper

Method:

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add your butter or olive oil. Once hot, add your onions and cook for 4-6 minutes until translucent. Then add your remaining ingredients through broth (reserve 1/2 cup to blend in a separate bowl with the sour cream) and bring to a boil. Lower temp, cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. In a separate bowl mix sour cream with broth. Whisk to combine – then add to the soup. Stir. Using a stick immersion blender or an actual blender in batches, blend until creamy. Return to the pot. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with a sprig of fresh dill. Enjoy!

This soup will easily keep in the fridge for 5 days making it a great meal prep idea. Reheats beautifully as well as freezes nicely. I hope you enjoy and if you’re on Instagram check Erin out… she is simply incredible.

— Knead to Cook

Roasted tomato coconut soup. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Soups, Vegan, Vitamix, Wheat Free

End of season soups are my favorites to make. You can buy so many second-hand veggies, like tomatoes, for relatively little money, and make a great lunch or dinner option for the entire week. I love seconds of tomatoes, they may be bumped and bruised but it doesn’t matter so don’t be afraid!

This recipe is incredibly easy to make and is a wonderful meal-prep dish for your week. Let’s get started…

Ingredients:

5-6 lbs of tomatoes, I used heirlooms and regular beefsteak type of tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 head of garlic, top cut off for roasting (see below)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
1 bell pepper, (orange or red) washed and sliced
Olive oil for drizzling
Salt
Pepper
Fresh basil (one good handful)
2 stems of fresh fresh thyme leaves – stem removed
1 can of full-fat coconut milk or cream

Method:
First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Slice the top of your garlic off to expose the cloves
Cut a slice of foil and place your garlic head in the center.
Drizzle the opening (top) with a 1 tbl of olive oil.
Wrap your garlic bulb loosely. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Remove the foil. To extract the garlic cloves – simply squeeze the bulb from the bottom and the squeeze the cloves out. They will be a soft texture.

Change the oven temp to 350 degrees. Place your tomatoes, onions and bell pepper on your baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the tomatoes (2-3 tbl). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1 hour or until softened and aromatic. Remove and allow to cool a bit so you can handle safely. Then add your tomatoes/juice and onions and peppers to your stock pot or Dutch oven. Add your basil, coconut cream (entire can) and fresh basil.

Bring your ingredients to a simmer over low/medium heat. Then using your blender or hand immersion blender, blend until creamy. If using a blender, work in small batches for safety. Then add your soup back to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve and enjoy! You can easily freeze this soup or refrigerate for 5 days.

— Knead to Cook

Plant based meal prepping.

by 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

Hearty Vegan Vegetable Sausage Soup. GF.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Italian-inspired, Pasta, Soups, Vegan, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Chilly Sundays are for soup in my house.  Finally, today I was off from work & embraced my day off.  I started with an early gym session and then home to walk the pups.  From there I spent hours working away on roasted veggies, this soup, a pumpkin coffee cake I found here and some spicy tofu I’ll be sharing this week as well.

This recipe is super forgiving and quite easy. 

Ingredients:

1 package of vegan/gf sausage or brats – I used Beyond Meat
1 tbl olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1- 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
32 ounces of vegetable stock or broth
2 tbl of Italian seasonings
Salt and pepper

Method:

Add your oil of choice to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium flame.  Once hot, add your vegan sausage.  Cook until browned on the exterior for about 6-8 minutes.  Remove once browned and slice into bite-sized pieces, set aside.

Into your hot pan add your garlic, carrots, celery and bell peppers.  Cook until the veggies release their liquid and soften a bit – this may take about 8 minutes or so.  Once tender, add your tomatoes, stock and seasonings.  Cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes.  Taste to adjust salt and pepper.  Add your sausage back in for at least 5-7 minutes. Serve over a small pasta or rice (what we used), with some crusty bread or crackers.  

Enjoy! 


— Knead to Cook

One Pot Lentil Stew. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Gluten Free, Lentils, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

One pot lentil stew. 

Hoping you all had a lovely holiday weekend.  We traveled, 1 dog in hand, north to visit my in-laws.  It was pretty much a typical food fest and I came home 2 lbs heavier, no doubt from a salt overload.  So Monday, in yet another snowstorm, I headed to they gym at 420a and got my workout in.  Hurried home to give hubs my truck (now that he has an electric car) so he was safer in the snow and my week started.  I have been craving a lentil stew for weeks for some reason but had no time in the kitchen to create.  Today was my day!  This stew has been simmering all day long and I just had a bowl over rice.  I’m in heaven.

So the snow is over, melted and the new month has begun.  What are your goals for the month?  I’m continuing my no-spend on clothes/shoes etc. for me.  I’ve been really good and haven’t bought anything since December.  That focus remains steadfast for me.  That along with continuing to push my fitness levels up now that my knee is 3 months post op.

Okay let’s get this stew going… can’t wait to hear what you think of it!

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— Knead to Cook

The easiest mushroom bacon. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Gluten Free, Salads, Side dish, Snacks, Soups, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

Apparently today is both national sweet potato AND chili day.  Figures, I go ahead and share a mushroom bacon recipe.  My luck… a day late and a dollar short.  (insert smirk)

Now onto this recipe.  I’ve vacillated on this pic.  I love it, I hate it.  Regardless, these babies were gone within minutes.  Let me begin by telling you that I hate mushrooms.  The texture.  The flavor.  No. Just no!  Well, that is until we are out eating vegan and mushroom bacon keeps popping up & I realize how much I love it.  So here is my super easy, crazy tasty and no weird texture mushroom bacon recipe.  I hope you leave your fear of the fungi at the door and give this recipe a whirl.  Okay, let’s go!
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— Knead to Cook