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Category Archives: Dairy Free


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Dairy Free Cranberry Pear Crisp

dairy free cranberry pear crisp | doughseedough.net

This crisp made its first appearance at Thanksgiving along with my favorite dairy-free iced pumpkin cookies. I’m hoping to make it again for one of the many Christmas meals I’ll be chowing down at. It’s super easy to throw together and it’s kind of pretty to look at. At first, I was a little disappointed that the cranberries didn’t all burst during baking, but it turns out that the whole berries are kind of fun to bite into. And the topping? Well, the coconut oil used in it is a million times better than butter. Trust me.

dairy free cranberry pear crisp | doughseedough.net

Dairy-Free Cranberry Pear Crisp

5 cups sliced pears
1 1/2 heaping cups whole cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
3 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch

for the topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
5 tablespoons coconut oil

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2 1/2 quart baking dish with melted coconut oil and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together pears, cranberries, honey, cinnamon and cornstarch until well combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut oil. Mash with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over fruit in the baking dish.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess


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Dairy Free Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

The name of these cookies are a mouthful. The sight of these cookies is kind of atrocious… but they’re delish. And as a bonus, I got to try my hand at making my own chocolate chips! I haven’t had much luck finding dairy free chocolate chips. I saw some dairy free Guittard semisweet chocolate chips in a small town Walmart, of all places. I didn’t buy any because I was on a business trip and didn’t want to drag around chocolate chips and… well, because I’m an idiot. I figured I could go back to Appleton or Madison and pick some up. Wrong. Apparently dairy free chocolate chips are reserved for small, northern Wisconsin towns only. And not large cities.

Whatever.

I had some unsweetened chocolate bars in my baking supply stash and decided to make my own chocolate chunks out of the chocolate. They were super easy to make: melt ingredients, freeze, and break into pieces. Unfortunately, I didn’t see that the creator of these homemade chocolate chips warned her readers that they would most definitely turn any baked good into a mess. Whoops.

Even though the chips melted and made a spectacular river of chocolate over my Silpats and baking sheets, these cookies were fabulous. And the chocolate that stayed in the cookies was perfect. I guess I’ll be on the hunt for a more bakeable homemade chocolate chip. Or maybe Santa will bring me a very, very large box of dairy free Guittard chocolate chips.

dairy free chocolate chunk and walnut oatmeal cookies | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
yields 2 dozen cookies

1/4 cup dairy free butter substitute
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dairy free dark chocolate chunks, recipe below
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until well combined and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg until well combined. Stir in flour and oats. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

 

recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Homemade Dark Chocolate Chunks
yields about 2 cups 

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons stevia powder

  1. In a microwaveable bowl, combine chocolate, coconut oil, and vanilla. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in stevia.
  2. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and pour chocolate on top. Use a spoon to smooth, being careful not to spread the mixture too thin. Freeze for about 30 minutes or until chocolate is hard. Break into chunks and use as desired.
  3. Keep leftovers in a freezer-safe covered container.

Note: I used Baker’s unsweetened chocolate in this. They don’t contain dairy, but the chocolate is made on equipment that also manufactures products containing milk.

recipe from Sugar Free Mom


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Dairy Free Iced Pumpkin Cookies

dairy-free iced pumpkin cookies | doughseedough.net

Last week, my PCP suggested that I go 100% dairy free instead of just lactose-free. I’m happy to say that I made it through my first dairy-free holiday and business trip. My plates were a bit emptier this year, but I’m thankful for the food that I was able to eat. I got turkey and gravy thanks to my father-in-law, stuffing and kale thanks to my mom, and dessert thanks to me! I’ve just come back from a four day business trip in a small town. I love traveling for work, but being dairy-free definitely has its challenges when eating out. I’m blessed to live in Madison, a city that has a plethora of restaurants that can cater to special diets. Appleton has fewer restaurants. These little towns I’m staying in for work? Nothing. I’m relying on plain salads or, if I’m feeling adventurous, a plain chicken sandwich on a bun with some guacamole. After all, there’s only so much Subway a girl can eat! Even after all this, I end up getting “dairy-ed” once in a while. Not surprisingly, I’m more reluctant to eat out and to even eat food that family and friends cook.

