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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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Chipotle Honey-Lime Pork Tenderloin

I don’t know if this is a problem other people have, but every single time I cook for something that calls for chipotles in adobo sauce I am left with two or three lonely chiles. I never know what to do with them and they often go to waste. This time, I planned accordingly. On the first night, I made chipotle quinoa chili. A few nights later, I used up the rest of the chipotle peppers in this delicious pork tenderloin.

Chipotle Honey-Lime Pork Tenderloin | doughseedough.net

Chipotle Honey-Lime Pork Tenderloin

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
zest from 1 lime
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 – 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
cilantro, chopped

  1. Place the tenderloin in a shallow container with a lid to marinate.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, lime zest, honey, salt, and garlic powder. Pour half the marinade over the tenderloin; reserving the remaining half of the marinade for the sauce.
  3. Pour chipotle chiles and adobo sauce over the tenderloin. Cover and allow to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
  4. Remove the tenderloin 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  5. Heat canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove tenderloin from marinade and sear in skillet on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
  6. Place skillet in preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through.
  7. Once the pork’s internal temperature reaches 140°F, remove from the oven. Move pork to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes or until the temperature  reaches 150°F.
  8. Meanwhile, prepare te sauce: pour reserved lime juice mixture and leftover marinade into the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken. Meanwhile, slice pork into 1-inch medallions. Serve sauce over the sliced pork and garnish with cilantro, if desired.

recipe slightly adapted from The Way to His Heart


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Chipotle Quinoa Chili

 

This chili is a breeze to throw together. It’s an easy one-pot meal that takes no time to cook. Instead of making a frozen pizza or grabbing fast food, put this chili into your weeknight menu rotation. It’s packed full of good-for-you quinoa, beans, and veggies and a small bowl will keep you full for a long time.

 

Chipotle Quinoa Chili | doughseedough.net

Chipotle Quinoa Chili

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
3 – 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes with chiles
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
4 green onions, thinly sliced
optional toppings: cilantro, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, hot sauce

  1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  2. Stir in chili powder and cumin and cook for a minute. Stir in chiles, tomatoes, beans, bell peppers, corn, and quinoa. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes or until quinoa is tender, stirring once or twice.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in green onions. Top with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!

 

recipe from Alida’s Kitchen, originally from Kraft 


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Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken and Veggies

This chicken is Mike-approved. He inhaled his entire piece before I got through a quarter of mine. I was surprised at how juicy the chicken turned out. When roasting, I usually try to use bone-in, skin-on chicken to keep the chicken from drying out. But the magical lemon-thyme sauce kept this boneless, skinless chicken breast tender and juicy and not at all dry.

Lemon Thyme Roasted Chicken | doughseedough.net

And the vegetables? They were my favorite part of the meal!

Lemon Thyme Roasted Chicken & Veggies | doughseedough.net

Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken and Veggies

for the chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, juiced (save other half for veggies)

for the vegetables:
4 medium russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 pound green beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
Olive oil spray

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a shallow dish, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon juice. Add chicken, turning to coat.

Lightly spray an oven-safe pan or cast iron skillet with olive oil and arrange lemon slices on the bottom of the pan. Place chicken on top of the lemon slices, pouring any remaining marinade on top.

Spray a separate oven-safe baking dish with olive oil. Add in potatoes, green beans, garlic and lemon juice. Toss to coat.

Bake for chicken and veggies for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.


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My Favorite Barbecue Sauce

I’ve been making the same BBQ sauce for years. Sometimes I’ll add a little twist (bourbon anyone?), but the base recipe remains the same. I love this sauce and you can easily tailor it to your needs. Need a thicker sauce? Cook it for a little longer. Want some more heat? Add in a dash of cayenne. This sauce is good on pretty  much everything – pulled pork, chicken, burgers… I’ve even dipped some soft pretzels into it.

So, next time you need some barbecue sauce, try whipping up your own!

Homemade Barbecue Sauce | doughseedough.net

My Favorite Barbecue Sauce
makes about 1 quart

3 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tablepoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 1/2 tabespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until desired consistency is reached.


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Thai Tofu and Pineapple Curry

There’s a wonderful restaurant in Madison that serves some seriously awesome curry. I’ve been going to Lao Laan-Xang for years and I always get the same thing – squash curry with tofu. The last time I went, I finally got adventurous and got some pineapple curry. It was just as good as the squash curry, and now I’ve got my eye on another dish I want to try – mango curry.

I decided to try making a version of the pineapple curry at home. I absolutely loved it, but my store-bought curry paste is really no competition to LLX’s. Maybe some day I’ll try my hand at making my own curry paste. Maybe.

I’ll stick a little warning in here because I think I nearly killed Mike with the spice level of this dish. The dried red chiles I used in this dish were from our garden and they are hot. I thought that 2 chiles were the perfect amount of spice, but it was a little much for Mike. I know that all chile peppers are different, but if you’re not a fan of heat, use just one chile or none at all.

Thai Tofu and Pineapple Curry | doughseedough.net

Thai Tofu and Pineapple Curry

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
2 dried red chiles, minced (optional)
5 mini bell peppers, sliced
12 ounces extra firm tofu, cubed
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon creamy natural peanut butter
1 cup light coconut milk
1/2 lime, juiced

cooked brown rice, for serving
lime wedges, for serving

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic, green onions, and chiles and cook , stirring frequently, for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Add bell peppers and tofu and cook for an additional minute.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together curry paste, peanut butter, and coconut milk. Add sauce, tomatoes and pineapple into pot and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until bell peppers are tender. Stir in lime juice.
  3. Serve immediately with brown rice and lime wedges.


