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Category Archives: Main Entrees


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California Rice and Beans

My favorite part of traveling for work is getting to eat at different restaurants. My first business trip meal was at Mona Lisa’s in Eau Claire. I had their gnocchi with sausage and peppers, and it was phenomenal. The downside to all this eating out is… well, it’s a lot of eating out. I got home and just needed an easy, home cooked meal. I saw this recipe in the most recent issue of Food Network Magazine and knew it would be perfect after being on the road.

I’m still trying to find a balance between my new work life, working out, and cooking. Before, I was able to run before work. I opted to work 7 – 3:30 at this new job, so running before work just isn’t going to happen! I’m a morning person, but waking up at 5:15 is as early as I can manage. Running before work would mean getting up an hour or more earlier than 5:15, depending on my distance. Nope, no thanks!  So, now I’m running after work and racing the clock to get dinner on the table at a decent time. Simple dishes are good right now since I don’t have a fully stocked pantry like I’m used to and I’m limited with my cooking tools as well.

California Rice & Beans | doughseedough.net

California Rice and Beans
adapted from Food Network Magazine, September 2013

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 – 15 ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
5 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 green onions, sliced

  1. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, bell peppers, squash, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
  2. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Place vegetables into pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place beans in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place hot rice on 4 plates and top with vegetables and mashed beans. Top beans with sliced almonds and green onions. Serve immediately.


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Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa

I’m happy to say that I survived my first week of work. The best part is that I really, really like my job so far and I think it’s only going to get better!

I am also happy to report that we are 90% moved in. Madison is finally starting to feel like home. We have a bed, our laptops, and most importantly – internet. The hardest part of having two homes is not having access to all of my cooking gadgets all the time. I had a difficult time deciding if I wanted to bring my stand mixer or my hand mixer (hand mixer won, due to space), a blender or a food processor (blender… but I think that I might end up getting the food processor anyway), what pots and pans to bring… I’m still not 100% satisfied with my decisions, but that will eventually get figured out, too.

The downside to this move is I haven’t been cooking a lot. We’ve been living off of sandwiches, salads, and pasta mixed with ground turkey and the tomato sauce I canned last summer. Nothing too exciting. I do have a shrimp dish that I made pre-move, though! The whole time I was eating this I was thinking about Scott Conant, a judge on Chopped, who hates raw onion. If you haven’t seen him on the show before, you will just have to trust me when I say that this man hates raw onion with a passion. He tears apart every.single.chef that uses it in their dish. If you are like Scott and hate raw onion, this dish probably isn’t for you. If you do like raw onions, then continue on!

Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa | doughseedough.net

Shrimp with Mango, Lime and Radish Salsa
slightly adapted from Food Network

1 1/2 pounds large uncooked shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 lemon, juiced
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

for the salsa:
3 limes
2 mangoes, diced
4 radishes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. Toss with shrimp until well combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 45 minutes. Heat remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until they turn pink, turning once.
  2. Remove segments from the limes by cutting off both ends. Place lime on one cut end and with a small, sharp knife, cut off the pith and peel. When all peel and pith is removed, carefully cut between the membrane to remove the lime segments.
  3. Place lime segments in a large bowl. squeeze juice from the lime membranes into the bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Place cooked shrimp on top and serve immediately.


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Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine

Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine | doughseedough.net

Being split between two cities is going to be difficult for me. I have to learn to live without my fully-stocked pantry and fridge, my stand mixer, endless pots and pans, and my million different cake, cupcake, bread, and cookie pans. I’m going to have to adjust to cooking with the bare minimum.

This dish will have no problem in my “new” life. It requires no special equipment and can be tossed together in no time. The leftovers make for a pretty great lunch the next day, too.

I lightened up this dish by making my own Alfredo sauce. The canned stuff (or worse, the packet stuff) scares me and has no place in my kitchen! This homemade Alfredo also passes on the heavy cream and copious amounts of butter. Trust me, this sauce is delish and you won’t even miss the cream or butter!

Lightened Up Chicken Pesto Florentine | doughseedough.net

Lightened Up Pesto Chicken Florentine
adapted from All Recipes

8 ounces dried whole wheat penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 3/4 cup lightened-up Alfredo sauce, recipe below (jarred will work as well)
2 tablespoons pesto
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in chicken strips and cook until no longer pink on the inside, about 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook for an additional 1 – 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
  4. Mix together Alfredo sauce and pesto and pour into cooked pasta. Stir in chicken and spinach and mix well to combine.
  5. Serve immediately.

Lightened Up Alfredo Sauce
makes 1 3/4 cup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce reduced fat (Neufchatel) cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until soft.
  2. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and cook for 3 – 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly.
  3. Whisk in cream cheese and Parmesan cheese until smooth.


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Roasted Veggie Wraps with Goat Cheese Yogurt Spread

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. I know I did! I spent a lot of time in the kitchen… like 8 hours a day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And, surprisingly, the majority of that time was not spent on cooking or baking! You see, last Tuesday morning Mike and I were out for a run. While on this run, I saw a hideous/beautiful dresser on the side of the road. We ran past it once, then twice, and then a third time. The final time I stopped and inspected it. It was in good condition, the drawers appeared clean and the construction was solid. We called my father in law and he came right away with his trailer and helped us drag it home. At 6 in the morning. Bless him.

