DoughSeeDough

a balanced plate with room for dessert

Tag Archives: vegetables


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Blueberry Pancakes

I’m not a huge fan of pancakes, but I have one exception – made from scratch blueberry pancakes. Not plain, not chocolate chip, not pumpkin, not any other flavor you can imagine. Blueberry. Only blueberry.

So, here you go – from scratch blueberry pancakes that couldn’t be easier to make. Trust me, I wouldn’t spend time making breakfast if it took a long time. I don’t have enough patience or energy in the morning to cook up anything complicated.

Blueberry Pancakes
makes 10
adapted from allrecipes.com

3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and dried
cooking spray

  1. Combine milk with vinegar in a large bowl and let sit for 5 minutes to “sour”.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk egg and butter into soured milk.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are just gone.
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet and immediately sprinkle some blueberries onto the pancake. I used about 4 – 7 per pancake.
  6. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side.


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Back With a Kick – Caffeinated Doughnuts!

It’s been a long long long time since my last update. The rest of my senior year was a whirlwind and it was gone before I knew it. The wedding is slowly creeping up on us and there is so much left to do. I thought life would be a little less busy post-graduation, but I guess not!

As an apology for my hiatus, I give you caffeinated doughnuts. Jared, a friend of mine, came up with this idea and we brought it to life during spring break. We made a few without the caffeine – if you choose to do so, omit the caffeine pills and powdered sugar from the glaze.

Caffeinated Doughnuts
adapted from allrecipes.com

For the doughnuts:
2 .25 ounce packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 quart vegetable oil

For the glaze:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 caffeine pills (like NoDoz), crushed to a fine powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar, or to taste

  1. Place warm water in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Mix together the yeast, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of flour in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
  3. Mix in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
  4. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover. Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled in size.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out until 1/2 in thick. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter*. Cover with a cloth and let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double.
  6. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. Mix in butter and  corn syrup until smooth. Whisk in powdered sugar and crushed caffeine pills and add vanilla. Taste – if it’s too bitter, add more sugar.
  7. Heat oil in a large pot to 350F. Carefully place doughnuts into the oil. Turn the doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a wire rack. Dip in glaze while still hot and allow to cool completely on wire rack.

*Note: if you do not have a doughnut cutter, use whatever else you may have around the house! When we did this, we used a glass to cut out the doughnut and then used a shot glass to cut out the hole.


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Stuffed Bell Peppers – with Venison!

These stuffed bell peppers went from good to great with the addition of venison! Mike got a deer this year and we have so much venison now! Though there are a lot of venison recipes out there, I’ve been trying to think of ways to incorporate it into unexpected places. The ground venison is perfect for that since it is easy to cook with! I’ve already put it into pasta sauce and now I’ve tried it in stuffed peppers, too! Both had really tasty results.

Stuffed Bell Peppers
serves 2

1 cup cooked white or brown rice
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1/2 pound ground venison
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  2. Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes or until tender and skin starts to brown.
  3. While the peppers are roasting, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the green onions, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in ground venison and cook until browned.
  4. Spoon in the cooked rice, tomatoes, and the remainder of the green onions and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, mix in the feta cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.
  5. Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


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Sweet and Sour Pork

I originally made this dish in my Food Science lab during fall semester using seitan, a meat substitute. The entire lab was really interesting, since it was based on using meat-substitutes. We used tofu, seitan, tempeh, and beans to make a huge variety of delicious dishes. This one was my favorite, and I decided to recreate it at home. While I enjoyed the seitan, I opted to use pork, since that was what I had on hand. Since then, I have also made this dish with chicken – both are very good!

Sweet and Sour Pork
serves 4

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound pork chops, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bell pepper, cut in strips
1 large onion, chopped
1 20 ounce can pineapple chunks with juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in the pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir until thickened. Mix in pineapple chunks just before serving.
  3. Serve with white or brown rice.


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Apple Crisp

Apple crisps are tricky. They almost always look and smell great, but only sometimes taste good too. It’s hard to find the right balance between tart and sweet; more times than not I think an apple crisp is too sweet. This recipe, however, is a perfect match of the sourness of Granny Smith apples and the sweetness of the sugar.

