Thin Crust Pizza

I finally got a photo of something savoury! From the recipes on this blog it might appear that my house subsists on cookies and muffins alone but the truth is planning and cooking dinner is the highlight of my day. My Dinners Board on Pinterest is my biggest by far (560 pins and counting!) and is getting to the point that I should probably start sorting it into sub-categories of some kind. I’ve been lucky enough to get a bunch of early shifts over the past few weeks which gives me ample time in the afternoons to cook dinners that take a bit more prep work. I’m not a fan of rushed cooking so getting the time potter around the kitchen at my own pace is dreamy. For nights when time is nowhere to be found, this pizza does the job admirably.

I like me a thick crust every now and then but thin crust is my favourite when I look into my heart of hearts. Working quickly once the dough is rolled out is important, the longer it sits and rises the thicker it will be once it cooks. It will still taste great but you might not get the thin dough you were cravin’. Go easy on the toppings to ensure even cooking and be sure to try grating some parmesan on after the pizza has finished cooking, it’s something that I do no matter what recipe I use.

Thin Crust Pizza

Barely adapted from Thin Crust Pizza over at How Sweet It Is.

Dough (for one pizza):

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp honey

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

Toppings:

passata (tomato sauce)

garlic, crushed

salt and pepper

mozzarella

salami

fresh basil

parmesan

Preheat the oven to its highest temperature.

In a medium bowl whisk together the water, yeast and honey, allow to sit for around 10 minutes until frothy (if the mixture doesn’t get frothy, your yeast could be dead, check the expiry date on the packet and start with a new sachet of yeast).

While you wait the 10 minutes prepare whatever toppings you have chosen, try to keep them relatively light so as not to weigh your base down.

When the 10 minutes are up mix the flour and salt into the yeast mixture, starting with a wooden spoon and finishing with your hands.

Lightly flour a flat surface and knead dough until smooth and silky, place it back into the mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Tear off a piece of baking paper (roughly the width of your oven) and spray it with oil then dust lightly with flour.

Roll out the dough onto the prepared baking paper as thin as possible, aiming for 30 cm (if the dough is too elastic and springs back allow it to sit for another 5 minutes).

Quickly add your chosen toppings then use a baking tray to transfer the pizza on its baking paper straight on to the middle rack of your oven.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the base is light brown on the bottom.

Remove from the oven using the help of a baking tray, sprinkle with any toppings that didn’t go on earlier like fresh basil or parmesan).

Allow to sit for a few minutes then slice and serve.

Honey-ed Jalapeno Popper Toasted Sandwich

No menu this week, I’m jet-setting to Sydney and the gang has to fend for themselves for once. The Boyfriend and I wanted toasted sandwiches for an easy lunch before I left, so I went to the undisputed king of grilled cheese over at Closet Cooking for filling ideas. The Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese stood out immediately and then things got out of control when I drizzled honey all over it. Jarred jalapeños aren’t particularly fiery but you can remove the seeds for a milder warmth. Jalapeno poppers usually have bacon wrapped around them but I substituted with ham to avoid adding another frying pan to the mix (it’s just occurred to me though, what about toasting the sandwiches in BACON FAT?!).

I haven’t included quantities for the fillings because it depends on the size of your bread, personal preference for cheese and spiciness from the jalapeños, so just fill in the blanks with what you like.

I’ll post again when I get back from Sydney next week, hopefully with lots of food photos!

Honey-ed Jalapeno Popper Toasted Sandwich

Inspired by Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich over at Closet Cooking.

2 thick slices sourdough

butter

cream cheese

sharp cheddar, grated

jarred jalapeños, sliced

smoked ham, thinly sliced

honey

Put a small frying pan on medium heat.

Butter the outside of each slice of bread.

On the non-buttered side of one piece of bread, spread on cream cheese then add the grated cheese, jarred jalapenos, ham and drizzle with honey.

Add a little more grated cheese then top with the other slice of bread (butter side out) and place in the pan, cooking 2-4 minutes each side, or until dark brown and the cheese inside has melted.

Drunken Pulled Pork Quesadillas

New favourite dinner, we had this 2 weeks in a row and not just because the recipe makes so much pulled pork. This was my attempt at recreating the Pulled Pork Quesadillas from Typika in Perth and I have to say, I’m pretty darn pleased with my efforts. The pork came together without too much need for tweaking and the Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa came out right on the first go as well. Even though both elements are delicious on their own it’s unbelievable how much better they taste together, totally food BFF’s.

If you can’t face doing everything on the same day then cook the pork a day in advance and allow it to nap overnight in the fridge, then all you have to do is whip up the salsa just before you eat. You can feed a bunch of people with 1.5kg of pork or freeze half of it for a future dinner. I cooked the pork in my pressure cooker, which I am currently courting and getting to know a little better. I was scared of it to begin with but with the option of reducing meat to tender shreds in 50 minutes, I’m seriously considering ending things with the slow cooker.

