This is my last meat posting for a while. We don't normally eat that much meat in our house, so this week was surely the exception.  As I will soon be going away for a while, I wanted to make sure I had tried out all of the meat products sent to me by Westin Gourmet before I go.  I still have some steaks to try out, but I'm going to be taking a bread from meat this weekend and my next post should have some tasty Easter Goodies for you to eyeball and maybe even bake this weekend!

 

One of the things I was sent was Veal Meatballs.   I avoided veal for many years, having seen film on the telly of  veal calves being force fed, etc.  and spending the whole of their short lives tied up in a very small space . . . it just wasn't something I wanted a part of or to support in any way.

From the Westin Gourmet page:

Our High Welfare British grain fed veal has a subtle yet sublime flavour and a healthy pale pink colour which is indicative of high welfare veal. High in protein, low in calories and very low in fat, veal is an extremely healthy choice. 
All of our veal products come from Brookfield Farm in Tarrant Valley in Dorset One of the UK's leading ethical veal producers, they recently won the Sourcing Honours Award for their High Welfare English Veal at the Health & Vitality Honours.
Proud owners of a Good Calf Commendation from Compassion in World Farming Brookfield's are committed to sustainable farming and animal welfare so you can be confident that the animal led a happy, healthy life.
The RSPCA are also actively supporting High Welfare British Rose veal production awarding all of our veal products the prestigious Freedom Food Certification.

 

It all sounds pretty good and ethical to me.  I thought about what I was going to do with them for a few days and a few thoughts went through my mind . . . meatball subs, kept coming up to the forefront of my thinking and then I remembered a Meatball Sub Casserole I had made once when my children were growing up and how much they enjoyed it, and then I thought . . . Meatball Sub Pizza!  Why not!  I love pizza!

 

The veal meatballs were tender and delicious.  Not dry, but very moist, and yet, not in the least bit greasy.  In short I felt they would be perfect for what I had in mind.



I used the basic pizza crust that I always make from scratch.  It makes the type of crust that we like, not too thick, not too thin . . . but with a nice crisp edge.



I rolled it out and then baked it for a few minutes before doing anything else to it so that it would not get soggy when I spread it with my special meatball casserole cheese/mayo spread/topping.   I spice it with Italian Seasoning, which can be hard to find over here in the UK, but if you look over in my right hand side bar, about halfway down the page you'll find a great recipe to make your own.

 

After the mayo/cheese spread, I topped the pizza with two kind of cheese and the meatballs evenly spaced on top of the cheese.  I then drizzled each meatball with some of my special pizza sauce and sprinkled the whole thing with some nicely grated Parmesan cheese, and then I popped it into the oven.



The end result was a pizza that was deliciously different and that we both enjoyed a lot!  I am beginning to think that the Toddster actually really does like pizza . . . or maybe I am just wearing him down and he's decided if you can't beat them you just might as well join them!  I do hope you will give this a try, and if you can't get veal meatballs I am sure any meatball would work just fine.  I'm just saying that these Veal Meatballs were spectacularly delicious!

 

I always pick up extra tins of beans and chili when they are on special at the shops.  They make great store cupboard ingredients.  Sometimes its kidney beans, or cannelini, borlotti or chick peas . . . and sometimes it's refried beans.   They always come in handy.

 

Especially these days when our food budget is very tight, and more often than not I find myself looking for an economical and filling meal for the two of us, but also something which is delicious.  These Mexican Pizzas do just that.  It's a great way to make a tin of beans and a tin of chili stretch to feed four people.

 

They're quick to make and are very, very tasty.  I often am able to pick up jars of salsa on special as well.  In any case I always have one or two in the store cupboard, along with pouches of green and black olives, which I also pick up when they are only 99p.

 

I also pick up extra blocks of cheese when they are on special as well.   I throw them into the freezer, which means I also always have an additional source of protein to hand.  Having all these things in my store cupboard means I always have the things I need to throw together a tasty and economical meal at the drop of a hat.



I also make my own tortillas from scratch.  I've been doing it for years.  You will find the recipe below.  It makes more than you will need for this recipe, but they also freeze very well, so that's not a problem and they come in handy for all sorts.



You can use them for wraps, or enchiladas, or soft tacos.   if you don't like to use lard you can use Crisco or White Flora or Trex.  All work well.  I do hope you will give these a try and that you enjoy them as much as we do, and when you do that you come back and let me know!  Of course you could make your own chili con carne, or use leftover chili.   I just wanted you to know that a tin of chili works just as well and is really handy!

