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a balanced plate with room for dessert


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Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

I’ve been hunting for quinoa dishes ever since my co-worker picked up the world’s largest bag of quinoa from Costco for me. I’ve come across some seriously drool-worthy dishes laden with cheese and other delicious dairy-ness. While I’ve been able to introduce dairy back into my diet with some success, I’m still wary – one bite too many is bad news.

Fortunately, this super easy maple balsamic quinoa salad is 100% dairy-free. As an added bonus, the ingredients in the recipe are fridge and pantry staples for me. I found the original dressing proportions of oil, vinegar and syrup to be way too sweet, so I decreased the amount of syrup and oil. If you prefer a sweeter dressing, use a 1:1 ratio of oil, vinegar and syrup.

maple balsamic quinoa salad | doughseedough.net

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Salad

1 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup raw unsalted almonds, roughly chopped
4 to 5 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste

  1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Refrigerate until completely cooled, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, prepared the dressing by whisking oil, vinegar and maple syrup together in a small bowl.
  3. Add dressing to the cooled quinoa. Stir in cranberries, pecans, scallions and salt until well combined. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Slightly adapted from Clean Eating Magazine


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Kale BLT Salad

Ok, so there isn’t any “L” in this BLT salad. It should probably be called BKT or BKaleT.  As it turns out, raw kale isn’t really my jam. It tastes like what I think grass might taste like. But, raw kale covered in dressing with bacon? Right up my alley.

My coworker gave me three huge bags of kale – two curly kale and one dino kale. The curly kale went into this salad and I’m still contemplating what to do with the dino kale. I might just make another BKT salad because I’m seriously lacking in the kale recipe department. My coworker kindly included a recipe for this salad along with the kale. A little internet searching led me to the original source – Vegan Yum Yum. Needless to say, I completely un-veganfied it. Not only did I use mayo and bacon, I went and ate my salad with some grilled chicken, too. No regrets 🙂

Kale BLT Salad | doughseedough.net

Kale BLT Salad

2 heads curly kale
12 strips bacon, cooked and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

for the dressing:
1/3 cup low fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  1. Wash and dry kale. Remove the stem from each leaf with a pair of scissors, a knife, or your fingers. Stack leaves on top of each other and slice into thin strips. Place kale strips into a large bowl and toss with bacon, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
  2. To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

slightly adapted from Vegan Yum Yum


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Vegan Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Vegan Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping | doughseedough.net

I’ve finally given in to pumpkin. Pumpkin treats, that is. I suppose it’s that time of year – leaves are turning, it’s getting colder, days are getting shorter… there’s even a threat of snow around here.

I love all things pumpkin except for pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cinnamon rolls… you name it, I’ll eat it. This pumpkin cake has won over my heart. It is definitely the pumpkin treat of choice for me. I will eat and eat and eat and eat until it’s gone. Seriously, it’s that good. Pumpkin cake with a streusel topping and some icing – what can be better than that?

I came across this recipe when I was looking around for a brunch dish for a work party. I made the coffee cake and it smelled (and looked) so good that I knew I couldn’t wait until the next day to eat it. So, I made another one. Big mistake. Mike and I ate about a quarter of the cake that night. And then we kept eating it the next day… and the next. And then it was gone. I was heartbroken when it was gone because I was also out of pumpkin. I stocked up on pumpkin this weekend so I can make sure we have a steady supply of this amazingness for a couple weeks 😉

Vegan Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping | doughseedough.net

Vegan Iced Pumpkin Coffee Cake
serves 10

for the streusel topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dairy free butter substitute (I use Earth Balance)

for the cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup plain almond milk

for the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×11 or 9×9 baking pan and grease with butter substitute or nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. To make the streusel topping, combine flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a fork, two knives, or a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
  3. To make the cake, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, oil, maple syrup and milk until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
  4. Sprinkle prepared streusel topping over the batter and gently press down into the batter. Bake in preheated over for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. When cake is almost done baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and almond milk and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve immediately, or keep at room temperature for up two three days.

recipe slightly adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction


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Southwestern BLT

Mike and I have had more bacon over the last month than we have over the last year. We’ve gone through two packages (gasp). I’m normally not a huge fan of bacon. When I go out to eat and get a sandwich or salad that customarily comes with bacon, I ask for it without. Or, I pick it out and give it to Mike.

