Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

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

Homemade fruit & herb infused alcohol.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Cocktails, Vegan

My husband was inspired by a friend’s of ours to try making this liquor on his own. We had been over their house for a properly social distanced dinner outside and they brought out a passionfruit liquor that they had made. She happily shared the recipe and I wanted to pass it along on the blog. Bill, of course, made his own versions – 2 in fact, but seriously the options are endless. The original recipe was share multiple times over and again, I don’t know the origin. I’m sorry. This recipe yielded 2 separate bottles of different flavor profiles. You can easily just make one larger batch or divide up.

Ingredients:
1 litre of alcohol (we used Everclear)
1/2 litre of fruit/herbs of choice
2 litres of water
1.5 kg sugar

Method:

Again this is to yield one larger batch and how the original recipe was written.

Place in a one litre bottle: add fruit (sliced or pureed), and 1/2 litre of alcohol. Infuse for 15 days, occasionally swirling around in the bottle. After the 15 days, filter the fruit out and discard.

Make your simple syrup by adding the sugar/water to a pot over medium heat. Whisk until combined and remove from the heat. Allow to cool.

Add the remaining alcohol and simple syrup you made. Let stand another 15 days then filter before adding to a clean container for storage. Best stored in a dark, cooler location. This will easily last years! Makes a great holiday gift.



Bill made two flavors:
Strawberry & basil
Watermelon & mint

My friend’s have made raspberry, passionfruit, peach etc.

Because I don’t drink alcohol, Bill thought the watermelon and basil was a bit too sweet but again, that’s preference. He normally isn’t a sweet kind of person. But everyone loved the flavors etc.

Cheers! ~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

Healthy Broccoli Slaw (no mayo).

by Filed Under: Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Party Foods, Raw, Salads, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette, Wheat Free

My husband picked up a bag of broccoli slaw from Trader’s and I wanted to take a stab at a non-mayo (vegan, of course) version. I knew I wanted to pair this with a jackfruit carnitas sandwich and it was perfect! A nice crunchy cold side with a hot sammy.

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

1 bag of your favorite cole slaw or veggie slaw mix (I used broccoli)
1/4 cup of a good quality olive oil (you can use a scant amount and add a tablespoon of sesame oil if you prefer)
3-4 tablespoons of your chosen acid (lemon, lime juice or I used apple cider vinegar, champagne or even rice wine vinegar works)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
Add some fresh cilantro
sesame seeds (I garnished with that)
sliced jalapeños

Method:

I take a big bowl and make my dressing first, olive oil through salt/pepper. Whisk to combine. Then add your slaw mix and toss to coat. I allow this to rest and marinade in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.

Before serving, toss again and garish as you please.



Enjoy!
~ox

— Knead to Cook

Chickpea Pasta Salad. Vegan.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Beans, Brunch, Dressings, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vinaigrette

On the weekend, we were at one of our favorite little markets and I picked up a big bag of dried chickpeas. I soaked them overnight and cooked them on the stovetop the next day. They were so good! In this recipe post I’ll share how to make them and this delicious pasta salad – which is perfect for summer gatherings, weekly meal prep or whatever you have in mind. It’s completely flexible with what veggies and pasta you use and if you prefer, you can always use canned chickpeas.

Ingredients:

1-2 cans of chickpeas (drained and rinsed) OR
1 lb of dried chickpeas (soaked in cold water overnight)
1 box of your favorite pasta (cook per box instructions)
Fresh herbs (I used a palmful of fresh dill and parsley) washed and chopped
1/2 of a red onion, diced
1 large cucumber, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1/3 cup of fresh peas
2 garlic scapes, chopped
Other veggies you can use: Raw asparagus (chopped), carrots, radishes, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, halved sugar snapped peas, chopped broccoli, olives etc. If I opt to use tomatoes, I add them prior to serving as they get super mushy in the fridge.

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil
4 tbl good quality balsamic vinegar
5 cloves of garlic, (raw), minced
1 tbl of dijon mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Pinch of salt and pepper

Method:
If using dried chickpeas, soak them in a large pot with enough water to cover by a few inches over the top. In the morning drain, and rinse. Add them to a stock pot and add enough water to cover with a good pinch of salt or two. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to cook for about 45-60 minutes taste testing for the texture you enjoy.

Once done, drain and allow to cool.

For the pasta salad, I cook my noodles according the package instructions. Drain and add to a very large mixing bowl. Add your veggies, chickpeas and herbs through garlic scapes if using. Toss to mix.

Into a glass jar that you have a lid for, add your vinaigrette ingredients and place the lid on tightly. Shake vigorously. Add 1/2 of that dressing to your pasta salad and toss. I reserve the remaining dressing to dress the pasta salad if not consuming immediately as the pasta absorbs some of the dressing.

This vinaigrette is also heavenly as a bread dip!

Wishing you a very and safe Happy 4th of July!

~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

TTLA Tempeh Tomato Lettuce Avocado Sandwich.

by Filed Under: Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins

Let me begin by saying we are VERY late to the TTLA game & I’m not quite sure why. I mean we LOVE Whole Foods so…. we’re here & loving it!

This sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner. And with summer tomatoes fresh from you garden?! Hello beautiful. This sandwich I used my leftover taco Tuesday guac but you can use sliced avocado as Whole Foods OG does. Okay, less chatting more cooking!

Ingredients:
1 package of Lightlife tempeh bacon
Some oil to spray the pan with (avocado is perfect)
Romaine
Fresh sliced tomatoes
Everything but the bagel seasoning
Guacamole or 1 avocado sliced
Vegenaise mayo
Ciabatta rolls, sliced and toasted

Method:

Begin by slicing and toasting your rolls. Set them aside. I heat up my cast iron pan pretty hot, spray with a small amount of oil and add my tempeh bacon. I normally cut the slices in half because they break while cooking normally. Flip after a few minutes of cooking and when they are nicely browned. Cook on the other side.

To assemble:

Take you roll and add a schmear of guac (if using) on one slide and mayo on the other half.
If using slices of avocado, just add them here.
I add mayo to the other slice and top with everything but the bagel seasoning.
I add 2 Romaine leaves to either side of the bread and add tomato slices on top of that.
Pair it up with a pickle and your favorite chips and you’re set! This recipe normally yield 3 sandwiches.

Enjoy!

~ox

— Knead to Cook

Vegan Mongolian Beef with Soy Curls.

by Filed Under: Asian inspired, Gluten Free, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Wheat Free

If you haven’t tried soy curls, what have you been waiting for? They are the vegan version of chicken but so much better! Much like chicken, soy curls, once rehydrated, take on any flavor you throw at them. Here is one of my favorite recipes. They are so easy and unbelievably good! I took a stab at my favorite dish, Mongolian beef (minus the beef) and this recipe came out beautifully. As noted, you can bake or pan sauté the soy curls to cook the water out of them and get them nice and golden. The recipe is quite adaptable too, so add more or less of what you love. ~ox

Ingredients:

2 lbs or about 2 bags of soy curls
Water for soaking
Avocado oil

Sauce:

1 tbl of cornstarch mixed
1 tbl water (you’ll need more water to thin out the sauce later)
1/3 cup of liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tbl of chili paste
1 tbl grated ginger
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbl of Hoisin sauce
1 tbl coconut or brown sugar
1/3 cup of water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:
Black sesame seeds
Green onions

You can cook the soy curls on the stove top or in the oven. Regardless, toss with some kind of oil and cook until lightly golden. For this recipe I cooked them in the oven as I had it on from prior baking. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Begin by dumping your dried soy curls in a big bowl. Cover with hot tap water and allow to sit for 8-10 minutes. Once hydrated, I dump the curls into a large colander and allow to drain for a few minutes. Then I push them down firmly into the bowl to release any extra water. Drier soy curls work best! Once most of the water is out, spread evenly onto a baking sheet and spray with oil. Toss to coat. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden checking on and tossing occassionally.

Every time I look at this picture I realize I need to make my garlic knife cuts more precise.

In the meantime, add the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Whisk to combine then add that along with the other sauce ingredients to a small pot over low heat. Whisk to combine. If the sauce thickens too much, simple add some water and whisk. I probably added 1/3 cup of additional water as it thickened.

Remove the soy curls and add to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over top and toss to coat. Serve over rice or your favorite grain. I topped with black sesame seeds and green onions.



I’ve linked where I buy my organic soy curls with my Amazon affiliate link. But you can also purchase at an Asian market.

You’re looking for them to get slightly golden but avoid over cooking as they can become too tough.

I hope you enjoy! ~ox

— Knead to Cook

How to make sun tea.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit, Vegan, Wheat Free

Today was our first really hot day, therefore I immediately thought to make some sun tea. Super easy and I love having a pitcher in the fridge for a cool treat instead of water. I’m going to share the basics with a bunch of different options that you can take. Sun tea is super easy to make so fear not, you can totally do this!

So let’s get started…

Into a pitcher, add filtered water. My pitcher holds about 1 gallon of water.
For each gallon of water you want to add 8 tea bags.
I did complimentary flavors of mint and ginger. Please experiment and use flavors you love.
Because I went with mint – I added a sprig of fresh mint from my garden to the pitcher as well.
Allow the tea to sit in direct sunlight for 3-6 hours.

Once the tea is done, remove the tea bags and you may wish to add sweetener. If you do, you can add agave, honey (if you use it) or a simple syrup. Simple syrup is made by heating equal parts sugar and water to the stove over low temp. Stir until the sugar is melted. Allow to cool and you can add as much to your tea as you prefer. We drink it with some fresh lemon and muddled mint leaves with ice. Your choice! Store leftovers in the fridge.


Some other flavors that work really well together:
Fennel and lemon
Turmeric and lemon
Lemon with basil leaves
Breakfast tea with lemon
Mint and ginger
Turmeric and ginger
Berry tea with lemon
Green tea and citrus (orange or lemon slices) or lemongrass
Oolong with a fruitier/berry tea

Can’t wait to hear what combinations you create! Enjoy.

x~

— Knead to Cook