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Southwest Turkey Meatball Skillet

This easy meal uses my favorite baked turkey meatballs and is on the table in 20 minutes. The best part? Cleanup is simple – this is a one pot meal, folks. If you’re a starch-lover like me, serve this with your favorite crusty bread, quinoa, or brown rice.

Southwest Turkey Meatball Skillet | doughseedough.net

Southwest Turkey Meatball Skillet
serves 4 – 6

16 baked turkey meatballs (recipe here)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
1-15 ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
4 cups chopped kale
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft, about 3 – 5 minutes. Stir in corn, beans, tomatoes, kale, and broth. Season with lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  2. Nestle meatballs into the vegetables and bring mixture to a simmer. Partially cover and let cook for 3 – 5 minutes, or until meatballs are heated through.
  3. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.


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Cheeseburger Chili Mac

This dish is obviously cheesy and not at all dairy-free. The crazy thing is, it actually tastes really, really good without the cheese. I guess the version I had would be more appropriately titled “Chili Burger Mac” or something. It makes me incredibly happy when I can find a dish that tastes good with and without cheese. Mike had it both ways and insisted that the cheesy version wasn’t better than the non-cheesy version. I think he’s full of it, but it does make me feel a bit better 🙂

This recipe makes a scary amount of chili mac. But don’t fret – it freezes beautifully! I made it so Mike would have enough food to feed him for a few days while we were apart. If you’re ever short on time, give this meal a try. It’s super simple and comes together in just minutes. As an added bonus, you probably have most of these ingredients lurking around in your pantry and fridge already!

Cheeseburger Chili Mac {dairy-free adaptable} | doughseedough.net

Cheeseburger Chili Mac // Chili Burger Mac
serves 8 – 10

olive oil spray
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup dijon mustard
2 cups beef stock
2 pounds whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, optional

  1. Coat a large pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the meat thoroughly and return to pan.
  2. Add in onions, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in ketchup, mustard, and beef stock. Bring mixture to a simmer and allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat for the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
  4. Serve macaroni with a scoop of the chili and top with shredded cheddar, if desired.
  5. Alternatively, mix the chili and macaroni together and pour into an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle with cheese and broil until cheese is browned and melted.

 

adapted from Rachael Ray


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Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs

I love it when I can make one thing and use it for several meals. These meatballs were meant to go into a southwestern meatball dish, but I was wiped out after a long day of work and a 10 mile run. By the time I finished mixing up the meatballs, I was done. I just couldn’t do anything more – I threw together a quick tomato sauce and cooked up a few meatballs for dinner and threw the rest of the meatballs into the fridge for later.

Fair warning – this recipe makes a lot of meatballs. Like 5 dozen+ depending on how big you make them. But, don’t worry – they are super versatile and freeze beautifully!

Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs

Easy Baked Turkey Meatballs

3 pounds lean ground turkey
1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs
6 egg whites
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two large baking pans and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with hands until well incorporated, being careful not to over-mix. Roll into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter and place onto prepared baking pans about 1 inch apart. Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, or until meatballs are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  3. Use meatballs immediately, or lay on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the meatballs are frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or dish. Meatballs will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. 


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Pork and Ginger-Apple Pot Stickers

I’ve been on the lookout for more interesting pot sticker variations. Yes, pork and chive pot stickers are delicious. As are shrimp pot stickers. Even the vegetarian pot stickers I made a while back are pretty darn tasty. But, these pork and ginger-apple pot stickers take the dumpling game to a whole new level.

You remember that ginger-apple chutney that I was raving about on Monday? Well, take that and mix it with some pork and chives and… mind blown. I doubled the original recipe because pot stickers freeze wonderfully and are great when you’re in a crunch for dinner. (If you’re not a great planner (coughmecough) and only buy 1 package of wrappers and run out … the filling is pretty darn tasty cooked up and served over some brown rice with a splash of the dipping sauce.)