But sometimes, sometimes, bacon is exactly what you need. I mean, can you imagine a BLT without bacon? I can’t. To be honest, BLTs are one of the very few ways I will actually eat bacon. I’ve been tossing around BLT variations in my head for a while, but never acted on it. Then, the BLT fairies took pity on me and assigned me this Southwestern BLT sandwich for our “lunch food” recipe swap! This recipe is from fellow Wisconsinite Ashley over at Cheese Curd in Paradise.

Bonus: I bought most of the ingredients for this sandwich at the farmers’ market! Win-win-win.

Southwestern BLT {dairy free} | doughseedough.net

Southwestern BLT
serves 4

for the chipotle mayo:
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup low-fat mayo
1 chipotle pepper in adobo + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

for the BLT:
8 strips thick-cut bacon
8 slices of sourdough bread
4 romaine lettuce leaves, ripped into sandwich-size pieces
1 large yellow tomato, sliced into 8 pieces
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 8 pieces

  1. Make the mayo: combine cilantro, mayo, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and lime juice in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Move to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the fat.
  3. Lightly toast the bread, if desired.
  4. To assemble: spread chipotle mayo on 4 slices of bread. Top the bread with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Spread remaining 4 slices of bread with mayo and place, mayo-side down, on the sandwiches.

very slightly adapted from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Thanks again to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for hosting! Click on the link to check out the other delicious swap recipes!


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Three Cup Tofu

Once in a while I dream of “san bei ji”, or three cup chicken. It’s a Taiwanese dish I associate strongly with my mom. She gave me her recipe for three cup chicken and I’ve tried to recreate it. Even though I follow her directions exactly, it never tastes right. It’s mystifying – there are so few ingredients. Literally no room for error. I’m not sure what her secret is, but I’ve given up.

Luckily, I can create a little magic of my own. Specifically in the form of three cup tofu. It follows her basic three cup chicken recipe, but with a few adjustments. And folks, this is good. Even if you’re not a tofu fan, you have got to give this a try. I fell in love with the texture of the tofu in this dish – it’s silky, but not mushy. The sauce is rich, but not heavy.

This may be my ultimate comfort food.

three cup tofu | doughseedough.net

Three Cup Tofu

14 ounce container firm tofu, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1.5-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic, smashed
3 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, ripped into large pieces

cooked brown rice, for serving

  1. Press tofu with paper towel to soak up excess moisture. Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry tofu on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Place tofu on paper towels to drain.
  2. Reduce heat to low and add in sesame oil. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in cooking wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, and water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 5 minutes. Stir in corn starch mixture and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
  4. Gently stir in tofu and Thai basil and cook for 1 more minute.
  5. Serve immediately over brown rice.

 

adapted from my mother’s three cup chicken recipe 


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Curried Chicken with Zucchini and Eggplant

I’ve been a little scattered lately. I wrote up a menu plan for the week, made a grocery list, and set off to the store with Mike. We finish shopping and go back home only to find out that I had been shopping off a partially completed grocery list. This meant that I didn’t have enough ingredients to make any of the meals that I had planned on. Oops. Thankfully, I had some garden zucchini and a cute little eggplant from a coworker to work with. I whipped this up with what we did have on hand and it ended up being not only edible, but pretty darn good!

Curried Chicken with Zucchini and Eggplant over Couscous | doughseedough.net

(P.S. It’s really, really good with a health drizzle off sriracha 😉 )

Curried Chicken with Zucchini and Eggplant with Pearl Couscous
serves 4

for the couscous:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/3 cup pearl couscous
1 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, hot

for the chicken:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups cherry tomatoes

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add couscous and cook until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Set aside and keep warm.
  2. While couscous is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a bowl and keep warm. Add eggplant to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Add in zucchini and onion to the pan and saute for an additiona 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, curry powder, garam masala, and red pepper flakes. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Add chicken and cherry tomatoes to pan and cook until chicken is cooked all the way through and tomatoes burst, about 5 minutes.
  3. Serve hot over prepared couscous.