Apple Crisp

10 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup water

2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, cubed

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F .
  2. Mix sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Pour in apples and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a 9×13 inch pan and pour water on top.
  3. Combine the oats, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda together. Cut in butter until crumbly and sprinkle over the apple mixture.
  4. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.


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Vegetable Cream Cheese

My friend dropped off a bag of delicious bagels the other day and so I decided to make some vegetable cream cheese to go with it! I’m pretty happy with the result. If you like store-bought vegetable cream cheese, I suggest you whip up this homemade version – it’s so much better!

Vegetable Cream Cheese

Vegetable Cream Cheese

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

  1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are in small chunks.
  2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.


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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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Sauerbraten and Spaetzle

I stumbled across this recipe in the October issue of Food Network magazine. I’ve never had sauerbraten or spaetzle before, so I decided to give it a try since I love eating new things. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I made it for myself, Mike and my friend Ashley and I think we all agreed that the meal was not just good, it was wonderful.

Though the recipe was time-consuming, I have no regrets making it. I would suggest that you prep the meat on a Thursday night so that you can cook it Sunday. I prepped it on Friday and made it Monday and between classes and meetings, I was stressed out about this meal! One bite of it completely calmed me down and made me realize that it was worth every minute I put into it, though!

Sauerbraten and Spaetzle

Sauerbraten
serves 4 – 6

3 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 large onions, cut into large chunks
5 cloves garlic; 3 crushed, 2 chopped
10 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tablespoon chopped leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon juniper berries (spice aisle)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1 3-4 pound boneless beef top chuck roast
Kosher salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon crushed gingersnap cookies
Freshly ground pepper
Sour cream and fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Spaetzle, for serving

  1. Combine 2 cups broth, wine, vinegar, 1 chopped onion, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Place the beef in a large resealable bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 3 days, turning daily.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry. Season with kosher salt on all sides. Strain the marinade, discarding the solids.
  3. Heat a large ovenproof pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 10 – 12 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add carrots, celery and remaining onion to the pot and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and chopped thyme and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Stir in strained marinade and remaining 1 cup beef broth and bring to a simmer.
  4. Return meat to pot, cover and cook in the oven until tender , 2 hours and 3o minutes.
  5. Remove meat and transfer to a plate. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in gingersnaps and simmer until thickened; season with salt and pepper.
  6. Thinly slice the meat and serve with spaetzle, the vegetables, and sauce. Garnish with parsley and sour cream, if desired.

Spaetzle

Spaetzle
serves 4 – 6

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons melted
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

  1. Mix flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in up to 1 cup water to make a smooth dough. Beat with a wooden spoon until bubbles form and then stir in melted butter.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Place about 1 cup of dough in a colander with large holes. Using a rubber spatula, push dough through the holes and into the boiling water. Cook for about 1 minute after the spaetzle float to the surface and then transfer with a slotted spoon to another colander. Repeat with remaining dough. Rinse spaetzle with cold water if not serving immediately.
  3. Before serving, sauté the spaetzle in a skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until warmed through. Season with pepper and garnish with parsley.

Tip: I used a metal colander that was part of my large stock pot to do this. Mike and I found that it was easier to push the dough through a metal colander versus a plastic one. We also used a wooden spoon on the metal since it was sturdier than a rubber spatula.


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Yakisoba Chicken

Yes, I am still alive, although my lack of posts contradicts this fact… Looking back though, I can’t really remember what I’ve eaten. That’s probably because I haven’t eaten any substantial meals. The reason? Well, school started and, as always, I am way too busy aaaaaaand – Mike and I got a puppy!

His name is Ripley and although he is the most time-consuming thing in my life, I wouldn’t trade him for anything.

To make up for lost time, I present to you Yakisoba Chicken. I had a package of soba noodles leftover and I had no idea what to do with them. I went to allrecipes.com and searched by ingredient and this recipe sounded too good to pass up.

Yakisoba chicken

Yakisoba Chicken
from allrecipes.com

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons chile paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 n, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained

  1. In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.
  2. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!


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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.