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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Five Reasons Pizza Is The Perfect Food

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Some people have the audacity to say that pizza isn’t good for you, and while if you were eating it daily and huge servings of it it might be, in moderation it’s great. It offers you more nutrients and less fats than some of the foods you could be eating. So, while it may not be the healthiest food option, it isn’t even close the worst.

Whether you choose to eat out, or create your own pizza creation right at home, there are a million options and combinations. Why wouldn’t pizza be on your list of favorite foods with all of that going for it. Plus, if you fold your slice in half it’s like an easy to eat pizza sandwich. [Read more…]

Crazy Pizzas You Might Want to Try

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Pizza, though originally from Italy, is now a globally enjoyed snack. It’s the go to food for college students, families, groups of friends, colleagues and kids. Everyone loves a good slice of pizza. But would you still eat one if it were made of rice? How about if it was 122 feet in diameter? Here are some of the more unusual pizzas out there.

Rice Pizza – Because every country has its own definite palate, it isn’t unfathomable to expect crazy variations on different dishes. Take Pizza Hut Taiwan and South Korea, for example. They have a menu that would make most Americans do a double take. One thing on their unique menu is the Mizza. Simply put, it’s rice pizza. Instead of a dough base, the Mizza has rice! Their website describes it as “surprisingly delicious” and a “novel personal meal”.

Chocolate Pizza – Now, something I can definitely get behind. Behold the chocolate pizza! It basically has a chocolate base, chocolate toppings and (presumably) some chocolate sauce. A lot of companies are now specializing in this tempting delight.

Pizza Burger – For those with an appetite that knows no bounds, the Pizza burger may just be right up your alley. This monstrous creation may cause some to faint (or collapse due to coronary failure). To make this, take two whole pizzas and slap them on either side of countless pounds of burger meat. Please check with your physician before attempting this dish.

Pizzas on a Pizza – If you have watched the movie “Inception” then you know this is going to be another awesome hit. The pizzas within a pizza are great for those who have problems deciding which kind of pizza to get. Just get them all!

World’s Largest Pizza – According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the title holder of the World’s Largest Pizza is a supermarket in South Africa. This feat measures 122 feet and 8in in diameter.

 

Quick and Easy Pizza

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Flatbread pizza is a great alternative to traditional pizza crusts. It has the same tasty taste and sometimes even more flavor. If you cannot find flatbread pita bread will do. You can also make small individual pizzas too. Add more toppings if desired.

 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan chees

2 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 large Lebanese flatbreads or large pita breads

1/2 medium sized capsicum, seeded and sliced thinly

1 tomato, seeded and sliced

1 small white onion, chopped

100g button mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 slices sweet ham, sliced into strips

60g grated cheddar cheese

 

Preheat the oven at 180C and line two oven trays with foil.

Next combine the garlic, parsley, chives, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and tomato paste in a small mixing bowl. Stir until it becomes smooth. Spread this mixture evenly on the flatbreads.

Top the flatbreads with the capsicums, tomato slices, onions, mushrooms and ham. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake them for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the bread is crisp. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:   Matthew Oliphant

Pepperoni Pizza Sandwich

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Pepperoni pizza sandwich is a delicious snack or light lunch that tastes almost like pizza only without the crust. We used baguette slices for this recipe, but focaccia will also do just fine. Use bigger bread slices if you want more pepperoni and cheese layers. You may use a Panini maker,  stove top grill or toaster to grill the bread.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 baguette, sliced into 8 pieces

1 cup pizza sauce

Sliced mozzarella cheese

Sliced fontina cheese

Pepperoni

Fresh basil leaves

 

Spread pizza sauce over half of the bread slices. Top it with layers of fontina cheese, pepperoni and mozzarella.  Season it with salt and pepper. Grill the bread slices for 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, brush the remaining bread slices with olive oil and then grill them for 1-2 minutes or until they are light brown.

Once the cheese has melted, place basil leaves over them and then cover them with a slice of toasted bread. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  Kim Scarborough

Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Pizza

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It is raining cats and dogs once again and it is best to stay indoors, which is why pizza is the perfect food to prepare for lazy days on the couch while watching television. It is also a great party food or side. Even kids have fun assembling pizzas, although I am not sure that this flavor will appeal to them. It is always enjoyable to make it in different shapes and sizes, depending on the occasion. One thing is for sure though, I like the crust thin.

Grilled chicken and mushroom pizza has a barbecue sauce base to give this dish an aromatic flavor. I personally prefer hickory barbecue sauce because of its smoky flavor, but any type will do. You also have the option to buy prepared pizza crusts, but I am also recommending a homemade recipe. Adding some bell peppers to this recipe can also contribute more taste, while serving it with lettuce can give it some crunchiness and color too.

 

Ingredients:

1 basic pizza dough

1/4 cup tomato sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

2 pieces chicken fillet

1 large tomato, seeded and sliced

1 1/2 cups fresh button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

 

Marinate the chicken in half of the barbecue sauce and preheat the oven at 250°C.soft and light brown.

Cook the chicken in a stove top grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until light brown. Once the chicken fillets are cooked, transfer it to a plate and let it cool. After, shred the grilled chicken or slice it into cubes.

While grilling the chicken, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes or until it becomes golden brown.

Place the pizza dough on a floured surface and roll it out. Put it on a greased baking tray. Spread the tomato sauce mixture over the dough. Top it with chicken, tomatoes, mushroom and cheese. Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the cheese bubbles.

Remove the pizza from the oven and drizzle with the remaining barbecue sauce. slice before serving. Serve immediately.

 

Photo Courtesy Of:  viamarisol

 

Pinwheel Pizzas

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Pinwheel pizzas are delicious treats which make perfect snacks. It is perfect for parties too. You can flavor it any way you like –all meat, Hawaiian, margherita or even just plain old garlic and cheese. Marinara sauce can also make a good dip for this recipe. It is best served warm, so that the cheese is soft and melted. Mozzarella can be a good alternative to cheddar as well because of its taste and chewiness.

For this recipe, we used a cheese and herb dough. Just like anything else, you may alter it as you wish. Regular pizza crust dough will do just fine too. Moreover, it is interesting to know that nutritional yeast is also a good cheese alternative for the dough. It has a cheesy and nutty taste and it is rich in B complex vitamins and it is a complete protein.

 

Ingredients:

225g self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

50g butter

50g grated cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

150ml milk

For the toppings:

1 medium onion, chopped

100g button mushrooms, sliced

15ml olive oil

2 cups  tomato puree

75g grated cheddar cheese

 

Preheat the oven at 180C. After, sieve the flour and the salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix well. Stir in the grated cheese and herbs. Gradually add the milk and mix to form soft dough.

Flour a flat surface and knead the dough fir 1 minute. Do not knead too much because the dough will become greasy

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough on a sheet of baking paper and make a 32×20 cm rectangle. Next, heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Sauté the mushrooms and onions for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the tomato pure and mix well.

Evenly spread the mushroom and tomato mixture onto the dough. Top it with grated cheese. Roll the dough up to make a long roll and then cut it into 12, 2 cm thick slices using a sharp knife.

Place the pinwheels on a greased baking tray and then bake it for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Serve warm.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: genpink

 

Fried Pizza

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Never have I thought that pizza can be cooked without an oven, but it is indeed possible. Fried pizza is crispier as compared to the baked ones.  It can be served as a snack or an appetizer just like canapés.

Ingredients:

For the pizza sauce:

6 to 8 medium Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, smashed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed chili pepper

1 pinch sugar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

For the dough:

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Pinch sugar

2/3 cup (5 fl oz) warm water

2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

For the toppings:

2 x 150g balls of buffalo mozzarella

5 teaspoons dried oregano

extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely sliced

a handful of fresh basil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:

flour, for dusting

olive oil for frying

In a saucepan, sauté the garlic in olive oil; add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  When the tomatoes are soft, mash them. Mix in the basil, salt, pepper, crushed chili and tomato paste. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture is smooth. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if desired. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine sugar, olive oil, salt and yeast. Mix well. Let it set for about 10 minutes.

Sieve the flour in a clean work surface like a counter or a table. Make a well at the middle. Pour the yeast mixture in the well. With a fork, mix the flour and liquid mixture gradually. Once it forms dough, dust your hands with flour and knead until you have a smooth ball. If it cracks, it means it is too dry; add more water. If it is runny, add more flour. Make sure you add ingredients in small amounts.

Place the ball in a flour dusted bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. Let it rise for an hour. Make sure that it has doubled its size.

Place the dough on the flour dusted work surface. Divide into 6-8 parts. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough. Roll out the dough a few minutes before cooking. If you have to prepare it ahead of time, make sure you cover it with clingfilm. You can use the same pizza dough recipe for oven baked pizzas

In a non-stick pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (approximately 2 cm). Fry the pizza dough in batches until it is a little brown. Flip it once. Transfer it to a plate with paper towels to drain the oil. Spoon some tomato sauce on the pizza crust. Top with mozzarella cheese and basil.  Grill the pizzas on a stove top for 2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Cool for 1-2 minutes before serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: @joefoodie

Spicy Salami Pizza

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A classic pizza combination, this spicy pizza can be easily changed to suit heat lovers and those who aren’t fans of massively hot pizzas. To make hotter, change some of the water and salt in the base to the liquid that the Jalapenos Chillies have been in, and to make milder, only use one tablespoon of the Jalapenos, or use different Chillies which are milder.

This deep-crust recipe is great for a light, squidgy base, which is so simple and easy to make – especially since you already know how to make a Pizza base!

Toppings

80g Sliced Salami

80g Sliced Chorizo

2tbsp drained Jalapeno Chillies

100g Cheddar

125g Ball Mozzarella

300g Passata (thick tomato sauce for the base)

1tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1tsp Mixed Italian Dried Herbs.

1.       Put the Passata into a pan and simmer with the olive oil and herbs for five to ten minutes, until slightly thicker and reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2.       Spread evenly over the bases

3.       Grate the Cheddar, and tear the Mozzarella into small pieces.

4.       Scatter the Cheddar, Salami and Chorizo over the base, before covering evenly with the mozzarella.

5.       Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the base is crisp, and the toppings golden and crispy.

Photo courtesy of: Like_the_grand_Canyon

Pizza Dough

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Sure, you could buy these, but then who wants to? Making your own Pizza bases is great fun of introducing children to cooking – make sure that they are properly supervised when using the Oven and mixing the Yeast. O, and that they don’t try to throw them up onto the ceiling!

You can make more bases by splitting the yeast onto separate trays and cooking over time – great for party pizzas.

Makes 2 thin Pizza bases
7g Yeast (1 level tea spoon)
1 tsp Sugar
50ml Warm Milk mixed with 300ml Warm Water
650g Strong Plain Flour
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt

1. Dissolve the Yeast and Sugar in a third of the milk and water.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, with a space in the middle. Pour a little of the yeast, sugar, water and milk into the hole, and add in the olive oil. Start combining with your fingertips
3. Slowly add the rest of the Milk, Water and Salt – you may need slightly less or more of the liquid, but you’ll have to judge this – it should make a firm dough
4. Lightly flour a surface, and knead the dough for 5 minutes with the palms of your hand
5. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm for 30 minutes, or until the dough is twice the size
6. Roll the dough out to the desired thickness

Photo courtesy of L. Marie