So, that became my weekend project. The dresser got moved into the kitchen and I disinfected the whole dang thing twice and then got to work. I spent all weekend sanding, priming, painting, sanding, painting, sanding… You get the picture. As I type, all 9 dresser drawers have been painted an amazing shade of blue and have their first coat of polycrylic on it. They need to be sanded and coated with 2 more coats of polycrylic. The dresser itself has been primed and painted, but needs a third layer of paint. Then it will get the same polycrylic treatment as the drawers. Then the hardware needs to get spray painted. All this needs to happen before we move to Madison in 2 weeks.

The other highlight of my weekend was going to the farmers’ market. It’s one of my favorite Saturday morning activities. We usually walk away with one thing: kettle corn. This weekend, we walked away with a bit more: kettle corn, fougasse, and some eggplant. I tend to do my menu planning on Sunday or Mondays and then go shopping on Wednesdays. I think I need to rethink my timing so I can incorporate some more farmers’ market goodies into our weekly meals. There is seriously nothing better than eating market goodies for dinner 🙂

Roasted Veggie Wraps with Goat Cheese Yogurt Spread | doughseedough.net

Roasted Veggie Wraps with Goat Cheese Yogurt Spread

for the roasted vegetables:
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2″ x 3″ pieces
3 Japanese eggplant, sliced into 1/2″ x 3″ pieces
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 large red onion, chopped
3 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 1/2 tablespoons Arizona Dreaming seasoning or other seasoning of choice
salt and pepper
olive oil

for the goat cheese yogurt spread:
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

8 large whole wheat tortillas
4 cups baby spinach

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss vegetables with seasoning, salt, pepper, and olive oil until well combined. Spread into an even layer on a large baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender. Set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, make the goat cheese yogurt spread. Combine all spread ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
  3. To assemble, spread 2 tablespoons of the spread onto a whole wheat tortilla. Lay down 1/2 cup of baby spinach and 1/8 of the roasted vegetable mixture on one end of the tortilla. Roll up tightly. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Slice in half and serve.


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Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Bell Peppers

This summery pasta dish is perfect for those nights where it’s just too dang hot to spend hours sweating in the kitchen. Or for those nights where you need something on the table in less than 30 minutes. Or for those nights where you are just really craving tofu.

What? You don’t crave tofu? I do. I also really hate cooking when it’s hot and humid out. So this dish was perfect.

Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Bell Peppers | doughseedough.net

Cold Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Bell Peppers
adapted from Food and Wine

3/4 pound cold tofu, cut into 1/2 – 3/4″ cubes
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 pound Chinese shan dong noodles or other wide, flat noodle
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile-black bean sauce
1″ piece of ginger, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
3 large green onions, thinly sliced
cilantro, optional

  1. Toss tofu with 1/3 cup soy sauce in a medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions until they are al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place into a large bowl.
  3. Combine the remaining soy sauce with peanut butter, broth, vinegar, chile sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. Puree until smooth. Pour over the noodles and toss to combine.
  4. To serve, place noodles into a bowl and top with tofu, bell peppers, and green onions. Serve immediately.


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Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel with Parsley Potatoes

Summer means shorter work hours for me, but for some reason I’m finding myself less and less motivated to make elaborate meals. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe the shorter work weeks make me lazy. Maybe it’s Summer Brain. 

All that said, I love this dish because it tastes complicated but is really quite simple to make. The worst of it was it requires a lot of pans, plates, and utensils, but that’s not really my problem since Mike does the dishes 😉

Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel with Parsley Potatoes | doughseedough.net

Chicken Schnitzel with Parsley Potatoes

for the chicken:
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, butterflied and pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons capers
juice of 1 1/2 large lemons
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

for the potatoes:
1 pound red potatoes, quartered or cut into eighths if large
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
juice of 1/2 large lemon
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

  1. To make the chicken, place the flour, eggs, and panko in three separate shallow dishes. Mix in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper into the flour mixture.
  2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. Dip into egg and then coat with panko, using your hands to gently press the panko to the chicken.
  3. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 – 4 minutes each side.
  4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until lightly browned. Add in chicken broth, capers, and lemon juice. Spoon over chicken and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
  5. To make the potatoes, place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper. Toss gently until potatoes are coated evenly.

schnitzel recipe adapted from Food & Wine


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Easy Quinoa with Roasted Mini Bell Peppers

This simple salad is packed full of flavor and makes the perfect accompaniment to pretty much any summer dish. If you’re ever asked to bring a salad or side dish for a potluck, throw this together… I’m 99% sure that no one else will show up with the same dish as you 😉

I’ll tell you a little secret though – this dish is also perfect alone as a main. I meant to grill some chicken to go with it, but sometimes I just run out of gas at the end of the day. This was one of those days. So we each had nice, large bowls of this instead. Perfect 🙂

Easy Quinoa with Roasted Mini Bell Peppers | doughseedough.net

Easy Quinoa with Roasted Mini Bell Peppers

4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups quinoa
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup garlic olive oil, divided
1 package mini bell peppers
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

  1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add in quinoa and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot. Simmer until chicken broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place peppers in skillet in a single layer and cook until blistered on all sides. Set aside in a large bowl.
  3. Add quinoa to bowl along with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Top dish with feta and parsley and serve.


