Homemade Pizza! Yummy! I bloody Love it! I'll say no more... just DO IT! DO IT!!!
The recipe below makes enough dough for 2 large pizzas & enough sauce for 3-4 pizzas. I took the dough recipe from Sophie Grigson's 'First Time Cook' - a really great book for all the basics! While it may look very long winded, and a lot of work, it really isn't. The dough & sauce can be made in advance, & just put together when needed.
Method: Sieve the Flour & Salt into a bowl. Stir in the granulated Yeast & make a well in the centre. Pour the olive oil into the well. Add approx 100mls of the water to the well. With a pallet knife or a rounded kitchen knife, stir the liquid into the flour mixture gently. Then use your hands to mix it further. Add some more water, just enough to make a soft & slightly sticky dough. Place on a floured surface & gently knead until smooth, for a good 10 minutes. Roll into a ball & place in a clean, large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film, and leave the dough to rise in a warm place, until it has doubled in size. This can take an hour or so.
In the meantime, you can make your pizza sauce...and preheat the oven to about 200 - 220 degrees (depending on how crispy you like your pizza base)
Sauce Ingredients: 400g tin of chopped tomatoes Pinch of Sugar 2 cloves Garlic, chopped 1 small Onion, chopped 1/2 mild Red Chilli 1 Bay leaf Small bunch Parlsey 1 sprig Thyme Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Method: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan, and place over a low heat for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the thyme & the bay leaf, and blend quickly with a hand-held blender. Easy peasy!
When the dough has doubled in size, place on a floured surface once again. And then the fun part... literally punch all the air out of it! Once you have relieved all your frustration on the dough, knead again for about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 2 even sized pieces, and roll with a rolling pin until nice and flat. Place on a baking tray or pizza tray, and spread some of your pizza sauce on top. Then add whatever toppings you fancy... top with fresh mozzarella & pop in the oven for about 10 minutes.
I promise you will not be disappointed! A delicious, healthy snack or dinner.
So I opened the fridge after a week away & expected to find very little there, as the hubby had been home alone. WRONG! I was met by literally millions of carrots... Ok, well maybe not millions, but definitely 40 anyway! God knows what possessed him to go on the carrot buying spree, but more importantly what in the name of god was I going to do with them??!! It had to be either carrot cake or carrot soup. The guilt got the better of me, and the healthy, low fat option won out. It's not all that exciting I know, but it is damn tasty and fierce good for you! :) Makes 6-8 bowls.
Ingredients: 700g Carrots, peeled & chopped 1 large Potato, diced 1 large Onion, diced 2 sticks of Celery, chopped 2 cloves of Garlic, chopped 1small handful of Corriander, chopped 1/2 a large Red Chilli 1 cube of Vegetable Stock 1 litre of boiling Water 2 tablespoons Olive Oil Salt Pepper
Method: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic & celery and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the chilli, potato and carrots, & fry for another 3-4 minutes. Dissolve the stock cube in approx 1 litre of boiling water, and to the saucepan. Reduce the mixture to a low heat, and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Add the corriander, and season with salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. Add some more water if it is too thick. Serve with crusty bread! Easy peasy! Once the soup cools, it can be put into plastic containers & frozen.
This morning, in honour of my good friend Annette's visit, I made some scones. The last time I made scones, I used the recipe from Darina Allen's 'Forgotten Skills of Cooking'. While Darina can do no wrong in my eyes & they were very nice, they weren't as light as I would've liked. This time, I tried the recipe from the 'Avoca Cafè Cookbook'. And I was fairly chuffed with the result... as was Annette I'm glad to say! These aren't for those who are watching the cholesterol or who on a diet... but my god, they are very good for the soul :)
Ingredients:
450g/1lb Self-Raising Flour A pinch of Baking Powder A pinch of Salt 50g/2oz Caster Sugar 50g/2oz of Raisins (optional) 110g/4oz Unsalted Butter, diced 1 egg, lightly beaten 50ml/2fl oz Double Cream 200ml/7fl oz milk 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, to glaze
To Serve: Whipped Cream Your favourite Jam Butter A piping hot cup of Coffee or Tea...
Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Sift the flour, baking powder & salt into a bowl and stir in the sugar. If using raisins, add in at this stage. Using your fingertips, lightly work in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg, cream and some of the milk to moisten. Instead of double cream, I used single cream & I did not need all of the milk - just 150mls approx. Mix well, until the mixture has a soft, doughy texture. It should not be sticky or too moist. Gather the dough into a ball, and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll it lightly with a rolling pin to 2.5cm or I inch thick. Cut out with a round cutter or cup,place on a greased baking tray & brush the tops with the egg glaze. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire tray. Serve while still warm, with butter, jam & cream & a cup of something hot!
Sauce Ingredients:
