Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Blender Carrot Ginger Baked Donuts. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Quick Bread, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations Leave a Comment

Blender carrot ginger baked donuts on this marathon Monday.  Everyone needs a donut post Easter weekend, right?  Well my day was filled with running, nervously tracking friends/clients running the Boston Marathon.  So I baked.  A lot!  Then I was glued to my tv and computer tracking.

So donuts.  Let’s chat.  I’m not a huge sugary, sweet kinda gal. Knowing I wanted these for my kiddos and husband’s breakfast – I wanted to do a healthier version that had just the right amount of sweetness to keep my girls interested.  These are a spicy/sweet combination that are moist and quite decadent.  Perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Let’s get on with it 🙂

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— Knead to Cook

Protein blender brownies. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Brownies, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments


Protein blender brownies.  Vegan & gluten free.

I was terribly excited to get my hands on my talented friend/blogger’s Armen Liew new cookbook.  Arem is the genius behind the blog The Big Man’s World.  His is absolutely phenomenal & I highly recommend it.  This is NOT sponsored in any way, shape or form but my opinion.  If you love sweets but don’t love the calorie bomb/destruction to your eating.  Aren’t a huge fan of sugar-overload.  Check his blog and cookbook out.  Today I whipped up his 4 ingredient flourless brownies in my Vitamix and man… I’m in love!

These brownies came together super fast.  Perfect when you need a treat in a hurry… in fact the waiting for them to cool/slice took longer than prepping and baking!  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

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— Knead to Cook

Maille FlavorHero Dijon Recipes. Vegan. Gluten free.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Condiments, Dips, Dressings, Gluten Free, Raw, Rubs, Salads, Sauces, Side dish, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Vitamix 4 Comments


Incorporating flavor into existing recipes or food preparation can seem daunting but going to back to basics can be quite impactful and so simple to do.  I’ve long loved Maille Dijon and have created many recipes using their flavorful Dijons.  And let me digress by saying not all Dijons on the market are created equal.  La Maison Maille has been producing for more than 267 years. The tradition is kept alive by the team of experts who create the products today, preserving the excellence that defines La Maison Maille in a continual quest for innovation and perfection. It is the attention to detail that sets La Maison Maille apart – the carefully selected ingredients, the nuances of the recipes, the expertise in the methods used and the elegant black and gold packaging.

Maille is currently running a Flavor Heroes Contest that you can enter.  All you need to do it tell them how you use a Maille product to enhance your favorite dishes and you can be featured in a recipe video along with winning  a 5 piece signature Le Creuset cookware.  Click here to enter!  And now let me share some ways I incorporate their products into 3 of my favorite dishes.

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— Knead to Cook

Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 2 Comments


Homemade chocolate nut milk.

I’ve been on a homemade nut milk kick lately & I’m making no apologies for it. I’m the girl who always has something soaking in my kitchen. Since my husband ordered me my nut milk straining bag (okay, refrain from laughing) but seriously, this thing is critical for making nut milk —-it made the process a dream!  This is the bag I got. I was excited to use it and it didn’t disappoint.

I made two batches of milk (different combination of nuts this time) but once I got on the second batch I got the brilliant idea to make a cacao (duh add chocolate) version.  OHHHHH my goodness why haven’t I done this before?  It came out of my Vitamix (frothy and hot) and honestly the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.  So simple.  You control the level of sweetness versus the sugary commercial versions.  I’m quite smitten with this version.  Not overly chocolatey but just the right amount.  Okay, okay… let me get this recipe started and oh HAPPY FRIDAY!
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— Knead to Cook

Almond Walnut Milk and Everything Bagel Pulp Crackers. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Nuts, Party Foods, Running/Races, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 6 Comments

 

Homemade almond walnut milk & everything bagel wet pulp crackers.  Hi my friends!  Okay, so we survived Stella Superstorm/Nor’Easter blah blah blah.  We ended up with about 8 inches of fresh powder with a good inch of ice.  Super fun.  I won’t complain because my entire family was home together with no commitments or jobs on the agenda.  It was heavenly, I won’t lie.

