DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Tag Archives: onion


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Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Explosion of flavor. Seriously. I had no idea that so much awesomeness could exist on a pizza.

This pie was definitely a labor of love. I spent all day making the pizza sauce and the crust and then carefully topping everything so that it was just right. And even though it took a while to make, I am definitely going to be making it again! Perhaps I’ll skip the canned tomatoes and use tomatoes from the garden (if they ever decide to ripen)…

I seriously don’t even know how to explain the sweetness of the pizza sauce paired with the tangy goat cheese and sweet, caramelized onions… so, just try it for yourself!

Short on time? No problem – feel free to use some pizza dough mix to speed up the process. I would definitely recommend making the sauce, though; it’s super quick and easy.

Here are some tips:

Make sure to pierce the dough all over with a fork. Alllll over. And then bake for 5 minutes to prevent it from getting all soggy later.

Make the sauce from scratch! It’s super easy and it tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

Pizza dough (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cups pizza sauce (see recipe below)
4 ounces goat cheese
1 large bulb roasted garlic, mashed with a fork
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Basil chiffonade, optional

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes, or until onions are caramelized. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar. Set onions aside.
  3. Roll out pizza dough into a rectangle approximately 12″x17″. Brush crust lightly with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes to slightly crisp up.
  4. Spread pizza sauce on the crust. Sprinkle with roasted garlic and caramelized onions. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
  5. Bake until crust is golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and top with a basil chiffonade.
Pizza Dough
makes 1 large pizza
3 cups all purpose flour
1 .25 ounce package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water (~110°F)
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Fit stand mixer with dough hook. Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in mixing bowl. Pour in oil and water.
  3. Beat on low (speed 2) until dough pulls away from side of bowl and gathers around hook. Mix until smooth and elastic.
  4. Roll dough out to fit large pizza pan and pierce with a fork. Brush with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes before topping with desired ingredients.
  5. Bake at 375°F for about 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crispy.
Pizza Sauce
makes 1 1/2 cups sauce
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
6 fluid ounces water
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together, breaking up any clumps of cheese.
  2. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight before using.
adapted from allrecipes.com


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Tangy Coleslaw

This was the perfect side to serve with the pulled pork sandwiches. The best part? Leftovers are even better. That’s right folks, make this coleslaw, stick it in the fridge and give it a few days to rest before you start shoveling it into your mouth.

Don’t like coleslaw? That’s ok. Make a batch and send it to me. I’ll take care of it!

Tangy Coleslaw

1 medium head cabbage, shredded
1 large red onion, diced
3 large carrots, grated
1 cup chopped celery, about 2 – 3 large stalks
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

  1.  Combine vinegar, oil, mustard, salt and pepper in small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine cabbage, onion, carrots and celery in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and stir well to mix.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours or more before serving.


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Greek Pasta Salad

Yum.

This pasta salad is one of my faves. It’s quick and easy and completely from scratch. That’s right folks, no bottled salad dressing over here. I think the hardest part of this was using a Swiss Army knife to open the can of olives…

One day we will find our can openers. I refuse to buy another one because I’m pretty sure we have at least 2, maybe even 3, lurking in some unpacked boxes. Until then, we’ll have to rely on good ol’ Mr. Swiss.

Greek Pasta Salad

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound short pasta of choice, cooked and drained
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 ounce can whole black olives, drained and rinsed

  1. Whisk together olive oil, vinegars, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta and vegetables. Pour dressing over top, mixing thoroughly.
  3. Cover and refrigerate several hours, or overnight if possible.
  4. Sprinkle with feta right before serving.


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Sweet and Spicy Chicken

I love spicy foods and I’ve found out that my spice tolerance is a lot higher than 99% of the people I know. That said, I try to stay away from making spicy dishes since I”m a horrible judge of spice levels. What I think is medium spiciness ends up being a light-a-normal-person’s-mouth-on-fire spiciness. Oops.

This dish turned out to be a tolerable amount of spice for Mike, though. At least I think it was. I mean, he wasn’t chugging down glasses of water, so that’s a good sign, right?

That said, if you’re not so good with heat, use a little less ginger and Sriracha. I served this dish with some steamed rice and some vegetables. It was a quick, filling meal and clean up was a breeze. Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken
serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2 inch strips
whole wheat flour
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced

  1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge in flour. Spray pan with cooking spray and cook chicken until lightly browned on all sides. Add in onions and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, Sriracha, ginger and garlic. Pour into pan with chicken and lower heat to medium. Cook until sauce has reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with rice.


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Pepper Chicken

There was a Chinese restaurant in Madison that had this pepper chicken that I loved. It was spicy and I loved that the chicken wasn’t fried.  I haven’t had luck finding a comparable pepper chicken in Appleton, WI. So, I decided to make my own.

It turned out pretty darn well and I know for a fact that I will never pay a restaurant to make this for me. I loved that I could make it as (not) greasy and spicy as I wanted.

Pepper Chicken
serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
black pepper
white pepper
salt

  1. Marinate chicken in soy sauce for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat up oil in large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until aromatic. Add green bell pepper and jalapeño. Cook for 2 minutes and add in chicken strips with soy sauce. Season liberally with black and white pepper, until desired  level of spiciness is reached.* Cook until chicken is cooked through.
  3. Serve immediately with steamed rice.


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Spinach and Feta Pasta

This dish is really similar to the penne dish I posted about last Monday here. The taste was completely different though. Funny how a switch in cheese and a couple additional ingredients can make such a big difference, huh?

Spinach and Feta Pasta

8 ounces whole wheat pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Heat oil in large pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until onions are translucent.
  3.  Stir in tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Stir in spinach until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  4. Mix with cooked pasta and top with feta cheese.


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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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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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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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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.