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Baked Fish and Chips

baked fish and chips {dairy free} | doughseedough.net

I don’t know about you, but I love fried food. My dairy-free lifestyle has significantly decreased my fried food consumption, but I still get crazy cravings for it. This baked version of fish and chips (or for my fellow Wisconsinites, a good ol’ fish fry) is delicious and completely satisfied my craving for greasy, fried fish and potatoes.

The best thing was that I didn’t have that heavy, gross feeling I usually get after indulging in fish and chips. Another bonus: I could inspect all the ingredients to make sure they were 100% dairy-free. I mean, it’s not that I don’t trust restaurants, but… OK, I don’t really trust (most) restaurants 😉

baked fish and chips {dairy free} | doughseedough.net

Baked Fish and Chips

for the chips:
1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 – 4 medium)
olive oil spray
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the fish:
olive oil spray
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 egg whites
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless perch cut into 2×4-inch pieces

optional:
tartar sauce
malt vinegar
lemon wedges

  1. Arrange oven racks in upper and lower third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
  2. To prepare the chips: Slice potatoes into 1/4-inch thick sticks. Spread potatoes out on in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Place on top rack and bake, flipping fries once or twice, until fries are browned and crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove fries from oven and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  3. While fries are baking, prepare the fish: Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Whisk egg whites and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl until frothy; set aside. Place cereal in a shallow bowl and crush with fingers. Season cereal with salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Dip fish pieces into egg whites, then roll in cereal to coat. Place fish on prepared baking sheet, thin side down and mist with olive oil spray.
  5. Place fish onto lower rack and bake until crisp and cooked through, about 12 – 15 minutes. Season fish with salt and pepper, to taste.
  6. Serve fish and chips immediately with tartar sauce, malt vinegar, and lemon wedges.

recipe from Food Network


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Healthy Orange Sesame Chicken

This dinner might be my new go-to meal when I’m short on time and too tired to think. It was ready in about 40 minutes – and that’s only because brown rice takes forever to cook! If I were to make pasta or prepare the rice ahead of time this would be easily be a 30 minute fridge-to-table meal.
Though this dish has bell peppers as the main veggie, I bet it would be tasty with just about anything you might have on hand. I think next time I’ll try it with some broccoli. If you’re looking for a Chinese takeout version of orange chicken or sesame chicken, look elsewhere. This dish isn’t all that comparable to the sticky, overly sweet, deep fried abomination you find at the restaurant. It’s a light, easy meal that’s packed with good-for-you lean proteins and veggies.
Healthy Orange Sesame Chicken | doughseedough.net

Orange Sesame Chicken

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 large oranges, juiced (2/3 cup juice)
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon corn starch

1-3 dried red chile peppers, minced
3 large bell peppers

1 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced

cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta for serving
  1. Prepare rice or pasta according to package directions. While rice/pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the meal.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.
  3. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan or wok. Add in chile peppers and bell peppers and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add in onion and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  4. Add in chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through. Pour in orange juice mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until sauce is thickened.
  5. Serve over prepared rice or pasta. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions before serving.
adapted from Clean Eating Magazine


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Cheesy Spinach and Chicken Stuffed Shells

Today’s recipe is a dish that I can only dream of eating… Making cheesy freezer meals for Mike is kind of torturous. Mike swears these shells taste awesome. I can assure you that they smell awesome, but I couldn’t try them.

Cheesy Spinach and Chicken Stuffed Shells | doughseedough.net

Cheesy Spinach & Chicken Stuffed Shells

1 – 12 ounce box jumbo shells
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast., diced
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dried
8 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, being careful not to over cook. When pasta is al dente, drain and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, remove chicken to a separate plate.
  3. Add more oil to pan, if necessary, and add in onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Stir in spinach, cream cheese and almond milk until cream cheese is melted and mixture is creamy. Stir in cooked chicken. Sprinkle in half the Parmesan cheese and stir until evenly distributed.
  4. Spray two 9×13 baking dishes with olive oil. Spread 1/4 cup of sauce into the bottom of each pan. Spoon filling into cooked shells and arrange in baking dishes. When all shells are filled, drizzle remaining sauce onto the top of the shells and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
  5. To serve immediately, preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20-25 minutes. Filling should be hot and bubbly and Parmesan cheese should be melted and lightly browned.
  6. If freezing, prepare as directed using freezer and oven-safe containers. Defrost dish in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 35-40 minutes or until filling is hot and bubbly and cheese is melted.


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Mushroom Barley and Wild Rice Risotto

Mushroom Barley & Wild Rice Risotto | doughseedough.net

This dish is definitely a labor of love. Much like a traditional risotto, you need to spend time at the stove, stirring, adding liquid, stirring… But the results are so worth it –  it’s rich and filling and well, my perfect comfort food. The bonus is that this seriously makes a huge pot of food – enough for lunch leftovers. There are days where I start to despise the leftovers I bring for lunch, but I ate this risotto for a week straight and never got sick of it.

I can’t wait to make it again – maybe this time with another type of mushroom!

Mushroom Barley & Wild Rice Risotto | doughseedough.net

Mushroom Barley and Wild Rice Risotto

6 cups low-sodium beef broth
3 cups water
8 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked pearl barley
1/2 cup wild rice
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated and chopped
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 – 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

  1. Bring stock and water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat – do not boil.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a plate and set aside; reserve 2 teaspoons of bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.
  3. Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add in onion, thyme and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes or until onions are tender. Add in mushrooms and salt and cook for 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, soy sauce, pepper, spinach, and cooked bacon. Cook until heated through. Serve immediately.
  4. Stir in barley and wild rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add in wine and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 2 – 3  minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in 2 cups of the broth mixture and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Continue with the remaining broth mixture: add in 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Make sure liquid is absorbed before adding the next cup.

recipe adapted from Prevention RD