Homemade Pizza

We went to some friends for dinner and hockey night a week ago. We were treated with homemade pizza! We love pizza! It's probably our favourite "treat" meal. They even had a stone slate! I have to get one!!!
But get this... I have never made homemade pizza! I've made pizza from bread bases (ie Ciabatta Pizza), but never made the dough from scratch. I know, shocker right?

We usually buy the Dr Oetker Restaurante Pizza. It's the dish we usually have at the end of the week when I'm tired and just don't feel like cooking. But, uuuummm, hello!! why don't we have it on nights when I do feel like cooking and have homemade pizza?? Duh! I don't know where my foodie head has been floating off to in the past.
So this weekend I went for it. Wow! It was so quick and easy. It was actually quicker and easier than making the effort of getting my coat and shoes on, walking to the shop, waiting in line and buying a frozen pizza.

PIZZA DOUGH
1 (8g) package active dry yeast

• 1 cup warm water (cooler than bath water but warmer than room temperature)
• 2 cups all purpous flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons white sugar (optional, I read sugar makes the crust a bit puffier)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl mix water with yeast. let stand for about 10 min, then add olive oil

2. In a large bowl combine flour, salt and sugar

3. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, then pour in wet mixture. Stir together well until a dough forms. Cover with a cloth to let rise for about 30min, or until dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile heat the oven to 375 F (190 C, gas mark 5)

4. Roll dough out (or toss it in the air and pretend you're an Italian cooking in your own pizzeria, like I did) onto a floured surface until it's round and about 1-2 cm thick. Place on a pizza baking sheet (or stone slate if you're lucky enough to have one already)

5. Top with tomato sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice and bake in the oven for 20-25 min, until reached desired golden colour crust and top

I didn't have any tomatoes or sauce on hand but I had some sundried tomato alfredo sauce leftover. Why not eh? I made a sundried tomato alfredo pizza with mushrooms, spinach and mozzarella. Yum yum yum yum!!

I'm in love! Mac n' Cheese

This has got to be one of my best Mac n' Cheese attempts! So oozy, creamy cheesy! The secret I've found to making a really good mac n' cheese is to used smoked cheese! It really adds an incredible depth.

I believe I've mentioned in my last Mac n' Cheese post that I have been on a mission to create the most perfect Mac n' Cheese. I have made several and they are certainly delicious and different every time. This one is definitely going on my list of tip top Mac n' Cheese.

250g macaroni
50g butter
50g plain flour
3 1/2 cup (900ml) milk
1/2 tsp mustard powder
pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup mature cheddar
3/4 cup Bavarian smoked cheese
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Instructions:

• Cook pasta al dente in a pot of salted water
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan , stir in the flour and cook on low-medium for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat again and stir in the smoked cheese and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and stir in the mustard powder.
• Drain your pasta and mix together with the sauce and 3/4 of the cheddar in a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar then the breadcrumbs.
• Place under the grill for a few minutes until golden brown

Yummmmmmm!!!

This is definitely not the first entry of Mac n' Cheese for Presto Pasta Nights but it is also definitely not the last! So many people love this dish and this particular version should surely be shared!!

This week is the 150th Presto Pasta Night!!! Well done everyone and a special thanks to Ruth from Once Upon a Feast!

This week is hosted by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook. Thanks Susan!

Cheese and Onion Quiche

I'm realizing more now how versatile quiche can be. Yeah, I know what you may be thinking, this quiche is just a simple cheese and onion quiche. True, but I'm still kinda new at the quiche thing. It's so easy to make and knowing egg can go with just about anything....well, I see into the future....many different quiches are to be created!