Drunken Pulled Pork Quesadillas

Recipe by Ainsley Badman.

Drunken Pulled Pork:

1 cup smokey BBQ sauce

330 ml beer

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

1.5 kg pork shoulder, skin removed

In a medium mixing bowl combine all ingredients but the pork, mix well and adjust flavours to your preference.

Place the pork in a pressure cooker and pour over the marinade, cook for 50 minutes (follow your pressure cooker’s instructions).

Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker with the marinade for 7 hours on low.

OR Cook in a 160 C oven for 2-4 hours with the marinade in a dish tightly covered with aluminium foil.

Remove the pork from the sauce and allow to cool slightly, shred with two forks and set aside.

Transfer the liquid into a medium saucepan and simmer until it thickens then mix it back into the shredded pork.

To serve:

grated cheese

flour tortillas

one serve of Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Cover half a tortilla with 1/2 cup of cheese and desired amount of the shredded pork, fold in half then grill for 5 minutes on each side (or until the tortilla is light brown).

Serve with Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream + Places to Visit in Perth

I’m back from Perth! It was a whirlwind of brunches and family parties, with sooo much good food. We made repeat appearances at Ootong and Lincoln and I drank the tastiest Iced Coffee of my life at Typika, not to mention their insane Pulled Pork Quesadillas with Salsa (hopefully I will have a copy cat recipe up at some point).

We had Tomato and Chilli Mussels at Little Creatures and ate Arepa’s and freshly fried Donuts at the Freo Markets. I tried the Hashbrown with Poached Eggs at the Little Stove Cafe and at The Roasting Warehouse I absolutely monstered the Cornbread with Maple Bacon, Poached Eggs and Salsa (this one would be super easy at home).

This ice cream recipe is un-related to my trip to Perth (I didn’t get any photos of my food over there). It’s crazy easy and delicious, make it for the person in your life who can never get enough cheesecake.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s Cheesecake Ice Cream from The Perfect Scoop.

Strawberry Swirl:

2 1/4 cups chopped strawberries

1 cup caster sugar

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring to a boil for 5-8 minutes (until it reaches 105 C).

Allow to cool slightly then push through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

Cover with cling film (press the cling film on to the surface of the syrup to prevent condensation) and chill completely in the fridge before using.

Ice Cream:

250g cream cheese

1 lemon

1 cup greek yoghurt or sour cream

1/4 cup thickened cream

1/4 cup milk

2/3 cup sugar

big pinch of salt

Cut the cream cheese into small pieces then place in a blender.

Zest the lemon directly into the blender then add all of the other ingredients and puree until completely smooth.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cover with cling film (pressing it onto the surface of the mixture) then chill thoroughly in the fridge.

Churn in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions, then transfer to a 1L container in alternating layers with the Strawberry Swirl.

Chill for at least 4 hours before eating.

If you have any extra Strawberry Swirl then add it to the ice cream as you eat it.

Jalapeño Cornmeal Muffins

I’m posting this recipe today because I’m going away until the 6th October and it’s impossible for you to be mad at me if you have a muffin in your mouth. I won’t always have access to a computer so I can’t make any promises about regular posting but this recipe is so good that it will see you through. They’re quite sweet but the cheese and jalapeño turn it into a savoury muffin and they are beyond perfection eaten warm with salty butter (splashing on some Tabasco doesn’t hurt either but when is Tabasco NOT a good idea?). I left all of the seeds in the jalapeño and you get a bit of warmth here and there but I’d say these are pretty safe for people who don’t handle their chilli well.

Jalapeño Cornmeal Muffins

Adapted from Jalapeño Sweetcorn Muffins over at Two Red Bowls.

1 1/4 cups plain flour

3/4 cup polenta

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 1/4 cups milk (or buttermilk)

2 eggs

3 tbsp honey

6 tbsp vegetable oil

1 jalapeño, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 spring onions, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 200 C and spray a muffin tin thoroughly with oil (you can also line it with paper liners but I find that the cheese in the batter sticks to them, making the paper hard to remove).

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the plain flour, polenta, baking powder, baking soda, salt and caster sugar.

In a small bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, honey and vegetable oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined then fold in the jalapeño, cheese and spring onions.

Divide the mixture between the 12 holes in the muffin tin and bake for 15-18 minutes, when a skewer poked in comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Best eaten slathered with butter and hot sauce.

Cheesy Zucchini Bites

A savoury recipe? Whaaaaaaaaaat. Don’t worry, I’m not ill, I just had a bunch of zucchini’s to use up. As soon as these bites were cool enough I tried one, then another one, then just one more to be completely sure that they were DELICIOUS. These would be great for picnics, lunchboxes and as a savoury snack in general. You can flavour them any way that you like, just make sure you don’t add anything with too much moisture. I have dreams of doing a feta and mint version, how rad would that be?

