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

Salted Chocolate Almond Butter Protein Smoothie. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free

I’ve been a long time fan of the high protein smoothie. Once I started working outside the home – packing up a smoothie in my Yeti was the perfect solution. I hate taking breaks so I can walk around drinking this and be filled for hours on end.

I’ll provide options below for optional substitutions as well. This smoothie is creamy and very filling. I typically eat a lot in the a.m and afternoon and have a smoothie for dinner if I don’t work. I go to bed so earlier that this is easier for me to digest.

Okay let’s get this ball rollin’…

Ingredients:

1.25 cups of unsweetened nut or oat based milk
1 scoop of Vega Sport Vanilla or Chocolate
1 tbl of raw cacao powder (you can omit this if you use chocolate protein powder)
1 tbl of nut butter (I use my own recipe)
1 tbl of chia seeds
Optional:
1 frozen banana
1/2 avocado
1/2 zucchini
1 pinch of salt
Ice cubes (3-4)

Method:

Put all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender. Blend it all until creamy. You can drink straight away or store in a travel mug for the next day.

— 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

Dragonfruit Protein Smoothie. Vegan.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Happy August friends! Yes, I’ve been on a bit of a blogging hiatus lately since starting to work outside the home, taking my oldest back to college and training.  No excuses though, I’m back with a fun summery protein smoothie.  I love protein smoothies post training session or even for dinner with these very hot temperatures lately.  Great way to get your protein and fiber into your diet!  Plus this color?  I love it.  I will admit my smoothies are typically a lovely shade of green/gray due to all the veggies I pack in.  Fear not, these are veggie free but still so good for you.  Shall we get started?
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

The easiest vegan pesto sauce. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Brunch, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Raw, Sauces, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

This recipe is so easy. Pesto is one of our favorite sauces to make because we grow so much basil in our garden.  Pesto is perfect in lieu of marinara sauce on pasta or on pizza crust.  It’s also great on new potatoes in a salad, drizzled on roasted veggies or as a condiment on a sandwich or panini.  So versatile and unbelievably easy to make.

If you’re new to cooking… try this recipe out.  Seriously.  We also use this as a dip for raw veggies.  Plus with no dairy, it’s a great summer bbq recipe idea.  I can go on and on… but I won’t.  Take the recipe amounts as mere guide.  I typically do handfuls versus cups.  I do want to share this tip before I get into the specific recipe… when using this as a sauce on pasta, reserve some cooking liquid from the noodles.  Once you’ve drained the noodles, add the pesto to toss along with 2-3 tbl of the cooking water to thin the sauce out.  That’s it folk.  Love you, enjoy!

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Green Pea Ricotta Spread on Baguette. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Cheese, Easter, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fitness., Gluten Free, Holiday, Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 5 Comments

Green pea ricotta spread.  Vegan.  Gluten free.

Happy Monday friends.  I hope your mother’s day weekend was incredibly fun, food-filled and joyous.  This weekend we hosted Kira’s friends for her 17th birthday party.  Then after a trip to the gym early Sunday, we went to Philly for brunch and shopping.  It was the best.  My heart was filled along with my stomach.

I’ve been recreating a bunch of old Lucy Activewear recipes that were lost since they merged with North Face.  This is a big favorite for summer, outdoor dining with friends.  Easy and prep-ahead!  It’s light and filling.  Great appetizer or side for dinner or soup.  Great for parties too!  All of the ingredients can be found at Whole Foods or local specialty food markets.  Vegan and gluten free!

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Coconut Pineapple Smoothie Bowl. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Pineapple coconut smoothie bowl.  Originally, this bowl was just a tropical delicious breakfast.  Now, per my naturopath, I’ve been making these daily as a snack or even dinner.  My allergies are in full bloom, thanks tree mold, and she highly recommends that I eat pineapple daily…
[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook

Very Mint Matcha Shake. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Smoothies, St. Patrick's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix Leave a Comment

Mint matcha smoothie.

Calling all mint matcha fans!  This original recipe was created and inspired around the famous “Shamrock” shake that is far less healthy or appealing as an adult.  I’ve revamped this recipe numerous times and I’m happy to report that this one is a winner for sure.  Kids love it because of the minty flavor, parents love it because it’s packed with veggies that the kids never detect.  Winning all around.  Spinach is such a great vehicle for adding a nutritional punch without adding a detectable (to any kids or picky adults) taste.  Spinach is a powerhouse as it packs iron, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium… Matcha is a powerful antioxidant EGCg. It helps boost metabolism.  Detoxifies the body.  I could go on and on but I won’t.

I often make this as an after-school snack for my youngest or post workout for me when I need a punch of flavor.  Mint is one of those refreshing and soothing flavors we gravitate towards.  I’m also not a big fan of matcha brewed but in smoothies or baked in snacks… count me in!
[Read more…]

— 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!

[Read more…]

— Knead to Cook