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Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

I’m going spaghetti squash nuts over here. I can’t get enough of the stuff! My newest dish – spaghetti carbonara! This recipe is so far from the “original” carbonara that I’m not quite sure what to call it. Spaghetti (Squash) Not-Carbonara? It’s kind of a mouthful. I was determined to find a way to get all that rich awesomeness that a traditional carbonara has into a dish that has no butter, no cheese, and no pasta. So, basically not carbonara at all. But this dish definitely captures the richness of carbonara and it has some of the same components. I figured since I was so far off from the traditional pasta dish that I might as well go all out – no pasta, no butter, no cheese… might as well add in some sun dried tomatoes and spinach while we’re at it. Why the heck not?

Go on and make this now, ok? It’s delish, trust me.

dairy free spaghetti squash carbonara | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
serves 4 – 6

for the squash:
1 large spaghetti squash
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray

for the sauce:
6 strips bacon
2 small onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, diced
5 sun dried tomatoes, diced
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons plain, unsweetened almond milk
salt (I used about ¼ teaspoon)
freshly ground black pepper (I used about ½ teaspoon)

  1. Prepare the squash: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Spray with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut-side down in a baking pan and bake in preheated oven for 45 – 60 minutes, or until squash is easily pierced with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a large pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and drain off all but 1 teaspoon of bacon grease from the pan.
  3. Add garlic, onions, zucchini and sun dried tomatoes to pan and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and almond milk. Remove pan from heat and slowly pour egg yolk into vegetables, stirring frequently to prevent eggs from scrambling. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. Shred the flesh of the squash to create “spaghetti”. Place on spaghetti squash noodles on a plate and top with sauce.

adapted from Food Network


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Happy Anniversary! Celebrating with Dairy Free Carrot Cake

Here’s a very, very happy three year anniversary to my taste tester, dish washer, and biggest supporter – Mike. I can’t believe it’s been three years since we’ve said “I do”. It was a perfect day. We were surrounded by family…

Photo by Alacrity Photography

friends…

Go Badgers! Photo by Alacrity Photography

and lots and lots of cake.

Photo by Alacrity Photography

Seven flavors, to be exact. This was one wedding detail that I refused to give in on. I didn’t want a monstrous cake covered in fondant. I wanted seven of my favorite types of cakes from Manderfield’s Bakery:

  1. Chocolate Symphony: “…layers of rich chocolate cake, dreamy chocolate mousse, smooth chocolate buttercream, and sweet chocolate ganache.“
  2. Chocolate Truffle: “Tasty chocolate cake… filled with fudge & covered with creamy chocolate icing and rich truffle.”
  3. German Chocolate: “Chocolate cake is filled with fudge and whipped cream, then covered with a layer of rich caramel, coconut and nuts.”
  4. Raspberry Snowball: “Luscious raspberry filling, white chocolate mousse, and vanilla cake are all surrounded by fluffy whipped cream.”
  5. Strawberry Mousse: “…moist vanilla cake filled with plenty of juicy strawberry filling and amazing strawberry mousse.”
  6. Carrot Cake: “Delectably moist carrot cake is surrounded by tasty cream cheese icing with toasted pecans & flaky coconut.”
  7. Turtle Torte: “…chocolate fudge cake is topped with rich caramel, toasted pecans & whipped cream.”

On our first anniversary, we had some Chocolate Truffle cake my mom had saved from our wedding night. Thank goodness for moms, right? It hadn’t even occurred to me to save some wedding cake in the middle of all the excitement. I remember my mom giving me the cake the next day, and I (stupidly) just shoved it into the freezer without wrapping it properly. Well, it tasted pretty gross a year later. Surprise. I took one, maybe two bites before quitting. Mike finished it like because he isn’t one to waste cake. Especially a chocolate cake.

On our second anniversary, I did a little better. I went to the bakery with the intention of buying the cake that we had cut: Chocolate Symphony. Unfortunately, I found out that these have to be pre-ordered (fail). So, I settled on another cake that we had at our wedding… we’re 90% sure it was the Turtle Torte. Apparently our memories are awful – we’re aging really, really quickly.