 

*Mexican Pizza*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Who wouldn't love an individual Mexican pizza all to themselves, especially when they are this tasty!  (Also very simple to make!)

8 6-inch flour tortillas
1 tin of stag chili con carne
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tin (400g/16oz) tin of refried beans
1/2 to 1 tsp chipolte chili paste (depending on how hot you like it)
1 300g jar of tomato salsa (about 1 cup) divided
3 spring onions, chopped
a handful of green olives, pitted and chopped
a handful of black olives, pitted and chopped
120g of grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
130g of grated Monterrey Jack cheese (1 cup)
shredded lettuce and sour cream to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F. gas mark 6.   Line several large baking trays with foil.  Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the chile and refried beans into a bowl and mash well together along with the garlic and chipolte chili paste.   Place 4 of the tortillas onto the baking trays.  Divide the bean mixture between each and spread over to cover.  Top with the remaining four tortillas, pressing down lightly to stick together.

Bake them in the heated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven.   Spread half of the salsa over top of each pizza, dividing it equally between the four.   Mix the cheeses together and divide this amongst the pizzas as well, sprinkling it over top.  Sprinkle with the spring onions and olives.   Return to the oven for a further 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pizzas are crisp on the edges.

Allow to cool slightly before serving garnished with additional salsa, lettuce and sour cream.  Delicious!

 

*Flour Tortillas*
makes 14 to 16
Printable Recipe

So easy to do and so much tastier then the shop bought ones.

150g of plain flour (1 1/2 cups all purpose)
100g of strong flour (1 cup bread flour)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
110g of lard or white flora (1/2 cup)
250ml hot water (1 cup)

In a large mixing bowl, combine both types of flour, baking powder and salt. Drop 1/2 cup lard by the spoonfuls into flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter, your fingers or a fork, cut lard until it crumbles and is evenly dispersed in the flour. Slowly add the hot water and stir together until mixture sticks to itself. If not quite moist, add 1-2 more tbsp. lard, as needed.

Knead, in the mixing bowl, for 3-5 minutes or until dough forms a ball and becomes less sticky. Cover bowl with tea towel and let rest for 1 hour. Break the dough into 14-16 smaller pieces and roll the pieces into balls. Cover balls of dough for an additional 30 minutes.

 Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll one dough ball at a time into a thin, round tortilla. Make sure the ball is rolled out to be very, very thin. Carefully place onto the hot skillet and cook until bubbly and golden, about 30-40 seconds. Flip the tortilla over and continue cooking until golden on the other side.

Wrap the cooked tortilla in a clean tea towel until ready to eat. Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve immediately or, once completely cool, store in an air-tight bag or container. To warm, wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds or wrap in foil and warm in oven. 

 

I have a husband who declares he does not like Italian food . . . what he really means is he doesn't like pasta or pizza . . . I still haven't been able to convince him that Italians eat a lot more than pasta and pizza.



Me, on the other hand . . . I just adore pasta and pizza.   I treat myself to some every once in a while.  Today though I was able to make a pizza that satisfied my pizza hating husband's appetite, and in face he went back for seconds.



Yes, I do believe I have found a way to get the Toddster to like pizza.    You cover it with mashed potatoes, bacon, onions and cheese.

 

It's kind of like a pastie . . . sorta, but with the filling on the outside.  Well, there isn't cheese in a pastie technically . . . but why quibble about the details.

 

The important thing was he was eating it . . . AND enjoying it!   That was good enough for me!
You take your blessings where you find them.

 

*Potato Pizza*
Makes 8 servings
Printable Recipe

You CAN have both worlds and eat it.   The one way to get my pizza hating hubbie to love pizza.


One 12 inch unbaked pizza crust

For the Potatoes:
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic, crushed
freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
1 pound of bacon lardons, or chopped pancetta
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
6 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces grated mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups)
3 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese

 

Put the potatoes into a saucepan and cover with lightly salted water.  Bring to the boil.  Boil until very tender, then drain well and mash together with the milk, salt, cheese, garlic and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Place the bacon into a large skillet.  Cook until it is partially cooked.  Add the onion and peppers.  Cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crisp and the vegetables are tender.  Drain off any fat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Spread your pizza crust out to a 12 inch circle on a lightly greased pan.  Prick all over the surface with a fork.   Bake for about 15 minutes or until beginning to brown.  Remove from the oven.  Increase the oven temperature to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5.  Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over top of the partially baked crust.  Sprinkle with the bacon and vegetable mixture.  Combine the cheeses and sprinkle them over top of the vegetable mixture.   Bake for 20 minutes, or until well heated through and the crust is nicely browned and the cheese is melted.

