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

Egg and Goats’ Cheese Salad

Ingredients

Wild rocket leaves…..…….70g

Eggs……………….…………….3 (boiled, halved & cut in slices)
Cherry tomatoes……………150g (cut in halves) 
Goats cheese…………………75g (cut in 1cm cubes) 
Fresh ground pepper……..¼ tea spoon
Olive oil………………………..2 table spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Place the rocket leaves in a salad bowl. Top it with cherry tomatoes, eggs and goats cheese.
• Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and ground pepper.
• Mix before serving.

Serves: 2

Spinach Salad with Goats' Cheese

Ingredients

For the dressing:

Olive oil……………………..….3 table spoon
Malt vinegar………….….…..1 table spoon
Mayonnaise…………………..1 tea spoon
English mustered…………..½ tea spoon 
Basil…..............................¼ tea spoon

For the salad:

Baby spinach…………………60g
Avocado………….……………1 (chopped in 1 inch rectangles)
Cherry tomatoes……………150g (cut in halves) 
Walnuts…………….………….½ cup (roughly broken into halves)  
Goats' cheese…………………100g (crumbled)

Method

For the dressing:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

For the salad:

• Place the baby spinach leaves in a salad bowl. Top it with avocado, cherry tomatoes, walnuts and goats cheese.
• Drizzle the olive oil dressing on the salad with a spoon.
• Mix and serve.

Serves: 2

Leafy Chicken and Le Roulé Salad

Ingredients

Chicken breast…………………200g (cut into thin 1 inch rectangles)

Le Roulé cheese……………….100g (chopped in ¾ inch cubes)
Avocado………….………..….…1 (chopped in ¾ inch cubes)
Fresh wild rocket leaves……40g
Fresh watercress leaves….…40g
Olive oil………………………..…¼ cup
Fresh ground pepper……..…¼ tea spoon
Water…………………………......¼ cup
Salt to taste

Method

• Heat the oil in pan. Add chicken pieces, salt and pepper to it, cover with a lid and cook for 2 min.
• Now add the water, mix well and cover with lid to let it cook for another 6 min or until chicken is cooked but is still juice.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and keep aside.
• If the chicken broth collected in the pan is very watery heat it for some more time without the lid. Once satisfied with the flavours and consistency remove from heat and strain the liquid through very fine strainer and collect the broth in a bowl to use as dressing.   
• Place the wild rocket and watercress leaves in a salad bowl. Top it with avocado, chicken pieces and le roulé cheese cubes.
• Sprinkle some salt and drizzle the chicken broth dressing we just strained.
• Mix well and serve.

Serves: 4

Tomato Feta Salad

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes………250g

Baby plum tomatoes…250g
Salad tomatoes…………3
Feta Cheese….………….150 g (cut in 1” rectangles)
Green pitted olives……150 g
Fresh basil leaves……..from 3 stems
Olive oil……………………1/6 cup
Fresh ground pepper…¼ tea spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Cut each cherry and plum tomato in half and collect them in a salad bowl.
• Quarter the salad tomatoes and cut each quarter in 3 pieces. Add them to the bowl as well.
• Now add the olives, feta cheese and the basil leaves (if the leaves are too big, tear them by hand).
• Sprinkle in the salt and ground pepper, and drizzle in the olive oil.
• Mix well.
• Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Serves: 4