Thick Crust Pizza (with Yeast)

Ingredients

For the pizza base:

White flour………..……..…….1 ½ cup
Sugar…..……...…………..…....½   tea spoon
Salt…………………………..…….½ tea spoon
Yeast…………………….......….1 tea spoon
Water……………..……………..½ cup
Oil………..……………………..…2 table spoon
 
For the toppings:
Tomato ketchup………….…..6 table spoon
Grated mozzarella cheese.…2 cup
Garlic……………………….……..2 (large, finely chopped)
Mixed herbs…………..………..1 ½ tea spoon
Chestnut mushrooms…...….175g (diced)
Bell pepper…......………………1 (cut in juliennes)
Or any other topping/s as required
Salt to taste

Method

For the pizza base:

• Mix the water and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Mix in the flour, salt and oil and make dough.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for an hour or until it doubles in size in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into the required pizza base shape (circle/square) with a rolling pin or by hand. Keep the edges (crust) thicker than the centre.
• Place on a baking paper.
• Pierce each pizza base with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.

For the toppings:

• Apply 2 table spoon of tomato ketchup on each base.
• Sprinkle the garlic and add the toppings on the pizza base.
• Sprinkle some mixed herbs and salt on the toppings.
• Lastly top the pizza with the cheese.

To cook the pizza:

• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 225° C along with a baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the pizza on the tray along with the baking paper it is placed on and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 10-15 min or until pizza base is cooked and cheese has melted. 

Cut the pizza as required with a pizza cutter and serve hot.

Makes: 3

Thin Crust Pizza (with Baking Powder)

Ingredients

For the pizza base:

White flour………..……..….….1 cup
Sugar…..……...…………...…....½   tea spoon
Salt………………………….…...…½ tea spoon
Baking powder….……......….1 heaped tea spoon
Water……………..………….…..¼ cup
Oil………..……………….…….….2 table spoon

For the toppings:

Tomato ketchup………….…..4 ½ table spoon
Grated mozzarella cheese….2 cup
Garlic……………………………...1 (large, finely chopped)
Italian seasoning………….…..1 ½ tea spoon
Onion……..………..………….….1 (medium, cut in juliennes)
Bell pepper…......………...……1 (cut in juliennes)
Or any other topping/s as required.

Method

For the pizza base:

• Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
• Add the water and start making dough.
• Then add the oil and finish making a dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for 15 min in a well-oiled bowl in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into the required pizza base shape (circle/square) with a rolling pin or by hand. Place on a baking paper.
• Pierce each pizza base with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.

For the toppings:

• Apply 1 ½ table spoon of tomato ketchup on each base.
• Sprinkle the garlic and Italian seasoning on the pizza base.
• Add the onion and capsicum toppings or any other topping/s required.
• Lastly top the pizza with the cheese.

To cook the pizza:

• Pre heat the oven on grill mode at 200° C along with a baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the pizza on the tray along with the baking paper it is placed on and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 10 min or until pizza base is cooked and cheese has melted. 

Cut the pizza as required with a pizza cutter and serve hot.

Makes: 3

Kidney Beans Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

For the rice:

Rice……………….……….…½ cup
Water……………….………..2 cup
Oil…….……………………….1 table spoon
Salt to taste

For the kidney beans:

Kidney beans………….…..½ cup (soaked in 2 cup of water for 5 hrs.)
Onion………………………...1 (small, cut in juliennes)
Tomato……………..…......2 (large, roughly chopped in ½ inch chunks)
Garlic……………..............2 cloves (large, chopped)
Chilli powder…………......½ tea spoon
Garam masala powder…½ tea spoon
Water……………….………..1 cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

For the stuffed bell peppers:

Bell peppers…….………...2 (cut vertically into halves)
Salt to taste

Method

For the rice:

• Boil 2 cups of water in a pan along with some salt. Meanwhile place washed rice in a bowl and drizzle 1 table spoon of oil on then and mix. Make sure all the rice grains are coated with oil so that they don’t stick to each other while boiling.
• Add the rice to boiling water and cook until rice is soft. (Do not overcook the rice; the grains should still be firm). Drain the rice and keep aside.

For the kidney beans:

• Add 1 cup of water to the soaked kidney beans and boil them until soft, drain and keep aside.
• Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the garlic for ½ min.
• Add the kidney beans, chilli powder and garam masala, cook for 3 min.
• Now add the tomatoes, cook for 1 min.
• Then add the onion and salt mix well and cook for another 2 min.  Turn off the gas and keep aside.

For the stuffed bell peppers:

• Sprinkle some salt on the cut bell peppers.
• Now using table spoon stuff the bell pepper with 1-1 ½ tablespoon of rice followed by the kidney bean filling just created.
• Place the bell peppers on a non-stick tray.
• Pre-heat the oven on grill mode at 230°C. Place the tray in the oven and grill for 5 min (Make sure they are not over cooked or else they can become too soft and soggy).

Serve hot.

Rice & Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

For the rice:

Rice……………….……….…¾ cup
Green peas…….……….….¼ cup
Water……………….………..3 cup
Oil…….……………………….1 table spoon
Salt to taste

For the chicken:

Chicken breast……….…..200 g (cut into thin 1 ½ inch juliennes)
Onion………………………...1 (small, cut in juliennes)
Tomato……………..….......1 (large, roughly chopped)
Garlic……………...............1 cloves (large, roughly chopped)
Cumin powder...............½ tea spoon
Chilli powder…………......½ tea spoon
Garam masala powder…½ tea spoon
Water……………….………..¼ cup
Oil to cook
Salt to taste

For the stuffed bell peppers:

Bell peppers…….………...4
Salt to taste

Method

For the rice:

• Boil 3 cups of water in a pan along with some salt. Meanwhile place washed rice in a bowl and drizzle 1 table spoon of oil on then and mix. Make sure all the rice grains are coated with oil so that they don’t stick to each other while boiling.
• Add the rice and peas to boiling water and cook until rice is soft. (Do not overcook the rice; the grains should still be firm). Drain the rice and peas and keep aside.

For the chicken:

• Heat some oil in a pan and sauté the onions until transparent.
• Add the tomato and garlic. Cook for 1 min.
• Now add the salt, cumin, chilli and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for another 1 min with the lid on.
• Add in the chicken and ¼ cup of water. Cover with a lid and let it cook for 7 min or until chicken is cooked.  

For the stuffed bell peppers:

• Cut the head of the bell pepper and deseed them to make them hollow.
• Sprinkle some salt on the peppers.
• Now using table spoon stuff the bell pepper with 1 tablespoon of rice followed by chicken filling just created. Repeat the stuffing process by topping the chicken just filled with rice followed by chicken again until the bell pepper is fully stuffed. Remember the top layer should be chicken.
• Place the bell peppers on a non-stick tray along with the bell pepper caps.
• Pre-heat the oven on grill mode at 230°C. Place the tray in the oven and grill for 5 min.
• Remove tray and rotate the peppers and grill for 5 min. Make sure they are not over cooked or else they can become too soft and soggy.

Serve hot.