Serve warm and cut into wedges.

One of my favourite things to do is to combine different flavours and textures together in unsual ways. I picked up a packet of crumpets at the Spar the other night, thinking we would have some toasted crumpets and jam that night for a late supper in front of the telly.



To make a long story short, it didn't happen . . . so I was sat there looking at this packet of crumpets today . . . and thinking that I needed to do something with them before the expiry date and then I thought why not pizzas???



Why not indeed? Crumpets make the most fabulous pizzas, not the least because they have all those lovely little holes and tunnels in them for the toppings to melt down into. Scrummo! Way scrummo!



Then I started thinking of flavours that go well together . . . I had a block of lovely Stilton cheese in the refrigerator, and some beautiful pears that came in our veggie box yesterday. Pears and stilton go very well together. It's that old favourite combination of sweet and salty, plus a bit of tang.



Then I thought . . . walnuts also go really well with both pears and stilton. so then I had my topping mix. I added a bit of mozzarella just for bit of extra ooooze quality.



I wanted to add something extra though . . . kind of like a dressing and I toyed with the idea of a white balsamic vinaigrette and then I spied a bottle of Acacia honey in the cupboard and thought to myself . . . sage and honey. Sage and honey . . . SAGE HONEY! So I infused the honey with the flavours of some lovely freeze dried sage I keep on hand and drizzled this over the finished pizzas . . . and voila!!



Magnifique! Sweet, savoury, tangy, and crunchy . . . all on a scrummy crumpet!



What more could you ask for????



*Pear, Stilton & Walnut Crumpet Pizzas, with a Drizzle of Sage Honey*
Makes 4 servings as a starter, or a delicious lunch for 2
Printable Recipe

A fabulous mix of flavours and textures that is wonderfully delicious. If you are a fan of salty/sweet and crunchy . . . this is just perfect for you!

4 English Crumpets
175g of Stilton cheese, crumbled (6 ounces)
50g of mozzarella cheese, grated (2 ounces)
50g of chopped walnuts (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 medium firm ripe pear, cored and coarsely chopped

For the Sage honey:
2 heaped dessertspoons of a mild flavoured liquid honey
1 tsp of freeze dried sage leaves

First make the Sage Honey. Put the honey into a microwave safe glass bowl. Stir in the sage leaves. Heat on high for about 40 seconds. Stir again and set aside. Keep warm.

Preheat your oven grill to high. Place the crumpets onto a baking pan. Toast under the grill on both sides until lightly golden brown. While the crumpest are toasting, mix together the cheeses, pear and walnuts. Divide this mixture evenly amongst the four crumpets, piling it loosely on top. Pop back under the grill for several minutes, until the cheeses are melted and the walnuts are beginning to toast.

Remove from the grill. Scoop carefully off onto 4 serving plates if serving as a starter, and 2 plates if serving as a lunch for two. Drizzle evenly with the sage honey and serve immediately.



As you know, my husband and I are Latter Day Saints, and as such we don't drink alcohol, although I am not opposed to cooking with it. I live in Chester, which is the gateway to Wales up here in the North West . . . and I was greatly intrigued several weeks ago when I was contacted by Fine Wines Direct and asked would I like to try some Welsh Wines. I had no idea that they made Wine in Wales. How fascinating.

I told them that I didn't drink wine, but did cook with it from time to time and so I was sent two lovely looking bottles of wine from the Ancre Hill Estates Winery, situated at Ancre Hill on the outskirts of Monmouth, in South East Wales.

The vineyard is comprised of two sites on the outskirts of Monmouth town. The Folly View site of 6 acres is principally planted with Chardonnay and Albario. The newer Town site of 3 acres is totally dedicated to Pinot Noir. Both sites are south facing on well draining, limestone soils and the long hours of sunshine and comparatively low rainfall in the little valley all combine to make it an ideal location for vines.

I was sent a bottle of their Rose Wine (2010) and a bottle of their White (2010). I have not been able to use them yet, unfortunately, but I did want to tell you about this beautiful winery.



Set in the middle of the Wye Valley, an area of outstanding natural beauty, the vineyard is blessed with its own unique meso-climate, surrounded by tree topped hills on all sides, with the famous Brecon Beacons to the north. Being produced in an area of outstanding beauty is not what makes this wine different however, and this is what I found completely fascinating!

