DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert


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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.


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Deep Chocolate Brownies

I stumbled across this recipe for these decadent looking brownies. Making these was added on to my long to-do list. When I finally got a chance to bake, the only grocery store I have within walking distance was out of bittersweet chocolate. However, I discovered about 2 weeks later that Trader Joe’s has bittersweet chocolate for pretty dang cheap.

A few minor additions and a couple hours later, out of the oven came the best brownies I have ever had.

deep chocolate brownies

Deep Chocolate Brownies
adapted from epicurious.com

2 sticks unsalted butter
8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup chopped nuts – I used pecans

  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. Butter and dust a 13 x 9 in baking pan with cocoa powder.
  3. Melt butter and chocolate in a 3 qt. heavy saucepan over low heat, whisking, until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs one at a time until the mixture is glossy and smooth.
  4. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt and then whisk into chocolate mixture until combined. Fold the chopped chocolate and nuts in.
  5. Spread into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with gooey crumbs, about 30 minutes.
  6. Cool completely and store for 24 hours before slicing.

I know that the last step is hard because these brownies look (and smell) amazing. But, trust me – the longer they sit, the better they taste!


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Crumb-Topped Rhubarb

The massive amount of rhubarb I get when I go home during the occasional weekend is overwhelming. There is only so much pie a girl can make (and eat)… and force others to eat. I decided to whip up something new! This was so incredibly easy to make and it tasted amazing, too!

crumb topped rhubarb

Crumb-Topped Rhubarb

4 cups diced fresh rhubarb
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the topping-
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats
6 tablespoons butter, softened

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Spoon into a greased 9×9 in baking dish and set aside.
  3. Combine the flour, brown sugar and oats in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb mixture.
  4. Bake for 40 minutes or until light brown and bubbly.


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Soy-Mirin Tofu Over Rice with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce

I stumbled across this recipe at VeganYumYum and just had to make it. I love tofu and am up for making just about anything that involves it! An added plus – this meal was insanely easy to prepare!

soy mirin tofu

Soy-Mirin Tofu Over Rice with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
from VeganYumYum

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into small squares
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin
1 head of broccoli, steamed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
Peanuts, crushed (optional)
1 cup dry brown rice

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water (or coconut milk if you have it!)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili oil
Pinch of salt

  1. Start cooking your rice. Mix sauce ingredients until smooth and set aside.
  2. Pan fry tofu in the oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Drain and return to hot pan (turn off the heat). Mix soy sauce and mirin together and pour over tofu, mixing well. It will bubble up and form a light glaze.
  3. Plate rice, add broccoli, tofu, carrot, and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Note: if you don’t have mirin, use a combination of cooking wine and sugar.


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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

With summer comes a plethora of rhubarb. Mike’s family, my family and the farmers’ market are my sources. This was my first attempt at making a pie from scratch, crust and all. The results are not visually pleasing, but trust me – it tasted wonderful.

Strawberry rhubarb pie filling

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
adapted from epicurious.com

For crust

3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
10 tablespoons (about) ice water

For filling

3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch-thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed)
1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

  1. Make the crust: combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter until coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tablespoons at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)
  2. Make filling: preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.
  3. Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4-inch overhang.Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Cut into fourteen 1/2-inch-wide strips.
  4. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evenly. Form lattice by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhang of bottom crust. Fold strip ends and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.
  5. Brush glaze over crust. transfer pie to baking sheet.
  6. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.


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Coconut Cupcakes

My roommate, Isabel, and I were going to make a coconut cake using fresh coconut but our coconut was… fermented. So then we decided to make coconut cake using store-bought sweetened coconut; but, then we forgot to put the coconut milk in to the cake so we just made normal vanilla cupcakes instead and topped them off with some toasted coconut.

The cake recipe is Paula Deen’s 1-2-3-4 cake recipe and the frosting is her 7 minute frosting.

coconut cupcakes

1-2-3-4 Cupcakes
yields 24 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
  3. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done.
  4. Cool completely and then frost with 7 Minute Frosting (recipe below).

7 Minute Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  1. Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed for 1 minute.
  2. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy).
  3. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Toasted Coconut

Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut out in a thin layer. Toast for 2 minutes and then in 1 minute intervals until lightly browned.

Assembly

Frost cooled cupcakes and then sprinkle with toasted coconut.



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Soba with Shiitake and Cabbage

A venture into something I’ve never tried cooking before – soba noodles! This was surprisingly good. I bought the soba at an Asian grocery store; if you can’t find them, spaghetti will probably work. However, they will have a different taste.

soba with shiitake and cabbage

Soba with Shiitake and Cabbage

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
5 tsp gochujang
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 lb dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles – you can find them in an Asian grocery store)
1 lb shiitake mushrooms
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 inch of fresh ginger, minced

  1. Combine water, soy sauce, brown sugar and gochjang together until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Prepare pasta as directed.
  3. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet until hot. Take the pan off the heat and then add in the ginger and garlic. Return to heat and add in sliced mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 – 7 minutes or until the mushrooms turn a darker brown color.
  4. Add cabbage, carrot and green onion, and saute until veggies become crisp-tender. Add the sauce and mix thoroughly, until heated through.
  5. Add cooked noodles to the vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds for garnish. Serve immediately.


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Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta

I am a huge fan of cheese, so it’s very fortunate that I live in  Wisconsin where I am surrounded by it. This is a quick, delicious pasta dish that I don’t think I will ever get sick of!

tomato and goat cheese pasta

Tomato and Goat Cheese Pasta
serves 4

1 lb of dried pasta, any kind. I used cavatappi.
Container of cherry (or grape) tomatoes
1 small – medium sized block of goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 a bunch of parsley, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

  1. Cook the pasta according to directions on the package.
  2. Drain (reserve some pasta water) and then add the tomatoes, goat cheese, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste). If too dry, add some of the pasta water.
  3. Serve and enjoy!


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Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but everyone else in the world seems to be. So, here’s my gift to the rest of the world.

chocolate chunk cookie dough

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
makes 30 cookies

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chunks (I used Baker’s)
1/2 cup walnuts, optional

chocolate chunk cookies

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Melt the 8 ounces of roughly chopped chocolate with the 4 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Be careful not to burn it. I did about 5 intervals of 20 seconds.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Mix on high for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick and glossy.
  4. Mix in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just blended. Stir in the 12 ounces of chocolate chunks and walnuts. Let the mixture sit for about ten minutes.
  5. Use a cookie scoop (about 1.5″ in diameter) to scoop the dough onto buttered baking sheets about 3 inches apart. I put 9 cookies onto each sheet just to be safe.
  6. Bake for 13 minutes. Do not overbake!! You don’t want the middle of the cookie to harden.
  7. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes and then place onto a cooling rack.