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Summertime Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin has been on my must-cook list for years. Yes, years. I’m not sure why I never got around to making it, but I was pretty excited when I received this recipe for the “cooking with alcohol” swap from My Chicago Kitchen.

Now that I’ve made this, I know that I will be making this again and again and again. It was so easy to put together it was unbelievable. Slow cookers in my house are used pretty much only in the fall and winter. Once summer comes around, it goes into hibernation deep in my cupboards.

Why that happens, I’m not quite sure… but this recipe definitely convinced me that slowcookers are a year-round kitchen tool that I should be using!

Summertime Coq au Vin | doughseedough.net

Summertime Coq au Vin
adapted from My Chicago Kitchen, originally from Williams-Sonoma

1 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper
8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, minced
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh parsley
6 springs fresh thyme
6 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups pearl onions
2 cups sugar snap peas

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour and shake off any excess. Brown chicken in pan on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Place chicken into slow cooker.
  2. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of grease in pan. Add shallots and saute for 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and pour in wine and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Pour into slow cooker over the chicken.
  3. Add in parsley, thyme, and carrots, making sure the herbs are fully submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook for 2 hours on high or 5 hours on low.
  4. After 2 or 5 hours, uncover and add in onion and peas, submerging them in the liquid. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on low. Serve warm.

Thanks to Taste of Home Cooking for organizing! Make sure to check out the other recipe swap posts!


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Hot Italian Sausage & Pepper Hash

It finally feels like summer to me. I’m taking a week off work  to explore some great things out west with my family. Mike, my dad, step-mom, brother and I are trekking out there to do some serious exploring.

trip out west

We’re doing a little bit of everything, from Vegas to Grand Canyon North & South Rim, Zion National Park, and Bryce Canyon with a bunch of stuff in between. I’m super excited since it’s going to be my first time ’round those parts 🙂

Downside(s)? The heat. I melt in the Wisconsin summer. I will surely die in the heat of Vegas (100°F? Why does this temperature even exist?) and surrounding areas. I’m also a little worried about my workouts. I’m bringing my running gear and I bought a travel yoga mat to help me stay on track. My plan is to run 3 times and do yoga 3 times while we’re out there. My regular routine, essentially. Hopefully I can stick to it!

We’re leaving for the airport in a few short hours and I still have a huge list of things to finish up (like the apple crisp in the oven). I’m running off to do some last minute packing now, but I’ll leave you with a super simple and super delicious recipe – enjoy!

Hot Italian Sausage & Pepper Hash | doughseedough.net

Hot Italian Sausage and Pepper Hash 

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-19 ounce package hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
3 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 mini bell peppers or 3 large bell peppers, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
6 large eggs

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook onions, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, place sausage in a medium pan over medium-high heat and brown, chopping up links into crumbles with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Cook until browned and drain off excess fat.
  4. Stir sausage into onions and add in potatoes. Season with salt and pepper  to taste. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour potatoes and sausage mixture into a large baking sheet and sprinkle sliced peppers on top. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
  5. In the last few minutes of baking, heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook eggs until desired doneness is reached. Scoop hash into bowls and top with an egg. Serve immediately.


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Ultimate Veggie Burger

I lost my favorite work perk last week with the end of the school year.

Salads. Delivered to me. Every day.

I never had to worry about what I was going to eat, never had to pack leftovers for lunch, never had to resort to a sad PB&J or turkey & cheese sandwich. I had an amazing salad sent to me. Now it’s all over. The kitchens are closed until September and I’m… hungry.

I’ll admit that I have been really bad about remembering to bring lunch with me. In the 7 work days that I have been salad-less, I have forgotten lunch 3 times. Not good, Jen, not good. I’m at least smart enough to keep our office fridge well-stocked with Greek yogurt and I have a fairly impressive stash of snacks in my desk drawer as well. Wheat crackers and Greek yogurt make for a sad lunch, though, and 3 days of it is more than enough for me.

I’m making an effort to pack a lunch, and these veggie burgers were first up on my list. I made a huge batch of it and have enough to feed Mike and me for a week.

Ultimate Veggie Burger | DoughSeeDough.net

Ultimate Veggie Burger

for the patties:
2 cans black beans drained, liquid reserved
4 large carrots, grated
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon Mexican chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the burgers:
olive oil
whole wheat hamburger buns
optional toppings: thinly sliced tomato, lettuce, onion

  1. Combine all veggie patty ingredients (black beans through black pepper) in a food processor. Pulse until combined, being careful not to puree. If mixture does not easily stick together, add reserved bean liquid 1 tablespoon at a time, until it does.
  2. Shape mixture into 4 or 5 patties 1″ thick.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add patties and cook for 2 – 3 minutes on each side or until browned on both sides. Serve hot on a bun and garnish with lettuce, tomato, and any other toppings you desire!