I’m obsessively label-reading now and I’m doing my best to bring my safe foods with me so that I’m always guaranteed one thing to eat. My current favorite? These iced pumpkin cookies. They are ridiculous. I made a batch for Thanksgiving and they were inhaled by my family. I made a second batch a couple days later and ate all the cookies within a matter of days (with a little help from Mike). I plan on making some more this weekend. There’s no such thing as too many cookies, right?

dairy-free iced pumpkin cookies | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Iced Pumpkin Cookies
makes 3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dairy-free butter substitute (I use Earth Balance)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon dairy-free butter substitute, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in pumpkin, egg and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients until combined.
  4. Wet hands and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dough will be very sticky. Place dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through.
  5. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. To make the icing: Place sugar, 2 tablespoons almond milk, melted butter, and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add additional almond milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle cooled cookies with icing.

Storage tip: these cookies get really soft when stored in a covered container. I suggest placing them on a plate and lightly covering it with plastic wrap, not covering the cookies at all, or eating all the cookies in one sitting.

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com


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Chicken (or Turkey) Dumpling Soup

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I am always with those that I love, surrounded by tons of good food. I’ll be honest – I really don’t like turkey that much. Thanksgiving meals are all about the side dishes to me. Stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, veggies… those are the dishes that take up prime real estate on my plate. Buried underneath all that goodness will be the smallest piece of turkey possible.

I actually made this chicken and dumpling soup a couple weeks ago after a business trip. During my trip, I ate a small-town family restaurant and got their chicken dumpling soup. It was pretty disappointing – watery with a million tasteless dumplings and no chicken whatsoever. When I finally got home, I had two things on my to-do list: 1) Give Mike a kiss and 2) Make some chicken dumpling soup. Let me tell you – this recipe was a million times better than the restaurant stuff. I’m hoping to make this soup again with leftover turkey – I imagine that the results would be just as tasty.

Chicken or Turkey Dumpling Soup | doughseedough.net

Chicken or Turkey Dumpling Soup

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the dumplings:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

  1. Place chicken, broth and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally,  for 5 – 7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Transfer cooked vegetables into broth.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup water until well combined. Whisk in ground mustard and thyme. Add mixture to broth and add in bay leaves and shredded chicken. Bring soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
  4. While soup is simmering, make the dumplings: Whisk together flour, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk in almond milk until combined.
  5. Once soup has cooked for 15 minutes, bring it back to a boil. Drop dumpling dough by tablespoons into the soup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Remove bay leaves before serving.

adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe


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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


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Quick & Easy Mexican Rice

I whipped up a batch of this rice to go with the chicken enchiladas I made for Mike. Because, you know, a carb-heavy entree needs a carb-heavy side dish to go with it. Ok, truth is, I made this rice because the enchiladas smelled so good and I couldn’t eat them. So I made a bunch of rice and ate that instead. Now, this rice is obviously not the same as a chicken enchilada, but it was enough to satisfy my craving. This is my favorite go-to recipe for a quick and easy dish to accompany any Mexican-inspired entree that might find its way onto our table.

Quick and Easy Mexican Rice | doughseedough.net

Quick & Easy Mexican Rice

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced, optional
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
cilantro and lime wedges to garnish, optional

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly toasted. Sprinkle with garlic powder and cumin and stir to combine.
  2. Add in onion, garlic, and jalapenos and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Stir in diced tomatoes and broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 20 – 25 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Fluff with a fork before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro and a lime wedge if desired.


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African Chicken Peanut Stew

This delicious stew was accompanied by one of my biggest cooking fails. Ever.

I’ve had this recipe on my “to-cook” list forever. I was inspired by a local restaurant, Buraka. They have to-die-for peanut stew and they serve it with really, really great injera. For those of you who haven’t had injera, it’s an Ethiopian flatbread that has a spongy texture and a bit of a tang. Like a cross between a pancake, crepe and… sourdough bread? I’m not sure how to explain it, but it’s awesome.

