Friday nights we have pizza - and you should too. In summer, you'll top with your own basil and tomatoes - and year round you can use your own jalapeños, Balsamic eggplants and fresh or dried herbs (Jane & Peter).
BasesLet's cover the pizza bases:
For Trader Joe's pizza dough: bring to room temperature - but only just. (It's hard to roll out if it's too cold or too warm.)
Tip: keep a few packs of dough in the freezer and defrost 30 - 45 mins. Pre-heat oven to 475F. Dust kitchen bench and rolling pin with plain flour. Roll out dough then lay out on parchment paper on large baking tray. Bake for about 5 minutes. Less Cheese Gromit
My rule - not too much cheese. Good old shredded mozzarella is hard to beat - but feta works well with some combinations, and also fresh mozzarella sliced thinly.
The old grocer George from the Deakin shops said half mozzarella and half fresh parmesan. You could call them thirds and add Monterey Jack into the mix if you wanted. |
SaucesEvery good pizza needs a good sauce - but not too much. Some ideas:
ToppingsVegetarianProbably our signature pizza:
When done, add thinly sliced tomatoes and fresh herbs. PepperoniThe only pizza, according to 89% of American kids. Our recipe:
When done, add thinly sliced tomatoes and fresh herbs. |
Ham and Pineapple
The regular ham and pineapple pizza is easy enough - follow prior instructions and add whatever ham you have, onions - and, best of all, fresh pineapple and fresh herbs.
Ed's adapted variation Make a regular pizza with onions and just a thin covering of thinly sliced pineapple and cheese. Once out of the oven, top with Spanish ham or Prosciutto. Thai Chicken
Use pre-cooked or baked chicken pieces. The real secret here is the sauce for the base:
1/2 cup peanut butter 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons minced ginger crushed garlic 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 teaspoons soy sauce Chili 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (if you have it) ~ 2 tablespoons oil Prepare your base, dunk your chicken pieces in the peanut sauce, then coat the base with the peanut sauce. Add some red onions, shredded carrot, bean sprouts and 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts. When cooked, top with cilantro/coriander. Other toppings
Get creative. Some suggestions:
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