More updates… So after a very thorough investigation/research – my daughter had narrowed her college search/applications down to 10 schools.  She has finally signed on the dotted line and is committed to university!  So excited.  So yesterday we did all things registration/booking dates for meeting her counselor and registering for classes, booking orientation week, ranking dorms, doing her school ID, choosing her meal plan & she actually has found her roommate.  We also got her bedding etc. last weekend.  What the what?  We’ve gone from zero to finished in a hot second.  Phew!

So I stocked up on all my nuts last week and figured I would make some milk over the weekend.  I wanted to do a combination of walnuts and almonds with cinnamon.  It came out great and I made crackers with the residual pulp (sans dehydration). No waste and lots of goodness.

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— Knead to Cook

Good Karma Foods Flaxmilk Chocolate Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Best Vegan..., Beverages, Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Fruit, Gluten Free, Raw, Smoothies, Snacks, Sponsored, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 31 Comments

Lately, I’ve been sharing my favorite vegan, plant-based foods here on my blog.  Good Karma Foods flaxmilk and yogurts are just two of our favorites.  Recently, I have the opportunity to try out Good Karma’s flax protein milk.  First things first… it has 8 grams of protein per serving AND tastes so incredibly creamy!   I don’t know about you but I’m not a fan of watery milks.  If you want a luscious smoothie – you need a creamy base to start and this milk is perfect!  Plus packed with Omega 3’s… this one is a winner!

Good Karma Foods flaxmilk is packed with 1200mg of Omega 3’s.  Free of the most common allergens like dairy, soy, & nuts.  It has as much calcium as dairy milk.  The flax with protein only has 70 calories per serving in their unsweetened flaxmilk.  The flavor is extremely neutral and can be used in both savory as well as sweet recipes, like my smoothie recipe.

Good Karma Foods is based out of beautiful Boulder, Colorado and they were the pioneers to developing a flax seed based milk.  They are passionate about healthy eating and living -which is why I believe in such an incredible company and their products.  They also have an incredibly creamy drinkable yogurt that we’re obsessed with and a creamy yogurt that is unbelievable.  Okay so enough of my babbling on… let’s get to the recipe AND a sweet giveaway!

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— Knead to Cook

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse. Vegan. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Holiday, Nuts, Party Foods, Raw, Running/Races, Snacks, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free 1 Comment

Chocolate ricotta mousse (vegan and gluten free).  Sharing one more decadent, super easy, recipe to prepare for Valentine’s Day tomorrow.


I’ll admit, I normally don’t get wrapped up in all the to-do surrounding Valentine’s Day. I’m more of a practical mind & we just wrapped up Christmas gift-giving, right?  Plus my focus has been hard and fast surrounding my oldest, who turns 18 this week, university decisions and all that.  How did I ever get this old so quickly? Ha.

I do normally get tiny, albeit thoughtful, presents for my girls and my husband.  I found these super cute felt envelopes at Target and instantly was smitten.


I filled them with fun little goodies from lip gloss, vegan chocolates etc.  I did buy several things for my husband but I can’t share quite yet as he reads my posts.  But today, I also picked up some of his favorite snack items (think nut/berry/seed blends to snack on, seaweed wasabi strips etc. and a cute Valentine to leave in his car tomorrow morning for his drive to work.  I like the thoughtful little presents that spread love.

