DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Category Archives: Main Entrees


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Oklahoma Chili

My college roommate kindly shared her recipe for beanless chili with me. I am a huge chili fan, but I love mine with lots and lots o’ beans. I decided to do something different and decided to make it without the beans for once.

I love the simplicity of this recipe. My all-time favorite chili recipe has almost 30 ingredients in it. This has just 13. It involves little prep work and the results are so dang tasty.

I like my chili with elbow macaroni, shredded cheddar cheese, onions, and some hot sauce.

Oklahoma Chili

3 pounds lean ground beef
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large can V8
6 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons salt
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper
3 tablespoons  paprika
3 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons cornmeal
1 cup water

  1. In a large pot, brown ground beef in olive oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Add V8 to pot and simmer for 2 hours.
  3. Add chili powder, salt, garlic, cumin, oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Simmer for 30 more minutes.
  4. Whisk flour and corn meal together with water and add to chili. Cook for 5 minutes.


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Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

I was searching for an easy-to-prepare dish that was light and refreshing. I stumbled across a few inspiration recipes in Food Network Magazine, epicurious.com, and allrecipes.com and created this. It turned out just like I thought it would – light, but with a bite 😉

Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, crushed*
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
12 ounces pasta of choice, cooked

  1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add onions and cook until almost translucent. Add in garlic and cook until onion are translucent.
  2. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add in artichoke hearts (liquid, too!) and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
  4. Serve over cooked pasta.

*I crushed the tomatoes with a potato masher in the pot. Super easy and not at all messy!


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Chicken Pot Pie

I planned on making my Soy-Mirin Tofu with Peanut Sauce a few weeks ago, but a blizzard decided to blow into Wisconsin. So, change of plans to a comfort food – chicken pot pie! I hadn’t made one for a good 3 years or so and was excited to give it another try.

I spotted these adorable bowls in the cupboard and just had to use them. I love that they had little wicker bowls to go with them; they are perfect for keeping your hands from getting burned. These made eating in front of the fire pretty darn easy.

Chicken Pot Pie
serves 5

1 cup carrots, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth*
1/4 cup milk

For crust:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or shortening, chilled
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water

  1. Simmer carrots, celery, potatoes and chicken in 2 cups water and bouillon for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid, and set aside.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, garlic powder, celery seed, and pepper. Slowly add in chicken broth and milk. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. To make crust, blend flour,salt, and butter or shortening together until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  4. Pour into a bowl and drizzle ice water over dough. Gently mix with a fork until dough comes together.
  5. Gather dough gently into a ball. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 380°F.
  7. Divide dough into 5 pieces. Place one piece between two sheetws of parchment paper and roll into a circle. Repeat with remaining dough. Set aside.
  8. Divide chicken mixture between 5 oven-proof bowls. Pour sauce over chicken and place crust on top, sealing the sides. Cut slits into crust to vent steam.
  9. Brush crust with milk and bake for 45  minutes.
  10. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* I used the broth left over from boiling the chicken. It takes zero time and effort and it tastes so much better than the canned stuff!


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Spaghetti with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon

I had leftover bacon and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I’m not a huge fan of bacon (yeah, yeah, don’t hate me), so having it for breakfast wasn’t really an option. I threw this together for dinner and it turned out pretty tasty. It was simple and I was able to use up the leftover bacon! Win-win.

Spaghetti with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon

1 pound spaghetti
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch fresh spinach, torn into pieces
Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain most of the fat off and add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add in tomatoes and cook until warmed. Add in spinach and cook until just wilted. Toss with cooked spaghetti until well incorporated. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.


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Braised Short Ribs

I spent hours scouring the web, food magazines, and cookbooks for Valentine’s Day dinner ideas. Lamb? Ravioli? Cornish hens? The possibilities were endless. I had only one requirement for this meal – it had to be something I’ve never made before. I found a recipe for braised short ribs on epicurious.com and glanced at the recipe. I decided to pass when I saw that I needed veal stock. No thanks, that’s a little too much work for me. I Googled “braised short ribs” and The Pioneer Woman’s recipe popped up. That woman knows how to cook and I could find all the ingredients at the grocery store. Perfect!

I followed her recipe exactly with a few minor alterations. I added 3 stalks of celery, diced, and used bacon instead of pancetta.

I finally decided to break out a wedding present I’ve been waiting to use… this monster of a cutting board by Catskill.

I love this cutting board! My only warning: be careful when opening! I stupidly managed to slice my finger on one of the oddly sharp finger slots on the board when I was tearing off the plastic. It was worth it, though. Look at how pretty food looks on it!

Braised Short Ribs
from The Pioneer Woman

8 whole beef short ribs
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 pieces bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 shallots, minced
2 cups red winte
2 cups beef broth
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary

  1. Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
  2. In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta or bacon over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.
  3. Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

    Look how tasty they look at this point! And don’t worry, it gets better.

  4. Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
  5. Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.
  6. Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)
  7. Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.


