DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Category Archives: Vegetarian & Vegan


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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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Guacamole

Avocados were on sale at the grocery store and I just couldn’t pass up the chance to make some guacamole. We devoured the entire thing in about 3 days using Manny’s Tortilla Strips (the absolute best) as the mode of transportation to get from the bowl to our mouths. Soooooo good! Maybe next time I’ll actually get around to making some Mexican food to go with it.

Guacamole

Best Guacamole

4 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4  pinch ground cayenne pepper

  1. In a medium bowl, mash together avocadoes, lime juice and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic and cayenne. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.


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Beer and Cheese Soup

What comes to mind when you think of Wisconsin? Beer. Cheese.  More beer. What better way to celebrate Wisconsin than with this beer and cheese soup? Mike absolutely loved it. I didn’t like it as much, but I’m not a fan of beer so that’s no surprise.

Make this with Wisconsin cheese and beer for bonus points 😉

Beer & Cheese Soup

Beer and Cheese Soup
serves 2

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large potatoes, diced and separated
1 cup chicken broth
1 12. oz beer
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
sour cream

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
  2. Add 1 diced potato and brown 8 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the beer and chicken broth and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  3. Cook remaining potato in a separate small pot.
  4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika and vinegar. Add cheese and blend until smooth. Turn heat to low and stir in the second diced potato.
  5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.


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Vietnamese Lemongrass Green Beans and Tofu

I made this mid-summer and never got around to posting it, so I figured I would do it now. I had gone to the farmers’ market and gotten 2 pounds of green beans, with no idea what I wanted to use them for. They sat in my fridge for days before I decided to hit the internet. I scoured it for dishes that contained ingredients that I have never used before and stumbled across this one on Herbivoracious. I decided to give it a try. Mike and I both liked it a lot (he liked it more than I did) but it was just too much work! I don’t think I’ll be making this again any time soon since I simply don’t have the time to do this, but I will probably try it again next summer.

Lemongrass green beans and tofu

Vietnamese Lemongrass Green Beans and Tofu
from Herbivoracious

1 pound extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger (a microplane is ideal for this)
2 stalks of lemongrass (prepared as described below)
fresh chili peppers of your choice, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
salt
black pepper

Chilis, lemon grass, ginger, garlic

  1. In a large skillet or wok over maximum heat, fry the tofu in about half of the oil until it is crispy and brown, stirring occasionally. Remove to paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
    Tofu
  2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, along with the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and chilis. Fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green beans and toss thoroughly. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until somewhat tender and nice brown spots are developing. If necessary, you can add a bit of water and cover the pan for a couple of minutes to steam them. (Or pre-microwave for 3-4 minutes first – this can be a really helpful technique).
    Green beans
  3. Add the tofu back in, along with the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir, taste and make any final seasoning adjustments, and serve.
    Green beans and tofu

To prepare lemongrass:

  1. Remove the tough outer leaves and discard.
  2. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut off the bulb end and discard.
  3. Make thin slices up the stalk starting from the bulb end, and stopping before you cut the last 1/3. Discard the top of the talk.


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Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper Cayenne Sauce

One of my favorite things to do is cook for my friends. I think I get this from my mom who is always finding a reason to throw elaborate dinner parties. I honestly hope that I can one day host parties that impress as many people as she can.

I made this for Mike and a couple of our friends one night for dinner and served it with some crumb-topped rhubarb for dessert.

This dish was very easy to make and so good! People who have a lower spice tolerance won’t find it too spicy and if you can handle the heat, then bring on the cayenne!

Red Bell Peppers

Fettuccine with Sweet Pepper Cayenne Sauce
adapted from allrecipes.com

12 ounces fettuccine
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, julienned
1 large onion, sliced
3 gloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or adjust to taste)
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup fat free sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Fettucine with Sweet Pepper-Cayenne Sauce

  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to directions and drain.
  2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Cook bell peppers and onions for 1 – 2 minutes. Add garlic and cayenne and cook for 3 more minutes.
  3. Stir in broth and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and stir in Parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in sour cream until smooth.
  4. Toss pasta with sauce and serve immediately.


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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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Easy Pasta Salad

As the GRE crept closer and closer, I found myself cooking less and less. Looking back, I can’t even remember what I ate for the past week. The only thing I remember is going to Harvest with Mike for our fourth anniversary.

Now that I’m done with the GRE, I have a little time to enjoy food again… or at least until I start applying to grad school 🙂

This pasta salad is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever made. It’s food like this that keeps me sane when I’m stressed.

Easy Pasta Salad

Easy Pasta Salad

1 pound tri-colored rotini
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup black olives
2 green peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing

  1. Cook pasta according to directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool completely.
  2. Mix mushrooms, olives, green peppers, onion and cucumbers together with the dressing. Stir in the pasta, chill for 2 hours or overnight and serve cold.


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Couscous Salad

When it’s hot outside and you have no air conditioning at home, the last thing you want to do is have the stove or oven running for a long period of time. The beauty of this recipe? It takes just minutes to make on the stove, and you can use the microwave if you want! This couscous salad is extremely quick and easy to make and the leftovers taste great!

Couscous Salad

Couscous Salad
serves 8

2 cups couscous
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cucumber, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup feta, crumbled
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil the water with the butter and salt. Once boiling, add couscous and stir quickly. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork to break up the clumps and set the couscous aside to cool.
2. Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion together in a bowl. Add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, to taste. I used about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
3. Pour the veggies and dressing over the couscous. Stir until evenly coated. Continue to add balsamic vinegar and olive oil as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I love the taste of vinegar and will add copious amounts of it to whatever I’m eating. If you don’t like the taste as much, please feel free to use less of it!!


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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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Cilantro Dip

I had a bunch of cilantro left over after making the quinoa last night, so I made this dip. It’s really refreshing and super tasty. That’s saying a lot since I’m not the biggest fan of cilantro!I served this with tortilla chips, but you can try it with whatever you see fit.

Cilantro dip

Cilantro Dip

1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 package neufchatel cheese (1/3 fat cream cheese) or regular cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 7 oz can of salsa verde

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.