Pork Ginger-Apple Pot Stickers | doughseedough.net

Pork and Ginger-Apple Pot Stickers
makes about 75 pot stickers

2 pounds ground pork
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups ginger-apple chutney
1/4 teaspoon each: kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, white pepper (or, to taste)
1 1/2 packages dumpling wrappers (about 75)
canola oil, for frying

for the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sambal oelek

  1. To make the filling: combine pork and soy sauce in a large bowl. Fold in green onions, chutney, salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Mix until well combined.
  2. Set up your station: bowl of filling, stack of pot sticker wrappers, a small bowl filled with water, and a large baking sheet.
  3. To fold: place a wrapper in your non-dominant hand. Scoop a scant tablespoon of filling into the center of the wrapper, being careful not to get any on the edge. Wet a finger on your dominant hand and lightly trace the outside of the wrapper. Fold wrapper in half to form a half circle and pinch at the top. Starting at the center, make 3 pleats down toward the bottom-right corner. Repeat on the left side. Continue with the remaining filling and wrappers. (There are pictures on how to fold in my vegetarian pot stickers post.)
  4. To cook: heat a large, lidded saute pan over high heat. Add in 1 teaspoon oil and swirl pan to coat. Add pot stickers, pleat-side up, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until bottoms are browned, about 5 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup water and immediately cover the pan to contain the splatter. After 30 seconds, when splattering has subsided, slightly crack the lid open to allow steam to escape. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until heated through and water has evaporated. Let cook for an additional 1 – 2 minutes to allow bottom to re-crisp. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.
  5. To make dipping sauce: combine soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sambal in a bowl and whisk to combine.

recipe slightly adapted from Ming Tsai


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Ginger-Apple Chutney

I can still remember a few (many?) years ago my mom handed me two cookbooks and told me to pick one. One was a Bobby Flay cookbook. The other, a Ming Tsai cookbook. It was a no-brainer – I chose Ming. I’m a cookbook hoarder – I have a scary amount of cookbooks stockpiled in our house. I love looking through them, but I rarely cook from them. Simply Ming is one exception; I cook from his book all the time.

Ming Tsai has yet to let me down. Everything I’ve made of his has been delicious, and this savory-sweet chutney is no exception. It is out of this world. Seriously. I had Mike taste it for a seasoning-check and he asked if he could have it for dinner (ha! crazy man). I am obsessed with this stuff. My one regret is that I didn’t make a double batch of it. I want to put it on everything right now. I have two recipes coming up in the next week or so that will use this chutney and they, too, are pretty dang delicious.

Ginger-Apple Chutney | doughseedough.net

Ginger-Apple Chutney
makes about 4 cups

4 cups Fuji apples (about 6 – 8 apples), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup apple juice

  1. Toss apples with lemon juice in a large bowl.
  2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in onions and ginger and saute until onions are soft, about 3 -4 minutes. Add the apples and stir to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. Add in vinegar and apple juice and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until only 1/2 cup liquid remains.
  4. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

recipe from Ming Tsai


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Vegan Lentil and Kale Soup

I drift between longing for warmer spring weather and hoping that this cold lasts forever. There are times when I actually love the cold – for a few hours a week, I really, really appreciate the cold weather because I run faster and stronger in it. The warmer it gets, the more I slow down… and the more water I need to carry to counter my very unladylike sweating.

Another reason to love the cold? Soup. Big, steaming bowls of heart-warming soup.

Vegan Lentil & Kale Soup | doughseedough.net

Vegan Lentil and Kale Soup
serves 4 – 6

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups dried green lentils
8 cups vegetable stock
1 – 15 ounce can light coconut milk
6 cups torn kale

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in onions, garlic, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in garam masala, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, cardamom, salt and pepper until well combined. Stir in lentils and vegetable stock. Bring soup to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are cooked through.
  3. Stir in coconut milk and kale. Let simmer for a minute to warm the coconut milk and slightly wilt the kale. Serve immediately.

recipe adapted from the Good Food cart


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Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I slid my way through 6 snowy, icy miles on my run yesterday. There were a few things on my mind:
  1. Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall
  2. Don’t get hit by a car
  3. Don’t fall
  4. I’m so hungry… Ooh! I have Brussels sprouts at home!
These Brussels sprouts are dangerously addictive. Even Mike, who doesn’t really care for Brussels sprouts, gobbled these up happily. He has actually been requesting roasted Brussels sprouts for the last couple weeks. I think we’re averaging 2 – 3 pounds of Brussels sprouts per week right now! 
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts | doughseedough.net
This recipe is a good reminder that good food doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s four ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt, and pepper. I still can’t get over how simple and delicious these are.
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts | doughseedough.net
Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
 
1 pound Brussels sprouts
extra virgin olive oil spray
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking pan with olive oil and set aside.
  2. Cut off the end of the Brussels sprouts. Cut Brussels sprouts in half and remove any discolored outer leaves.
  3. Place Brussels sprouts in prepared baking pan and spray with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and stir to coat. Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Brussels sprouts are done when lightly browned. Season with more salt and pepper to taste before serving.