Now, it’s our third anniversary, I’m avoiding dairy, and we’re two hours from Manderfield’s. I wanted to continue with our tradition of eating wedding cakes on our anniversary, so I set off to create a dairy free carrot cake that was as good as our wedding carrot cake. Not an easy feat, I tell ya. But here’s what I came up with! Here’s to hoping that we have many, many more cakes in our future!

Photo by Alacrity Photography

Don’t be scared off by how not-so-pretty this cake is. It’s absolutely delicious. Moist with the perfect amount of spice.  I’m still working out the kinks in dairy-free baking. The cake itself turned out awesome. The frosting, a bit runny, Some day, I will perfect dairy free cream cheese frosting. Until then, kinda-runny dairy free cream cheese frosting will have to do 😉


dairy free carrot cake | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Carrot Cake
serves 10 or 1 happily married couple 😉

2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded (about 3 1/2 – 4 cups)
dairy free cream cheese frosting, recipe below
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by lightly greasing and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a small cup, stir together lemon juice and almond milk. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, oil, pineapple and vanilla until well combined. Add in dry ingredients until just combined. Add in the carrots and stir until just combined.
  5. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  6. Allow cakes to cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Carefully remove the cakes and peel off the parchment paper. Allow to cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.  Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top of frosted cake before serving.

dairy free carrot cake | doughseedough.net

Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounce container of dairy-free cream cheese, I used GO Veggie!
1/4 cup dairy free butter substitute, I used Earth Balance
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar

  1. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until well combined. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until frosting is thick and fluffy.

cake and frosting adapted from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy


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Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta

This meal is so easy it’s ridiculous. Like 15 minutes from start to finish.  Avocado, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whirl in food processor. Toss with pasta… Dinner is served.

It’s good served warm. It’s good cold the next day. It’s so good that Mike is still talking about it, a week later. Who knew it would be so easy to impress that man?

15 minute creamy avocado pasta {dairy free} | doughseedough.net

I ate mine on top of a huge bed of spinach. Mike had his with extra bacon on top 😉 Vegan or vegetarian? Skip the bacon and you’re good to go!

Creamy Avocado Pesto Pasta
serves 6

1 13.25 ounce package whole wheat spaghetti
olive oil spray
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, minced
4 cups spinach
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
3 lemons, juiced
4 slices cooked bacon, chopped, optional

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
  2. While pasta is cooking, make the sauce: heat a medium pan over medium heat and lightly spray with olive oil. Add in garlic and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add in spinach and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Place spinach into the bowl of a food processor. Add in avocados and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Mix the avocado sauce with cooked spaghetti and toss to coat.  Add pasta water as needed to thin sauce to desired consistency. Top with bacon if desired.

adapted from Oh She Glows


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Shrimp and Vegetables in Lemon-Garlic Sauce

Surprise, another recipe with tomatoes!  I really shouldn’t complain about our abundance, because I know in a few short weeks winter will be here and a beautiful, tasty tomato will be pretty much impossible to find. Sigh. Wisconsin winters, I love you and hate you all at the same time.

I love fresh, easy dishes like this one. It makes me feel like I’m doing something good for my body. In my mind it cancels out all the Sour Skittles I eat and all the booze I drink. So, go for it – do your body some good and eat a dish with some super-grain quinoa and fresh summer veggies.

Shrimp and Vegetables in Lemon-Garlic Sauce | doughseedough.net

Shrimp and Vegetables in Lemon-Garlic Sauce

3 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 cup quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 large bell peppers, chopped
2 medium zucchini, seeded and chopped
2 lemons, zested and juiced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
chopped parsley to garnish, optional

  1. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add in quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is cooked through.
  2. While quinoa is cooking, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add bell peppers, zucchini, and lemon zest and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 – 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and keep warm.
  3. Heat remaining teaspoon of olive oil in pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in shrimp and cook for 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 cup broth and lemon juice and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve over cooked quinoa. Garnish with parsley, if desired.