New York Pizza
ingredients:
1/4 cup tomato paste (sundried tomato paste is nice sometimes for a change)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp chinese five spice powder
seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
instructions:
bowl of your stand mixer. Combine to mix. Add the water and 2 TBS of the
oil. Beat using the dough hook until the dough forms a ball around the
hook. If you think the dough is too sticky, you can add additional
flour 1 TBS at a time. If you think the dough is too dry, you can add
water, 1 TBS at a time. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and
gently knead until you have a smooth, firm ball. Oil a large bowl with
the remaining olive oil. Add the ball of dough, turning to coat it in
oil. Cover with plastic cling film and set in a warm area to rise until
it doubles in size, about an hour and a half.
To make the sauce, put
all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover
with a lid, slightly ajar and simmer on very low for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in 2 equal pieces. If
you are not using both, wrap one tightly in cling film and place into a
zip lock bag. Flatten and place in the freezer for another time.
the oven to 230*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Put a pizza stone if you have one
in the oven to heat. If not, place a pizza pan in the oven.
your crust with as much sauce as you require, and then freeze the rest
in individual portions for later use. Add your desired toppings and
cheese. Slide the pizza onto the heated pizza stone or pan and return to
the oven to bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until the crust is golden and
crisp and your cheese has melted and bubbling. Cut into slices to
serve.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
When my children were growing up it was terribly difficult to get them to eat anything at all for supper on Halloween. They were far too keen to get out and about Trick or Treating. As a mom, however, I really wanted them to eat something nutritious before they went out, or at least something that wasn't candy and so I used to try to tempt them with things that they really enjoyed, like pizza, tacos, or spaghetti, etc.
When made well, a homemade pizza can easily rival that of any pizzeria, and what's more if you follow these simple "Make Ahead" tips from the people at Cirio, you can have a pizza to be proud of on the table well before any delivery brand!
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.
They are a great way to make a tin of beans and a tin of chili stretch to feed four people. They are also incredibly delicious. I love them!
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 for each pouch. A real bargain as they are filled with plenty of flavour!
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.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I have a husband who is not particularly fond of Pizza . . . or pasta as you know. He says he hate Italian food . . . but he really just means he hates Pizza and pasta . . . I keep reminding him that Italians eat a lot more than that! Bake a pizza in a cake tin, and call it a tart and he is quite happy to eat it however. A woman has to do what a woman has to do. ☺
Eddingtons has a new line of Pizza Express kitchen goodies and I was recently sent a few of them to try. I love to try out new things and this particular line is really nice. You can now have that full pizza restaurant experience at home!
The Pizza Express Linden Wood Pizza Paddle is the perfect way to serve your pizza at the table. It's very easy to use. You just sliced it underneath the cooked pizza base and carry it to the table, ready to serve. It must be handwashed and dryed thoroughly after use, but is very attractive and I can imagine that with use it will develop lots of character.
The Pizza Express Pizza Wheel is designed to slice your pizza with ease. Ergonomically designed and made from stainless steel, it is perfect for precision pizza cutting, with great results every time. I found it did an excellent job, cutting right through the crust edge with no problem. Recommended for hand washing only, it comes with a protective plastic cover. It's very sharp.
Should you run into a stubborn crust the Pizza Express pizza knife is the perfect tool to use to cut your pizza with ease. With it's partially serrated stainless steel blade, it's designed to cut through even the toughest of crusts. The distinctive half-moon sharpened steel blade echoes the traditional Italian Mezzaluna and glides effortlessly. It is perfect for that at home Pizza restaurant experience. This is also recommended as hand wash only and has a very sharp blade.
For my crust I chose to make my super quick crust. Basically after kneading, it rises and is ready to use in half an hour. You get a lovely crust that browns nicely and that isn't too doughy. We don't like a really doughy crust. I like them thin, with a crisp edge.
My oldest son used to work in a pizza place once upon a time and has taught me the tricks of the trade. They had what they called a "Dimpler" which was a tool they ran over the crush after it was stretched out, cutting dimples into the crush, which helped it to rise evenly. They also brushed their crusts with some garlic oil and dusted it lightly with parmesan and pre-baked them for a few minutes to set them prior to putting on the sauce and fillings.
I have done all my pizzas this way ever since and they always turn out lovely. I chose to do a simple margharita pizza this time. Todd isn't overly fond of thick doughy crusts and lots of toppings. He's a simple man with simple tastes. The sauce I created for this is simply passata, seasoned with a bit of salt and black pepper, some garlic, a touch of sugar and balsamic vinegar and a smattering of dried chillies for a bit of a kick. Just brush it over the partially baked crust. You don't need a lot. This recipe makes just the right amount for one pizza, and you don't have to precook it either . . . it cooks in the oven.
I use only two cheeses. A semi hard mozzarella and a really good Parmesan. You can grate the mozzarella, or cut it into slices. This is where the wet mozzarella doesn't really work that well. At least we don't like it here. It's a bit too soggy and wet. We much prefer the harder one, and don't ever buy the pre-grated stuff . . . they add something to it to keep it flowing and it affects the results in an adverse way, in my opinion.
Normally I would have fresh basil to tear over top, but I forgot to pick it up at the store and so I used Barts Freeze Dried Basil Flakes and they worked really well. People used dry herbs for years and years. Sometimes I think this practice of always using fresh herbs is a bit of a gimmick perpetrated by the grocery shops to get you to buy something which is really overpriced and which has no staying power. In the summer I grow my own herbs for the most part and they're really good . . . but in the winter, more often than not I will use good quality freeze dried ones.
If you are looking for a really tasty basic pizza, a Margherita Pizza can't be beat. Simple to make, with fantastic flavours that everyone likes. You don't need much more with this other than perhaps a tasty salad on the side. I have to say these Pizza Express goodies made for a very enjoyable Pizza Night experience and I, for one, can't wait to use them again! I love, LOVE pizza, and there is nothing nicer than a pretty decent homemade one! (A lot cheaper too!)
few drops balsamic vinegar
Since I was ill in September I haven't been able to look at a pizza. Pizza was always one of my favourite things . . . it makes me sad that it isn't any longer. I can't get enthused for Chicken Parm either. I had made Chicken Parm Enchiladas that day and well, you know. I haven't even been able to look at the photographs since! It may be a while before you get to see those!
I don't know if it is the combination of the sauce and the cheese and meat or what, but it's been a no go for about a month now . . . until today. Today I decided to create a delicious roasted root vegetable pizza, with a whole wheat crust!
All I can say is wowsa! You get a nice thick crust, not unlike a foccacia . . . and then all of those sweetly caramlized root vegetables nestled amongst not one, not two, but THREE cheeses!
Just look at all of that delicious scrumminess . . . butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, red onions . . . roasted until sticky sweet with some salt, pepper and olive oil . . . nestled on top of that crisp and nutty flavoured crust . . . beneath a blanket of cheese.
A sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves lends an herby touch, which altogether made for a very tasty pizza if I don't say so myself! I do hope you will give it a try! I don't think anyone will be disappointed! Even the Toddster loved this and he's not a pizza fan at all!
olive oil
While you are roasting the vegetables make the crust. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl Add the hot water and olive oil. Stir togerher well, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for five minutes. Turn the bowl over top and allow to stand for 10 minutes. At the end of that time, pop your pizza stone if you are using one into the oven.
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