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Shrimp Scampi

The first time I made this recipe from allrecipes.com it was just a little too buttery for me. This time, I scaled back on the butter and made a few other adjustments. I was pretty pleased with the results.

 

Shrimp Scampi
serves 6

1 stick butter, melted
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound spaghetti, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Whisk butter, mustard, lemon juice and garlic in a bowl.
  3. Arrange shrimp in a baking dish and pour butter mixture over the shrimp.
  4. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque.
  5. Serve over spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


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Potato Pancakes with Applesauce

There’s something really comforting about eating a warm, crispy potato pancake with some freshly made applesauce in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. I wasn’t going to make these at first since it would require me to shred a million potatoes, but then I remembered that I had a food processor. BAM! Done in 5 minutes. I really should use my beloved Cuisinart a little more.

I love love love this applesauce because it is not overly sweet – it’s a great combination of tart and sweetness. If you’re someone who loves a sweeter applesauce, add a little more sugar into it.

Potato Pancakes
adapted from allrecipes.com

4 egg whites
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 medium potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil

  1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in potatoes and onion.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In batches, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into the skillet. Press to flatten. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
  3. Serve warm with butter and salt or homemade applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce
makes 4 cups

5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1. Combine apples, water, sugar and cinnamon in medium-sized saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 15 – 20  minutes, or until apples are soft.
  2. Mash with a potato masher and serve warm, or refrigerate until serving.


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Pelmeni

One of the saddest days of my college life happened when Pelmeni closed. Pelmeni was a tiny little restaurant in Madison that served just that – pelmeni, or Russian dumplings. They had meat or potato or mixed and you could get it spicy or plain. There were piles of sour cream in the cooler and a few sodas, too. Not spicy enough? They had bottles of some sort of magical spicy sauce that you could dump onto the pelmeni.

So. Dang. Good.

I was devastated when they closed. Where else was I going to be able to get such a filling meal for only $5? I searched everywhere for pelmeni – in grocery stores, other restaurants, everywhere. I finally gave up and tried making my own version. The verdict? I think it came out pretty close to the original State Street restaurant.

Pelmeni

To make the dough:
2 cups flour, sifted
7 fluid ounces of cold water
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt

 

To make the filling:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

To make the topping:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Sour cream, to taste

  1. Place flour in a large bowl. Make a dimple in the top of the mound and crack the egg into it. Add salt. Gradually add cold water and knead.
  2. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 15 – 20 minutes.
  3. Combine all filling ingredients and mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
  4. Roll the dough into a rope 1 inch in diameter. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
  5. Roll the pieces into circles 1/16 of an inch thick.
  6. Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough and pinch the edges to seal the pelmeni. The pelmeni will be in the shape of a semi circle. Bring the two pointed ends together to form the final shape.
  7. Mix the butter and vinegar together and set aside.
  8. Boil the pelmeni in salted water for 3 – 5 minutes.
  9. Toss pelmeni with the topping ingredients
  10. Toss the cooked pelmeni with the butter and vinegar and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a dash of curry powder, a sprinkle of cilantro and a drizzle of Sriracha!

 


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Tater Tot Casserole

I had the privilege of trying this delicacy for the first time last year. As much as I hate to say this, I actually kind of like it. A lot. And I have a few little secrets that make it even better.

1. Red pepper flakes, and lots of ’em.
2. Baking the casserole without cheese to get the tots crispy

I apologize in advance for the photo. I think it’s dang near impossible to take an appetizing photograph of this monstrosity of a meal.

Tater Tot Casserole
serves 8

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound frozen green beans
1 pound frozen corn
2 10.75 ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 32 ounce package tater tots (I like the mini tots)
1.5 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Sauté the onion in a large pot until cooked. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
  3. Mix in green beans, corn, and soup. Stir in red pepper flakes until well-distributed.
  4. Spread mixture into a casserole dish and top with tater tots.
  5. Bake 30 – 45 minutes, or until tots are golden brown and casserole is heated through.
  6. Top with cheese and broil until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.


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Pesto Chicken Pasta

It’s amazing how quickly time goes by. I create a to-do list almost daily with the intention of completing every.last.thing. on the list before I go to bed at night. I don’t think I have succeeded in doing so yet this semester. No matter how busy I am though, I still find the time to cook almost every single night. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not that I have too much to do, it’s that I just don’t want to do any of it. With graduation just a few months away, I’ve found it increasingly difficult to get my school work done. Senioritis much?

Pesto Chicken Pasta
serves 4 – 6

1 16 ounce package of pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and cut into strips
1/2 cup pesto sauce

  1. Cook pasta according to direction. Drain and place back into pot.
  2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender, 2 minutes, and then stir in chicken.
  3. Season with red pepper flakes and cook until chicken is golden brown and fully cooked.
  4. In the pasta pot, combine the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto with the pasta. Toss to coat evenly.
  5. Serve immediately.