Sadly, Buraka was forced to close at the end of October. The building it was in is being torn down and turned into another residential building. Sigh. To make it worse, two more of my fave Madison restaurants were also displaced because of this – Husnu’s and Kabul. This closing meant the end of any peanut stew and injera deliciousness. So, I set off to recreate it. I was partly successful. The stew was pretty good. The injera? A total fail. As in – the smell and taste of it made me want to curl up into a ball and die. I obviously won’t be sharing the injera recipe with you today (or ever – I don’t think I’ll attempt it again), but I do have the chicken peanut stew for you.

African Peanut Stew | doughseedough.net

African Chicken Peanut Stew

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 large onion, chopped
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
8 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 – 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black peppers
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

cooked rice, for serving

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Salt chicken pieces and, working in batches, brown them in the oil. It’s important that you don’t overcrowd the pot. Set the browned chicken aside.
  2. In the pot, saute the onions for 3 – 4 minutes, scraping the browned pieces off the bottom of the pot as you cook. Add in the ginger and garlic and saute for another minute.
  3. Add in sweet potatoes, chicken broth, tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts, coriander and cayenne and stir well to combine. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Place chicken pieces into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and let cook for about an hour, or until the chicken is fully cooked and sweet potatoes are tender.
  4. Remove chicken pieces to a bowl and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and place back into the pot. Stir in cilantro and serve hot with rice.

recipe slightly adapted from Simply Recipes


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Turkey Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers & Race Day Recap

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers | doughseedough.net

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I know we did! Mike ran his first half marathon and I accompanied him as I ran my fourth. My husband, the man that detests running, laced up his shoes day after day after day to get ready for this race. I am so, so incredibly proud of him. I (lovingly) pushed him and we finished in 2:15. This was a full 15 minutes before our goal finish time (and a PR for me)!

Madison Half Marathon Fall 2013

The day was perfect. A mix of sunshine and clouds. A start temp of 35°F (ish) and some wind. To celebrate his first half and my fourth, I’ve decided to sign up for my second full marathon. I ran my first one September 2012 and vowed to never do it again. But here I am, one year later, starting my training for another marathon. A spring marathon. Which means I’ll be doing my runs in the Wisconsin winter. What the heck was I thinking?! Marathon training is hard. Winter marathon training may prove to be impossible 😉

Ok, so on to these stuffed peppers. I was originally going to remake the last pre-race meal I had of sausage and bell peppers, but I changed my mind last minute and decided to make some stuffed peppers instead. These were easy to make and easy on my pre-race jittery stomach, too!

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers | doughseedough.net

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 bell peppers
1 pound mild turkey sausage, casing removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup white rice
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, optional (omit for DF)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
  2. Cut tops off peppers and remove the core and seeds. Place them into prepared baking dish and set aside.
  3. Brown sausage in a large pan over medium-high heat. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break the sausage up into crumbles. When sausage is browned, carefully drain off most of the grease. Add in onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, pepper, tomato sauce and tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
  4. Pour in chicken stock and rice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and spoon filling evenly into the 6 prepared bell peppers. Sprinkle with cilantro and cheese, if desired.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and browned. Enjoy!


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Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana

This soup is my take on Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana without all the dairy. This soup is one of the few things I actually like from OG. I was worried that it wouldn’t taste as good, but it completely met all my expectations. I got the idea to make this soup when a reader suggested that I make a kale and bean soup with my leftover kale.

Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana (Italian Sausage & Kale Soup) | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 medium russet potatoes, cubed into 1/2 – 3/4″ pieces
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 – 15 ounce can white beans (such as great northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed
4 cups dino kale leaves, washed, dried and chopped (or spinach)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
6 pieces crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

  1. Brown sausage in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When sausage is browned, add in onions, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until onions are translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes.
  2. Add in potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Add in beans and kale and cook for an additional 5 – 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. 
  3. Stir in almond milk and allow to heat through. Serve hot with bacon sprinkled on top.