Ancre Hill Estates Winery is one of the few wineries in the country to use Biodynamics to help produce their wines. I expect you are wondering just what that is??? So was I . . .

The concept of 'Biodynamic agriculture' was proposed by the philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner through a series of lectures called "The Agriculture Course," held in Koberwitz, Germany between the 7th and 16th of June, 1924. The course provided farmers with an alternative to the ever more industrialised nature of agriculture. Ancre Hill Estates take pride in practice farming which stays true to the principles set out by Steiner, which have been adapted to their Vineyard site for the present day. These are practices which help them to maintain their beautiful piece of Wales and which help them to protect the intregrity of their vines. This means that their wines are chemical free, and that they use natural process to care for their vines. They also plant their vines according to the lunar cycles, which is another thing I found to be quite fascinating.

"The concept of biodynamic agriculture means we don't use any chemicals whatsoever in our process. It means we keep the whole ecology of the area in balance," he says.

The method adheres to the belief that the moon's gravitational pull can cause the seeds to swell and burst at certain times. This factor, coupled with the increasing moonlight, creates balanced root and leaf growth.

"We don't follow the lunar cycle to the letter, it's much more instinctive than that, " says Mr Morris.

"For example if we do the winter pruning in a descending moon on a fruit day, then it's going to put lots of visceral forces into the vine and they are going to come back much stronger."
(text taken from Wales online.co.uk)

This is something which I really admire in modern production of anything. I love it when farms and companies and producers are environmentally aware and when they use a quality of care towards our environment in the production of their products. This to me is a HUGE plus.



Richard Morris and his family started planting in 2006 and are only the second biodynamic vineyard in the UK, which is impressive, especially since their wines have now managed to scoop an impressive three awards on the international circuit, having impressed judges around the world, with a silver medal for it's Sparkling Rose (2008 vintage) and two bronzes for it's Sparkling Shite (2008 vintage) and it's Pinot Noir (2009 vintage) from the International Wine and Spirits Competition.



In any case it all sounds like a very winning combination to me, and I promise to let you know exactly what I think of their flavours as soon as I have the opportunity to cook with them. This building work which is going on in our home at the moment is somewhat cramping my cooking mojo, to say the least!! Many thanks to Fine Wines Direct for this opportunity to learn something about these very unique wines as well as the opportunity to share what I learned with each of you.

As I mentioned last week in this post, the people at cooks&Co recently sent me a lovely assortment of their newest oils to try out. I've been very busy over the past week or two trying them out in a myriad of ways and enjoying myself quite a lot in the process!
I've long been a great fan of the cooks&Co products, having used their condiments and peppers etc quite often over the past few years and always with great results. I do believe that cooks&Co have become synonymous with quality products in my estimation!

They sent me a lovely assortment including the following:

Cooks & Co Virgin Sesame Oil (RSP: £2.99, 250ml) is a high quality virgin oil, Cold pressed from selected sesame seeds which is delicious in salad dressings and vinaigrettes, as well as in stir fry and oriental dishes.

Cooks & Co Walnut Infused Oil (RSP: £2.85, 250ml) is made using high quality walnuts and has a delicate nutty flavour that is excellent drizzled over salad and as an ingredient in cakes and Cookies.

Cooks & Co Hazelnut Oil (RSP: £3.99, 250ml) is a great tasting oil made using only the highest quality hazelnuts. It has a fantastic nutty aroma and is perfect for use in cakes, Cookies and salads.

Cooks & Co Roast Peanut Oil (RSP: £3.39, 250ml) is made from selected roasted peanuts and is excellent in dressings as well as homemade mayonnaise and dips.

Cooks & Co Grapeseed Oil (RSP: 3.99, 500ml) is very versatile due to its delicate flavour and is ideal for all types of Cooking, including for use in stir fries, fondues and sauces thanks to its higher burning point than other oils.

Cooks & Co’s Olive Oil with Chilli (RSP: £2.99, 250ml) is the classic Condiment, which will add a kick of heat from whole Birds Eye Chillies, which infuse this delicious olive oil, to homemade pizzas, pasta, dressings and grilled meat.



Last week I used some of the lovely Grapeseed Oil in this beautiful Treacle Gingerbread Loaf, and it was gorgeous. The original recipe had called for olive oil, but the grapeseed oil worked perfectly well, the end result being a very moist and moreish loaf cake.

Since then I have been putting the oils through their paces in a variety of ways!

Today I used some of the chilli oil and made some delicious Ciabatta Pizzas, drizzling some of the oil over the finished pizzas. It added a lovely depth of heat without overpowering the pizzas.