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Thai Fried Quinoa

I spent all weekend up in Appleton cooking and baking what felt like a million dishes. In reality, I only made a batch of cookies, five entrees and a couple of sides. I dutifully took pictures of most of these dishes and on Sunday afternoon, I set off to Madison for the work week. I arrived in Madison, unpacked, watched the Packer game (sob) and then sat down at my computer to blog. I reached into my camera bag and… no cord. So, no way to upload all the pictures. Bummer.

Instead, I’m giving you a dish that I made a while ago and never got around to blogging – Thai fried quinoa. It’s a tasty twist on fried rice and it’s just as easy to throw together. Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed!

Thai Fried Quinoa | doughseedough.net

Thai Fried Quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
extra virgin olive oil spray
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup drained pineapple tidbits
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 eggs, gently whisked
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
half a lime, juiced
optional toppings: chopped peanuts, lime wedges, cilantro

  1. Place quinoa in a medium pot over high heat. Stir in coconut milk and chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil and add in green onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for one minute. Add in peas, pineapple, and cilantro and cook for one more minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Push ingredients to the side of the wok to clear a space in the middle of the wok. Add in eggs and stir with a spatula until eggs are scrambled. Once eggs are cooked through, combine it with the rest of the ingredients in the wok.
  4. Add in cooked quinoa, soy sauce, and lime juice and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another two minutes to slightly crisp quinoa up. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts, lime wedges, and cilantro, if desired.

recipe slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats


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Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite snack foods. It’s so, so easy to make, but I’m guilty of buying hummus when I’m feeling extra lazy. The store-bought hummus is good, the store-bought spicy hummus is even better, but this homemade spicy hummus tops it all.

Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus | doughseedough.net

Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus

2 – 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup olive oil
3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
2 jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped (use 1 jalapeno for a mild hummus)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

to serve: fresh cut veggies, pita chips, tortilla chips

  1. Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.


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Hearty Venison Stew

It’s that time of year again. Gun deer hunting season started on Saturday morning here in Wisco and the hunters are out in full force. I’m not sure what hunting seasons are like in other states and Google didn’t lead me to any easy way to figure that out.

This is the first year that Mike didn’t go out. I was happy to have him around for the first time since we started seeing each other 8 deer hunting seasons ago (ha), but I will sure miss the delicious venison. Luckily, we have some really generous hunters in our lives. A family friend got a deer during bow season and gave it to Mike’s dad, Jim. Jim butchered the doe and gave us a ton of meat!!!

The start of gun season seemed an appropriate time to cook up some of the meat. The cold, windy weather was definitely screaming “stew”, too! If you can’t get your hands on vension, feel free to use some beef instead. If you have access to venison and don’t think you’ll like it, give this stew a try anyway. You’ll love it, I promise.

Hearty Venison Stew |doughseedough.net

Hearty Venison Stew
serves 6

2 pounds venison stew meat (or beef stew meat)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine
4 cups low sodium beef broth
2 – 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspooon dried thyme
2 bay leaves

mashed potatoes or crusty bread, for serving

  1. In a large bowl, mix together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, pepper, and salt. Add in venison and toss until coated. Add in 1/4 cup flour and toss until evenly coated.
  2. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over  medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides. Move browned meat to a plate and set aside.
  3. Add more oil if necessary, and add in onions. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
  4. Add in red wine and deglaze the pan. Stir in beef broth, tomatoes, basil, thyme, bay leaves, and browned meat. Bring stew to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is tender.
  5. Remove stew from heat and served with mashed potatoes or bread, if desired.

recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse