Tuesday 29 April 2014

A Tale Of Two Pizzas- Pepperoni and Indian Inspired Curry Pizza

 I make two 10x15 inch pizzas for one supper for my family.
Start with one recipe of basic pizza dough. I like to make the dough the night before I make the pizzas. The dough will rise slowly in the fridge. It will be perfect after rising in the fridge in about 24 hours. ( the times are flexible, anywhere from 10-24 hrs in the fridge or 1-1.5 hours at room temperature should be good, the dough should have doubled in size)
Remove the dough from the fridge for 30-60 minutes. It should warm up a bit before it does in the pan.





Place the dough into the pan and deflate it. Gently press it out to the sides being careful not to tear it. Be patient, eventually it will reach out to the corners.







Pepperoni Pizza


Now that the dough is in the pan lets work on one pizza at a time. First the pepperoni. My boys are purists. They like their pizza rather plain.

Mix one small can of tomato sauce with 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp oregano.
Spread the tomato sauce on the dough. Cover the entire surface.










Lay slices of pepperoni on top of sauce.














Cover with grated mozzarella cheese.

That is all that my kids like on their pizza. You can add whatever your family likes.










They adore pizza for breakfast. We usually have leftovers.
Watch me make it on YouTube








Indian Inspired Curry Pizza


Now for the grown-ups pizza.


Combine 1 cup of prepared butter chicken sauce, half of a can of coconut milk and one tsp honey.












Spread the curry sauce over the dough.









Put chopped onion, chopped green pepper, pineapple, fresh baby spinach, banana pepper rings, grated cheddar and grated mozzarella cheese.

We kept our pizza vegetarian, you may add cooked chicken if you would like.

Place pizzas in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the crust has browned lightly.






Sooooo tasty!











Pepperoni and Indian Inspired Curry Pizza


Pepperoni Pizza
One half recipe basic pizza dough
213 mls tomato sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
100 grams sliced pepperoni
3 cups grated mozzarella

Combine tomato sauce, garlic powder, and oregano. Press dough into a 10x15 inch sheet pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce mixture over dough. Lay pepperoni slices over tomato sauce. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30, until cheese is golden and dough is lightly browned.

Indian Inspired Curry Pizza
One half recipe basic pizza dough
1 cup butter chicken sauce(like pataks brand)
1/2 can coconut milk(combine the solid bits with the liquid)
1 tsp honey
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup chopped pineapple (I used fresh, you can used canned as well)
1/2 cup banana pepper slices (use more or less, depending in your families tastes)
2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated cheddar

Combine butter chicken sauce, coconut milk and honey. Press dough into a 10x15 inch sheet pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread curry sauce over dough. Layer with vegetables. Top with cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minute, until cheese is golden and dough is lightly browned.


Wednesday 23 April 2014

Grilled Bruschetta Portabella Mushrooms


My family loves these mushrooms. I only make them when I can use my barbeque. There are only a few ingredients, but WOW do they have flavour! This dish appeals to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The mushrooms are very 'meaty' and remind me of steak. If you would prefer to make vegan mushrooms, see the suggestion at the bottom of the recipe.

There are only a few ingredients. Using the best quality vinegar and oil will take this dish to another level.



Start with 6 large portobella mushroom caps. Brush the dirt off with a dry paper towel. If they are very dirty you can run them under water very briefly. Mushrooms are like sponges and will absorb any liquid that they come in contact with.
Break the stems off and scoop the gills out with a spoon.
You will have created a nice little cavity in which to put the stuffing.
Combine the marinade ingredients. Spoon the marinade over each side of the mushroom. Salt and pepper both sides. Let them sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours(the time in the marinade is flexible, just make sure they sit for a minimum of 30 minutes)






Combine the stuffing ingredients. Crumbs, tomato, onion, parsley, garlic, parmesan cheese, fresh bread crumbs and melted butter.












Spoon stuffing into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with a bit of parmesan cheese.












Grill for 15 minutes on a medium grill. Until the mushrooms are softened and the tops are slightly browned.













Enjoy this absolutely delicious dish.













My son asked me to include this picture of him enjoying the mushrooms to prove that kids also like this dish.



Watch me make it on Youtube




Grilled Bruschetta Portabella Mushrooms
4-6 large portabella mushroom caps

Marinade

  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • !/4 cup good quality olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano


salt and pepper both sides of the mushroom

Stuffing

  • 3 or 4 cups of fresh bread crumbs. Depending on the size of the mushrooms. I used four cups for the six mushrooms that I made.
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 3 tbsp parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling the top
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
If you would like this dish to be vegan, replace the cheese with nutritional yeast and the butter with vegan margarine.