*Ciabatta Pizzas*
Multiply to create as many or as few as you want
Printable Recipe

Delicious and quick! Amounts will be given for one serving. You can easily adapt to more.

1 ciabatta bun, sliced in half horizontally
2 TBS good quality Basil Pesto
3 full sices of gouda cheese, cut into halves diagonally
2 TBS grated parmesn cheese
2 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 roasted pepper (from a jar) torn into bits
4 dry cured pitted black olives, halved
4 dry cured pitted green olives, halved
a few basil leaves torn
Chili oil to drizzle on the finished pizzas

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.

Place the two ciabatta halves onto a baking tray. Spread each with 1 TBs of the pesto. Top each with 3 half slices of the gouda cheese, placing on diagonally. Sprinkle each with 1 TBS of the Parmesan Cheese. Divide the cherry tomatoes, roasted pepper and olives between the two. Scatter the basil leaves over top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the pizzas are heated through and crispy on the edges. Remove from the oven, drizzle with the chili oil and serve.

Another day I used some of the Virgin Sesame Oil to make a delicious dressing for a Thai Beef Salad. Oh my but it was some good. Sometimes Sesame Oil can be quite strong, but this was just right.



*Thai Beef and Sprout Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Serve some lime wedges with this refreshing salad to squeeze over top and some rice crackers on the side. Delicious!

8 ounces thinly sliced deli roast beef, torn (1/2 pound)
1 200g bag of fresh beansprouts, washed well and drained (About 2 cups)
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
50g of sugar snap peas, sliced (1 small package, about 1 cup sliced)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into match sticks

For the Dressing:
2 TBS crunchy peanut butter
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
2 TBS sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp runny clear honey
the zest and juice of one lime
2 TBS chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

Fresh lime wedges to serve

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl to combine. Set aside.

Place the beef, sprouts, spring onions, carrots and snap peas in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.

Another day it was a delicious Supper Pizza, which I shared with the Toddster . . . just to show I'm not totally selfish. I know he doesn't like pizza, or he says he doesn't anyways, but he did eat what I gave him, so can't complain . . .



*Pizza Fiorentina*
Serves 1
Printable Recipe

A hearty pizza supper for one, but if you are feeling generous, break two eggs on top instead of one and share it with your partner.

one 9 inch ready made pizza base (or make and bake your own)
5 TBS tomato passata (North American tomato sauce)
2 ounces spinach, cooked and drained (1 1/2 cups packed leaves)
3 wafer thin slices of deli ham, halved
2 ounces mozzarella cheese diced (1/2 cup)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (2 1/2 TBS)
chili oil to drizzle (to taste)
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (to taste)
1/2 tsp oregano flakes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large free range egg

Preheat the oven to 220*C/425*F/gas mark 7. Cover the pizza base with passata and then top with the spinach and ham, scattering it over top. Sprinkle over the mozzarella chunks along with the grated Parmesan cheese, the chili oil, garlic and oregano flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and make a well in the centre of the pizza. Break in the egg. Return to the oven and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes, until the egg is cooked through. If desired drizzle with some additional chili oil or basil oil and serve.

Other than that I have been using the grapeseed oil for the small amount of browning etc that I do from time to time, the walnut oil and peanut oil have both been used in vinaigrette salad dressings and I've been really impressed with each of the oils. The only down side of any of them would be that nut oil can turn rancid very quickly once opened and one has to be prepared to use them up within a short period of time. If anyone knows any different than this, let me know, also if you have any information on how you can store them safely for longer periods of time. Would freezing work?

I'm still looking for a cookie recipe that I can use some of either the walnut or peanut oil in so if anyone has one let me know!

Many thanks to cooks&Co for affording me this wonderful opportunity and also Simon for sending them to me.

I am a HUGE fan of pizza. I could eat it every day and never get tired of it . . . breakfast, lunch dinner . . ., anytime at all. When you consider that I had never tasted pizza until I was about 15 years old that is amazing to me. How did I ever get that far in life without it! It's just so good . . . it's pity I live with a pizza/pasta hating man. It's just not natural . . . I keep telling him that, but he refuses to budge. Oh well, all the more for me!



I have this guy to thank for my love of pizza. He alone is responsible for introducing me to it . . . don't laugh. It was all we had in them there days. A cardboard box containing a tin of pizza sauce and a packet of pizza dough . . . oh . . . and a small packet of crummy tasting Parmesan Cheese . . . but what did we know??? We were so innocent and ignorant of the culinary delights which actually existed in the rest of the world. Life in a small town . . .



