DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Category Archives: Main Entrees


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Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

This pasta is hands down the best pasta I have ever had. It’s cheap, easy, and delicious. What more could a girl ask for? I need to find a place to buy sun-dried tomatoes in bulk so I can make this dish more often.

Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes and Feta

Spaghetti with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Feta

1 16-ounce package spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, sliced into rings
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
1 8-ounce package feta cheese, crumbled (the tomato basil feta was exceptionally good!)
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

  1. Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions. Drain and return to the pot.
  2. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Saute garlic, onions and sun-dried tomatoes until the onions are translucent. Mix into the spaghetti and stir in feta, Parmesan and cilantro. Serve immediately.


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Shepherd’s Pie

I remember the first time I tried shepherd’s pie. It was at Brocach in Madison, WI and I loved everything about it. One day I was standing in front of my fridge trying to figure out what to do with all the random food I had laying around and it dawned on me to make an attempt at recreating the deliciousness I had encountered at Brocach.

This meal is the perfect comfort food. I will definitely make it again when it gets colder out.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd’s Pie
serves 4

6 large potatoes, peeled and quarted
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup beef broth
5 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and mash with butter and minced onion. Mix in 1/4 cup shredded cheddar and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  3. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until clear, about 3 minutes. Add in beef, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until meat is browned.
  4. Stir in flour and ketchup until well combined. Pour in beef broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour  beef into a 9×9 ovensafe dish. Top with peas and carrots. Smooth mashed potatoes over the top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheddar.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.


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Fried Rice

I love rice. Mike and I went through 30 pounds of rice this year! Whenever I have leftover rice, Mike asks me to make fried rice. He claims that it’s the best he’s ever had. I normally just mix a bunch of random stuff together and call it fried rice, but this time I actually measured out the ingredients. My thoughts? It didn’t taste quite as good… I’ll keep tweaking this recipe until I am able to write down a recipe that tastes as good as the fried rice I improvise.

IMG_6115

Fried Rice

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 bunch green onion
4 Chinese sausages, sliced
2 cups leftover white rice, refrigerated
1 head broccoli
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
4 tablespoons cup soy sauce

  1. Heat the sesame oil and vegetable oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the green onions and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add in the sausage, broccoli, carrots and celery and cook until the sausage is cooked through.
  3. Stir in the rice and stir fry until the rice is heated through and slightly browned.
  4. Drizzle the soy sauce and vinegar over the fried rice and mix in thoroughly!


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Chicken Gruyere with Sauteed Mushrooms

I bought some Gruyere a long time ago to make a puff pastry, but I never got around to making it. So, after seeing it sit in my fridge for month after month, I finally decided to use it.

Shredded Gruyere

Chicken Gruyere with Sauteed Mushrooms
serves 3 – 4

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup butter, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 pound fresh mushrooms (cremini or white button)
1 onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup white wine
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    2. In a shallow dish, stir together flour, salt, pepper and parsley. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Dredge chicken in the flour mixture.
    3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium high heat. Place chicken into the  skillet and fry until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer browned chicken to a 1 quart baking dish.
    4. Add remaining butter to skillet and fry the mushrooms and onion until wilted and lightly browned. Stir in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour mushroom mixture over the chicken.
    5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 2o minutes, remove foil and sprinkle the chicken with shredded cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

      Chicken Grueyere with Sauteed Mushrooms


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      Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

      One of my favorite things to do is cook for my friends. The more people there are and the more food I make, the happier I am. I think that this is a trait I got from my mom who loves to have elaborate dinner parties that never fail to amaze people. I hope that one day I can be as good a cook as she is.

      I stumbled across this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided that it would be a good dish for a dinner I had with Mike and two of our friends.

      Red Bell Peppers

      Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce
      adapted from allrecipes.com

      12 ounces fettuccine
      1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
      2 red bell peppers, julienned
      2 onions, sliced
      3 cloves garlic, minced
      3/4 teaspoon cayenne – adjust more or less depending on spice tolerance
      1 cup fat free sour cream
      1/2 cup chicken broth
      3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
      salt and pepper to taste

      Fettucine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

      1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.
      2. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute red bell peppers, onions and garlic for 3 – 5 minutes.
      3. Stir in broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cheese.
      4. Toss pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.