Another reason quiche is so great and versatile is that it can be eaten warm or cold! And as I mentioned in the post for my last quiche creation, it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

1 sheet of ready made shortcrust pastry

3 large eggs
2 cups strong cheddar
1 1/2 onion (chopped)
2 tbps olive oil
1 cup soy cream (for a healthier choice use soy!)
1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400° F (gas mark 6).
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to be a bit larger than a 9 inch pie dish. Carefully drape the pastry over the pie dish so there is some pastry hanging over the sides. Lightly push the pastry along the inside edges. Cut the excess pastry away.
- Cover and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a pan saute the onions with olive oil on low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook onions until they are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Take pie crust out of the fridge and poke several holes in the base, then line with greaseproof paper and baking beans (I use dried macaroni noodles which I keep specifically for this purpose) and blind bake the pie crust for 7-10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and soy cream. Stir in the 1/2 the cheese, parsley and the onion mixture.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top and bake until the filling is golden and set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with some salad and grilled vegetables. Delicious!

Chicken, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Pasta

Creamy and delicious! I love strong cheese. The stronger the better! Gorgonzola makes a great cheese for sauce. It's so soft and creamy, and because it's such a strong flavour nothings lost when it's melted. Beautiful!

What makes this dish even better? It's quick and super duper easy.

This will be my entry for Presto Pasta Night which is hosted this week by Hillary of 'Chew on that'

(Feeds 2 people)
250g fresh parppadelle pasta
1 cup single cream (you may have noticed I will usually use soy cream - I still can't believe a healthier 'cream' exists! I'm over the moon!)
150g gorgonzola (cut into small pieces)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup mixed mushrooms
1 chicken breast fillet (grilled and sliced)
small handful of fresh basil (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
- cook pasta as per package instructions
- cook mushrooms in a pan with olive oil. Once mushrooms are browning a bit add butter to the pan, once melted and coated over mushrooms add cooked chicken, basil and cream. Allow to simmer for a minute or so then gradually add gorgonzola. Adding more as it metls into the sauce.
- Let sauce simmer for a few more minutes, continuously stirring until sauce has thickened
- Toss pasta into the pan until all coated and mixed well with sauce

Serve at once and enjoy!

Trio Mac & Cheese

I am the ultimate Mac & Cheese lover. I have enjoyed plenty a box of Kraft Dinner (for when I don't feel like cooking but need some comfort food) but nothing beats a homemade creamy Mac & Cheese does it?!

I have done the homemade thing quite a few times, each time trying a different method or recipe, attempting at creating my ultimate macaroni cheese creation to go along with my ultimate love for the dish.
This is not to say the ones I have come up with are not good, they're always cheesy, tasty and oh so comfoting! All I mean is that this is a dish I am determined to perfect and along the way have come up with several different styles (I think I'm more of a perfectionist than usual when it comes to this dish). This is the first one I'm posting. Check out the creaminess!! Oh yeah!

350g elbow macaroni (For fun I used spirali which is similar to elbow macaroni but longer and spiralled, hence 'spirali')
1/4 of a large onion (chopped)
2 1/2 tbsp butter (1 tbsp for topping)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tbsp creamy goats cheese
1/2 cup mature cheddar (shredded)
1/2 cup emmental cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup parmesan (shredded - for the topping)
1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
3 1/2 tbsp fresh chives (half for the topping)

Instructions:
- Cook pasta as per instructions
- In the meantime you will create the cheese sauce:
- melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter with olive oil in a saucepan, add onions to saute. Once onions are soft turn heat right down and add flour. Whisk mixture together. Add milk a little bit at a time, whisking together until smooth with each addition of milk. Continue stirring until sauce has thickened.
- Turn heat up slightly and add cheddar. Once cheddar has melted add the emmental and once emmental has melted add the goats cheese, allow to melt.
- Stir in chili flakes if including. Add salt & pepper and half the chives.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple minutes, but do not allow to bubble
- In a bowl mix together breadcrumbs, parmesan and the remaining chives. Set aside
- Turn oven on to gas mark 6 (400 F)
- In a casserole dish mix pasta with cheese sauce
- Melt the remaining 1 tbsp of butter in the microwave then combine with the breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top of the pasta. Bake in the oven until top is golden (approx 20min)

Enjoy the comfort!