Anyways, once I got out into the real world, I discovered the delights of take out pizza and never looked back. In Winnipeg we used to buy pizza's from a place called RJ's Pizza . . . and that was pretty bad too, but strangely addictive. The crust was only ever half cooked, but for some reason we always went back for more.



In Calgary we discovered great pizza's made by a Greek fella that were fabulous! Light and fluffy crust and that sauce . . . . mwha!!! Perfecto!



I pretty much make my own pizza's from scratch these days . . . and I know there are Italian purists out there would argue and say that what counts for pizza in my kitchen isn't really pizza . . . that's ok. But . . . it is MY kitchen and I decide what or what doesn't pass for pizza in it. umm . . . so there!



Yesterday I decided to make some pizza buns. They were supposed to come out looking all ruffely, like the edges of a clam and well . . . they didn't, but they were some good, even if I don't say so myself. Kind of like a loosely constructed calzone . . . but without any runny sauce . . . the rich tomato flavour comes from sun roasted tomatoes with a few herbs and spices.



You can vary the filling according to whatever you have to hand. Cooked ground beef, mushrooms, chorizo, bacon . . . whatever floats your boat!



Me . . . I like olives and cheese . . . and lots of them. These were fab, and so easy to make. I used the breadmaker for the dough part, because . . . well, basically I am not that good at doing yeast doughs. It worked fabulously and the rest was easy peasy, lemon squeasy!



I hope you'll give them a try! If you like pizza, you'll LOVE these!



*Rumpled Pizza Buns*
Makes 8 buns
Printable Recipe

A deliciously different way to have your pizza! You can vary the filling ingredients as you wish. They work well in either tiny loaf tins or custard cups/ramekins.

For the dough:
450g of strong bread flour (a generous 4 1/2 cups)
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
1 sachet of easy blend dried yeast ( 7g or a heaped teaspoon)
3/4 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil (about 2 TBS)
9 fluid ounces of warm water
1 tsp of tomato puree (tomato paste)

For the filling
1 small red pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
1 small gree pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
a handful of black pitted olives, chopped (I like to use the dried spanish ones. They have
lots of flavour)
a handful of green pitted olives, chopped (I used Greek Haduki in oil)
100g of sun dried tomatoes chopped (about 1/2 cup packed) (I used Merchant Gourmet, oven roasted, 1 pack)
a bit of olive oil to moisten (about 1 TBS)
1 heaped tsp of dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white or black pepper
1/2 pound of grated Mozzarella or mature Cheddar Cheese
about 4 TBS grated Parmesan Cheese
some olive oil for brushing

Place all the dough ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine with the dough hook on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes until you have a soft dough that doesn't smear the bottom of the bowl. You may need to add a bit more flour or warm water to get the right consistency.

Mix on speed for 2 to 10 minutes, making sure that the dough stays at the right consistency. Add a bit more flour if necessary.

Remove the dough from the mixer and kead a few times. Shape into a ball and place into a clean mixing bowl which you have oiled, turning to coat the dough. cover with a teatowel and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Mix together the filling ingredients with the exception of the cheese. Allow to sit and marinate until you are ready to use them.

Uncover the dough, punch down and mould it back into a ball. Cover and allow to rise for another 30 minutes, until doubled in size.

Divide the dough into 8 3-oz portions. Shape each into a round ball and then let rest for about 5 minutes. While the dough is resting butter and flour 8 mini loaf pans or ramekins.

Roll each the dough balls out on a floured surface to a flat 6 inch rounds. Mix the cheese into the filling and then place an equal portion onto each round, keeping it fairly central. Fold all the rounds in half, witout sealing them. Brush the tops with some oil. Carefully Pick up one of the folded rou8nds and keeping all the edges of the folded round to the top, gently place it into a mini loaf tin. You want them to gape open and have rumpled edges, the more folds and bits of filling showing the better! Repeat with all of the rounds.

Place the mini loaf tins onto a baking tray and lightly cover with some plastic cling film. Allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Bake the pizza buns for 20 to 22 minutes until golden brown and crisp on the bottoms and outsides. Transfer to a wire rack for them to cool somewhat before eating. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or you can freeze them for another time.

Note: You can make the dough in your bread machine according to your bread machine instructions.



I only have 6 mini bread pans and so I cooked two in ramekins and they turned out cutely round and every bit as delicious. I don't know which ones I liked the looks of more. They both looked incredibly scrummy!!



Over in The Cottage today, some delicious Ham and Egg Buns.