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      LA Burger

      I came across this burger in Food Network’s magazine and just had to make it. For those of you that don’t subscribe to Food Network’s magazine, I suggest you do – everything I’ve made from there has been absolutely fabulous.

      LA Burger

      LA Burger
      serves 4

      4 hamburger buns
      4 hamburger patties, store-bought or homemade
      1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped
      4 slices extra sharp cheddar cheese
      2 Haas avocadoes, chopped
      1 jalepeno, minced
      1 lime, juiced
      1/2 small onion, diced
      Salt and pepper to taste
      Ketchup or tomato slices

      1. Grill the burgers to your liking and melt the cheddar on top.
      2. To prepare the guacamole topping: combine the avocados, jalapeno, lime juice, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mash until well mixed.
      3. To assemble the burger: place 1 hamburger patty with cheese onto the bottom bun. Top with ketchup (or a tomato slice), guacamole, and watercress. Place on top bun and enjoy!


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      Greek Chicken Pasta

      This is Mike’s favorite dish ever. He is always asking me to make it. I’ve made this so many times I don’t even need the recipe any more. Lucky for him, the recipe makes a huge amount of food. Unlucky for his stomach, he eats all of it in 48 hours.

      Greek chicken pasta

      Greek Chicken Pasta
      adapted from allrecipes.com

      1 pound uncooked penne, fusilli or any other short pasta
      1 tablespoon olive oil
      2 cloves garlic, crushed
      1 red onion, chopped
      1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat, cut into bite-size pieces
      1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
      2 large tomatoes, chopped
      1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
      3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
      2 tablespoons lemon juice
      2 teaspoons dried oregano

      1. Cook pasta according to directions.
      2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 5 to 6 minutes.
      3. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and cooked pasta. Stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.


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      Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn

      This was my first time cooking with quinoa. It was surprisingly good and this meal was so easy to make! The quinoa was served with some chicken on the side.

      Quinoa with black beans and corn

      Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn

      1 teaspoon vegetable oil
      1 medium onion, chopped
      3 cloves of garlic, chopped
      1 cup uncooked quinoa
      2 cups vegetable broth
      1 teaspoon ground cumin
      1/2 teaspoon cayenne (you can add more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
      1 cup frozen corn
      2 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
      1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

      1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Season the onions with the cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
      2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
      3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes or until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

      If you’re wondering what to do with all that extra cilantro, try this cilantro dip!


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      Pasta with Asparagus

      I love buying produce from the farmers’ market and the market is located only blocks from my apartment. I loved this dish so much that I made it several times over the course of 2 weeks. Thank goodness I have a tolerant boyfriend…

      asparagus

      Pasta with Asparagus

      1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces, using only the tips and tender parts of the stem
      1 lb dried pasta
      5 tbsp unsalted butter
      1/2 tbsp finely chopped onion
      1/2 cup heavy cream
      nutmeg, salt, and black pepper
      2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, plus additional to serve

      pasta with asparagus

      1. Cook asparagus in a pan of boiling, salted water until just tender – about 3 – 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water until completely cooled. Drain and reserve.
      2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until al dente.
      3. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat, until soft, 5 minutes.
      4. Add asparagus and cream and simmer gently until the cream is just thickened, 1 – 2 minutes.
      5. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
      6. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta with Parmesan to the hot sauce and toss gently, adding reserved water as needed.
      7. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.


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      Lemon, Basil and Marscapone Pasta

      This pasta dish is cheap, quick and refreshing. It’s great for when you’re a super-busy student 🙂

      lemon basil marscapone pasta

      Lemon, Basil and Marscapone Pasta

      1 lb dried pasta
      5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
      1 tsp grated lemon zest
      1 cup marscapone
      salt and black pepper
      1 handful torn fresh basil

      1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until al dente.
      2. While pasta is cooking, place the marscapone, with 2 – 3 tablespoons of pasta water, in a skillet over medium-low heat. When the marscapone is melted and smooth, slowly add in the lemon juice an zest. Warm gently, stirring constantly, until heated through – about 4 minutes.
      3. Salt and pepper to taste.
      4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta and basil to the sauce and toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed.