It’s fun to make your own Pizza. The kids can help too!
Ingredients:
225g bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
1 tsp instant yeast (about 1 packet dry)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil (plus extra for oiling)
150ml warm water (just over ½ cup)
Method:
Oil a large bowl evenly. Mix dry ingredients together in another large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the ingredients and add the olive oil and warm water. Mix the ingredients first with a spoon and then with your hands. Knead dough until you get a soft dough, remove it from the bowl at this point and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. To test if the dough is ready make it into a ball and stick your finger in the middle, if the dough springs back it is ready. Place the dough in the oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise for about an hour in a warm place. It will double in size, don’t be in a hurry – leave it for longer if needed. After rising, test the dough: press it with your finger – it should leave a mark. Knead the dough for about 1 minute (called knocking it down) then cut it as required. Shape into balls and roll out on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Place the bases on a lightly oiled baking tray. Spread each base with tomato paste, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Add the toppings you want and sprinkle with cheese of your choice. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes at 200°C.
The kids will be proud of their artwork and will eat ‘til they pop!
Handy Hint: If you start mixing the dough with your hands they will get too sticky and the dough will stick to your hands to much for you to able to work with them!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Vetkoek
This is a very easy, very quick recipe that turns out perfect everytime!
This is such a versatile food, savoury or sweet, it is always delicious!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 Egg (beaten)
1 Cup milk or water (Plus a little extra)
250 - 500ml Cooking oil
Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat the egg nd the milk/water together and stir in the dry ingredients to make a sticky dough.
Heat oil in a deep pot to just below boiling temperature. Drop spoonfuls into the pot. Cook until golden brown on both sides, turning over if necessary.
Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with butter and Jam for sweet or mince/curried mince for savoury!
This is such a versatile food, savoury or sweet, it is always delicious!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 Egg (beaten)
1 Cup milk or water (Plus a little extra)
250 - 500ml Cooking oil
Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Beat the egg nd the milk/water together and stir in the dry ingredients to make a sticky dough.
Heat oil in a deep pot to just below boiling temperature. Drop spoonfuls into the pot. Cook until golden brown on both sides, turning over if necessary.
Remove and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with butter and Jam for sweet or mince/curried mince for savoury!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Cornish Pasty Filling
Perfect to go with the pie pastry recipe!
Ingredients:
500g Cubed beef (cubes to be 1cm)
2 Medium Potatoes
1 Medium Carrot
Frozen peas (optional)
1 Onion
1 packet beef soup
Pinch of Parsley
Salt to taste
Black pepper
Method:
Brown onion and beef in a frying pan. Add the beef soup powder and use approximately ½ the recommended amount stated on the packet to make soup, this will ensure a good gravy. Dice your carrot and potatoes into 1cm square pieces and add to the beef mixture. Add the peas if you want to, parsely, salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. The mixture should be thick enough that when you place it in the middle of the pie cases it doesn’t run away.
Handy Hint: The beef will cook further inside the pies in the oven so the beef need not be soft!
Ingredients:
500g Cubed beef (cubes to be 1cm)
2 Medium Potatoes
1 Medium Carrot
Frozen peas (optional)
1 Onion
1 packet beef soup
Pinch of Parsley
Salt to taste
Black pepper
Method:
Brown onion and beef in a frying pan. Add the beef soup powder and use approximately ½ the recommended amount stated on the packet to make soup, this will ensure a good gravy. Dice your carrot and potatoes into 1cm square pieces and add to the beef mixture. Add the peas if you want to, parsely, salt and pepper and cook stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens. The mixture should be thick enough that when you place it in the middle of the pie cases it doesn’t run away.
Handy Hint: The beef will cook further inside the pies in the oven so the beef need not be soft!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Homemade Pies
I like to make Cornish Pasties. They seem to be the most popular with a lot of people.
Shortcrust Pastry:
This makes 22 small pies (basic recipes will tell you only 8 but I like less pastry and more filling!
Ingredients:
500ml Cake Flour
2ml Salt
125g Cold Butter or Hard margarine (Buy the cheapest block and use that)
125ml Ice Water
5ml Lemon juice (you can replace this with vinegar or brandy for a similar result)
Method:
Sift flour and salt together. Cut butter/margarine into smallish pieces and rub into the flour using your fingertips. When the mixture looks like bread crumbs, mix in the water, lemon juice and knead until it makes a soft but not sticky dough. Cover with plastic (or a dish towel for the environmentally conscience) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Pies:
Take some dough and roll out to about 3mm thick using a rolling pin on a well floured surface. Decide on the pie size (smaller works better) and cut our suitable sized rounds, remembering the pie will be half the size of the round cut out. Brush around the edges of the inside of the pies with and egg/milk mixture (I use an egg mixed). Add the filling of your choice to the centre of the pie. Be careful not to overfill your pies as it will leak out during cooking. Seal the pies and press down the pie edges using a fork or the handle of a spoon to seal them well. Brush the top of the pie with the egg/milk mixture and bake at 200°C for between 20 and 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Handy Tip: When making pastry, always keep your hands, tools and ingredients as cold as possible.
Shortcrust Pastry:
This makes 22 small pies (basic recipes will tell you only 8 but I like less pastry and more filling!
Ingredients:
500ml Cake Flour
2ml Salt
125g Cold Butter or Hard margarine (Buy the cheapest block and use that)
125ml Ice Water
5ml Lemon juice (you can replace this with vinegar or brandy for a similar result)
Method:
Sift flour and salt together. Cut butter/margarine into smallish pieces and rub into the flour using your fingertips. When the mixture looks like bread crumbs, mix in the water, lemon juice and knead until it makes a soft but not sticky dough. Cover with plastic (or a dish towel for the environmentally conscience) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Pies:
Take some dough and roll out to about 3mm thick using a rolling pin on a well floured surface. Decide on the pie size (smaller works better) and cut our suitable sized rounds, remembering the pie will be half the size of the round cut out. Brush around the edges of the inside of the pies with and egg/milk mixture (I use an egg mixed). Add the filling of your choice to the centre of the pie. Be careful not to overfill your pies as it will leak out during cooking. Seal the pies and press down the pie edges using a fork or the handle of a spoon to seal them well. Brush the top of the pie with the egg/milk mixture and bake at 200°C for between 20 and 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy!
Handy Tip: When making pastry, always keep your hands, tools and ingredients as cold as possible.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Crusty Home-made White Bread
This is a substantial tasty bread – no airy-fairy loaf! Delicious when sliced straight out of the oven with butter.
Ingredients
1kg Cake/White bread flour (about 7 cups)
2 tsp salt
2tsp sugar
10g Instant dry yeast
4tsp Margarine/butter
650ml (+/- 2½ Cups) Luke warm water
Method:
Sift the flour, salt and sugar together. Add dry yeast and mix. Rub in the margarine or butter. Slowly add the luke-warm water to make a soft dough. This is the tricky part. Too much water will make it sticky and it won’t rise properly (it sticks to the side of the bowl). Too little and the reaction to the yeast won’t happen properly – it won’t rise properly either.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. Don’t be gentle! When finished the dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover it well. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. Use a large bowl, the dough can rise to more than twice the size. You don’t want it to stick to the cover or overflow.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface, knead again for a few minutes.
Split the dough into two equal pieces. Place each piece into a greased loaf tin and cover with some oiled plastic wrap or clingfilm. Leave it to rise in a warm area again for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Once risen brush the tops of the loaves with a little water and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 35 minutes.
Once cooked leave the loaves in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out.
Now for the best part – deciding on what you want to put on it before devouring!
Handy tip: Yeast (which makes the bread rise, is alive!It needs to be kept warm and toasty like a new-born baby. Careful – too hot and the yeast will die.
Handy Tip: Bread and Cake flour are almost identical. Cake flour has been refined a little further. It is quite safe to use.
Ingredients
1kg Cake/White bread flour (about 7 cups)
2 tsp salt
2tsp sugar
10g Instant dry yeast
4tsp Margarine/butter
650ml (+/- 2½ Cups) Luke warm water
Method:
Sift the flour, salt and sugar together. Add dry yeast and mix. Rub in the margarine or butter. Slowly add the luke-warm water to make a soft dough. This is the tricky part. Too much water will make it sticky and it won’t rise properly (it sticks to the side of the bowl). Too little and the reaction to the yeast won’t happen properly – it won’t rise properly either.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. Don’t be gentle! When finished the dough should be smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl and cover it well. Leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. Use a large bowl, the dough can rise to more than twice the size. You don’t want it to stick to the cover or overflow.
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface, knead again for a few minutes.
Split the dough into two equal pieces. Place each piece into a greased loaf tin and cover with some oiled plastic wrap or clingfilm. Leave it to rise in a warm area again for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Once risen brush the tops of the loaves with a little water and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 35 minutes.
Once cooked leave the loaves in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out.
Now for the best part – deciding on what you want to put on it before devouring!
Handy tip: Yeast (which makes the bread rise, is alive!It needs to be kept warm and toasty like a new-born baby. Careful – too hot and the yeast will die.
Handy Tip: Bread and Cake flour are almost identical. Cake flour has been refined a little further. It is quite safe to use.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Pumpkin Fritters
We made this for dessert last night. Wow, has it been a long time since I had these and wow again, we they awesome! The perfect way to feed yourself and your kids pumpkin without knowing. So close to pancakes you would think they had no pumpkin in them.
Ingredients:
2 Cups cooked mashed pumpkin*
½ Cup cake flour
1tsp baking powder
2ml salt
2 beaten eggs
Cinnamon Sugar mix§
*To cook the pumpkin boil in a little water with no salt, sugar or any fancies, once soft, mash with a potato masher.
§ Mix Cinnamon and sugar together in the ration 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar.
Method:
In a large mixing bowl mix pumpkin, flour, baking powder and salt together. Slowly add eggs while mixing to form a thick batter. Heat a large frying pan coated with non-stick spray. Spoon amounts onto hot surface. When bubbles appear on the uncooked side, flip over. Cook both sides to golden brown.(I like them to be about the same size as a flapjack).
Place cooked fritters on a paper towel and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.
Go on you can lick your fingers, just this once.
Ingredients:
2 Cups cooked mashed pumpkin*
½ Cup cake flour
1tsp baking powder
2ml salt
2 beaten eggs
Cinnamon Sugar mix§
*To cook the pumpkin boil in a little water with no salt, sugar or any fancies, once soft, mash with a potato masher.
§ Mix Cinnamon and sugar together in the ration 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar.
Method:
In a large mixing bowl mix pumpkin, flour, baking powder and salt together. Slowly add eggs while mixing to form a thick batter. Heat a large frying pan coated with non-stick spray. Spoon amounts onto hot surface. When bubbles appear on the uncooked side, flip over. Cook both sides to golden brown.(I like them to be about the same size as a flapjack).
Place cooked fritters on a paper towel and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.
Go on you can lick your fingers, just this once.
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