As for dinner… I don’t really like going out to restaurants that aren’t vegan.  PLUS going out on the busiest day of the year – getting less than adequate service, being overcrowded and sub-par food isn’t our style.  SO… I’ll be cooking at home for my entire family. Not sure of the menu yet.  May go super cheesy and make heart-shaped pizzas or some other themed dinner.  Who knows.  But this will be on the dessert menu for sure.  I whipped this up on Saturday to test it out and my daughters couldn’t wait to dive in.  They both loved it.  It reminds me of a cannoli cream filling… & we all know that can’t be a bad thing.  Totally vegan and gluten free.  I was happy I special ordered a case of this vegan ricotta from a local market.  Toppings are optional.  Enjoy!
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— Knead to Cook

Cashew Banana Blender Muffins. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, Holiday Baking Ideas, Muffins, Nuts, Quick Bread, Running/Races, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 11 Comments

 
Cashew banana blender muffins.  I swear I may have an addiction to making muffins in my Vitamix.  NO joke!

Once you whip up a batch of muffins in this manner, I promise, you will not want to go back to using your stand or hand mixer.  It’s literally the easiest thing on the planet and they come together instantaneously.  With a family of 5 that I cook for… we require healthy snacks to have on the counter when running late/pre or post workout, with coffee or tea & breakfast on the fly for teenagers.  I have a batch cooking in my oven right now as I type this 🙂

These muffins are refined sugar-free.  Although I use maple syrup, the banana adds a nice sweetness.  The flax/chia and hemp add omega’s and necessary fats for your diet.  Fats are critical for hormonal balance and to help keep you full longer! The benefits are endless.  Okay onto this recipe so I can go and grab mine out of the oven.

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— Knead to Cook

Lucy Let’s Go Blog Post – Coconut Butter Protein Bites. V. GF.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Brunch, Desserts, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Raw, Sponsored, Valentine's Day, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

Ah it’s the month of love.  Love for your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, kids, friends and yes – even yourself!   I know tradition dictates that enormous heart-shaped box of chocolates & roses but let’s be honest here.  Homemade treats to me are best and honestly, most of those chocolates in the box aren’t even favorites.   I prefer to spend time creating a special treat from my heart to share.  If you wish to have chocolate – feel free to dip these bites into melted dark chocolate.

So recently I’ve learned & embraced coconut manna (aka butter) thanks to my dietician.  It’s a medium-chain fat & is used by the body for energy. Coconut manna is available at most grocery stores near the coconut oil.  Manna is known to helps you burn more calories & is an appetite suppressant. And the fatty acids can help boost brain activity!  Food is powerful.  So what is it actually? Coconut manna is made from the meat of the coconut, very similar to the consistency of a nut butter.  It’s decadent and heart-healthy.  It’s a lovely alternative to your normal nut butter routine so think topping toast, oatmeal or just out of the jar.  As for this recipe, these bites are chock full of protein & healthy fats leaving you satiated unlike those chocolates.  This recipe yielded 15 bites & took about 10 minutes to make.  Store perfectly in the freezer or fridge.

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— Knead to Cook

Vegan Queso Dip. GF.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Cheese, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, Nuts, Party Foods, Raw, Running/Races, Side dish, Snacks, Vegan, Vegan proteins, Vitamix, Wheat Free, Your Life Edit Foundations 9 Comments

Vegan queso dip.  Are you planning your menu for your Super Bowl party?  Or you attending a party & need a recipe to take with you?  We will having an intimate little party with lots of yummy food – just the way I like it.  This week I’m sharing recipes for the big day that won’t blow your fitness/healthy eating.  My recipes are all super easy and most of the time with ingredients you have stocked in your pantry.  This recipe is everything.

When you migrate over to a plant-based diet, the main thing I struggled with was the lack of cheese.  I’m not a dairy/milk fan, could care less about missing bacon or hamburgers but cheese?  Yes!  I missed it.  Thankfully nowadays there are so many incredible nut-based cheeses to curb the cravings.  This dip is a spin on a classic party dish – queso dip. This dip can be incorporated into a 7 layer dip or like this, served straight up with veggies, lentil or tortilla chips.  It has a lovely smokiness & a bit of spicy kick.  Perfect paired with a cold beer for football viewing!
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— Knead to Cook