For All You Cheese Lovers!!

I was in the middle of creating a recipe and wasn't sure about one of the cheeses I wanted to use. I wanted to know how it melts. So I did one of my quick google searches and found a website which gives excellent and helpful info for using different cheeses in our cooking


Check it out here

Hope this will also be helpful to all you other cheese lovers!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Being a Canadian I love anything with cheese, especially lovely oozing melted cheddar!
This is such an easy and super tasty side dish


(Feeds 4 people)
1 medium size head broccoli (stem cut off and florets separated)
1 medium size head cauliflower (stem cut out and florets separated)
1 cup milk
1 cup cubed strong (mature or vintage) Canadian cheddar
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp dijon mustard (or 1/2 tsp mustard powder)
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
1 tsp paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
- Steam broccoli and cauliflower until al dente. You don't want them too soft or mushy. Put in a baking dish and keep aside

SAUCE:

A ROUX SAUCE FOR STARTERS.....
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
Keep temperature on a lower heat.
- Whisk in the flower until mixture turns into a ball (if a ball is not forming just add a tiny bit more flower)
- With a wooden spoon flatten ball and cook out the flower a bit (still on a lower heat).
- Turn up the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the milk until all is smooth (liquid will thicken with some time). Never allow sauce to boil or bubble

ADDING THE FLAVOUR FOR A CHEESY SAUCE.....
- Stir in the cheddar (reserve some for topping) and allow to melt in the white sauce, then add mustard
- Add nutmeg, chili flakes, paprika, stir
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Turn temperature back down between low and medium. Let sauce thicken.
Sauce is ready when it falls off the wooden spoon smoothly

- Pour cheese sauce over top of the broccoli and cauliflower and stir just a little bit, avoiding breaking the veggies more
- Bake in oven for approximately 25 min at Gas Mark 7 (425 F), or until cheesy top is golden (Top with the reserved cheddar for the last 10 min)


Serves great with any main of your choice, chicken, fish, or if you're a veggie it could serve nicely with stuffed aubergines or stuffed pepper

NOTE: Of course you can use any strong cheddar you want. Maybe it's all in my head and being a proud Canadian but I always seem to prefer the flavour that comes out of Canadian cheddar :)

Enjoy!

It's Friday! 'Ciabatta Pizza'

My boyfriend and I love pizza. We categorize pizza as a treat so we usually end up having it on a Friday night while watching a good movie. This recipe is such a nice change from the common order in or frozen store bought pizza and SO SIMPLE to make!

The fun thing about making your own pizza is chosing yourself what toppings you mix and how much you want of each one. This was mine...



(Feeds 2 people)

1 large loaf of ciabatta bread
2 tbsp garlic butter
3 tbsp tomato sauce
3 tbsp red pesto (I used roasted red pepper pesto)
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 an orange pepper - chopped (I'm not a big fan of green)
1/4 small onion - chopped
1/2 smoked sausage - sliced very thin and cut quarterly
1 large mushroom (or 2 small) - halved and sliced

Instructions
- Cut ciabatta loaf in 2 even size pieces, then slice each open sideways (to make 4 open pieces)
- place ciabatta pieces in the warm-hot oven for about 10 min to toast them slightly
- Meanwhile mix tomato sauce and pesto together in a bowl and cut all your topping ingredients as mentioned above
- Spread 1/4 tbsp of garlic butter on each piece of ciabatta
- Spread tomato sauce mixture evenly on each piece of ciabatta
- Then sprinkle on half the mozzarella
- Evenly distribute your toppings on each ciabatta
- Finish it off by sprinkling the remaining mozzarella over top of each
- Place pizzas on a racked baking pan
- Cook in the oven at 400 F (gas mark 6) for approximately 15min or until top is starting to turn golden.
Keep an eye on it. If you noticed the top starts turning colour too soon turn the temperature down a bit (as all ovens vary)