Cheesy Zucchini Bites

Adapted from Baked Cheesy Zucchini Bites over at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

3 cups grated zucchini, packed (about 3 medium zucchini’s)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 tsp garlic powder

6 tbsp finely chopped parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat the oven to 220 C and line a large baking tray with baking paper, spray it lightly with oil.

Place the zucchini in a kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible (do this over the sink).

Mix together the zucchini with all of the other ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and slightly flatten them using your hands.

Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the edges start to brown (this depends a lot on your oven).

Allow to cool on the tray, eat warm or at room temperature.

Chilli con Carne

Chilli con Carne toppings have become pretty elaborate at our house, extending but not restricted to sour cream, cheese, salsa, tomatoes, carrot, red onion and coriander. Cornbread is also becoming a regular companion and the recipe that is floating my boat at the moment is Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread. The leftovers of the cornbread make kick butt croutons and a crunchy topping for nachos.

My chilli ends up different every time but I think I’ve got down all the essentials. It looks like a lot of spices but at this point I knows what I likes, so don’t be tight fisted the cumin and paprika. Take it easy on the sugar and the salt to start off with because the flavour will develop over the hours it’s simmering and you can’t do anything to take back too much salt. Do your major tasting and seasoning tweaking about 15 minutes before serving, making sure that you get a nice balance with the Tabasco, sugar and salt. As always, make changes to suit your personal taste and leave out the chillies if they’re not your bag. Chipotle chiles usually come in tins and are smoked jalapenos, they add really good flavour and spice but leave them out if you can’t track any down (you can usually find them in stores that stock Mexican or American food products).

Chilli con Carne

Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Chilli con Jamie from Jamie’s America.

2 onions, chopped

2 capsicums, chopped

10 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp ground cumin

3 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 kg beef mince

3-4 fresh chillies, chopped finely (de-seed if you want it milder)

1 chipotle chilli, chopped finely

2 tins chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar

2 tbsp decaf instant coffee

2 tins red kidney beans

10 drops liquid smoke

Tabasco to taste

In a large pot over medium heat add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, then the onions, capsicum and garlic.

Fry until the onion is translucent then add the cumin, paprika, oregano, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and stir until fragrant.

Add the beef mince and cook until it has turned from pink to brown.

Stir in the fresh chillies, chipotle chilli, tomatoes, maple syrup and instant coffee.

Add in 1 cup of water and lower to a bare simmer, allow to bubble for 1 hour.

Add in the drained red kidney beans and cook for 1-2 hours, adding water as necessary to stop it from sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Taste and add salt and pepper to season.

Add liquid smoke and Tabasco.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

This is the cornbread I’ve been waiting for. Crumbly, not too sweet and peppered with little green specks of jalapeño. The fact that there is a whole 1 1/2 cups of cheese in the batter sure doesn’t hurt either. I baked this for my Chilli con Carne spree so in the words of Latrice Royale, my favourite drag queen, SOP IT UP!

I baked my bread in an 8 X 8 inch slice tin that turned out to be the perfect size but use any kind of tin that you have, just reduce the cooking time for tins that are bigger than 8 X 8 inches. I never have buttermilk in the house so I make it as I need it by stirring 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Adapted from Piquant Cornbread over at Saveur.

1 cup polenta

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

75g butter

1 egg

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 jalapeños, chopped finely (de-seeded if you like it mild)

Preheat the oven to 200 C and spray an 8 X 8 inch baking tin with oil.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cumin and chilli flakes.

In small saucepan combine the buttermilk, milk and butter, heat on very low until the butter has just melted then whisk in the egg.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Fold in the cheese and jalapeños then transfer to the prepared baking tin, smoothing the top with a spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes then allow to rest on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm.

Sweet Chilli Cheese Scrolls

My sister goes banay-nays over these. She doesn’t have a sweet tooth and can easily resist chocolate (ARE WE EVEN RELATED?!) but if I bake something with sweet chilli and cheese I’ve got to watch it like a hawk, she’ll be picking at it as soon as I turn my back. Another favourite variation is adding feta and baby spinach but only when I happen to have them in the house. If you don’t like rubbing butter into flour like this moi, very gently heat the butter and milk together until the butter is just melted, then pour it into the flour mixture and mix into a sticky dough. I like to use a pyrex dish to bake them in so that I can monitor how caramelised the bases get but you can cook these on any king of tray. Don’t be afraid to let the sweet chilli on the base burn a little, that’s where the flavour at!

Sweet Chilli Cheese Scrolls

I’ve had this recipe for so long that I only vaguely remember getting it from a magazine. Thanks anonymous magazine!

2 cups self-raising flour

1 tbsp caster sugar

40g butter

3/4 cup milk

5-6 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 200 C and spray a pyrex casserole dish with oil.

Mix the flour and sugar together in a large mixing bowl then rub in the butter.

Stir the milk in to create a soft, sticky dough.

Turn out on to a well floured surface and roll out into a large rectangle (about 40 x 20cm).

Spread the sweet chilli sauce evenly onto the dough (add more if you really like sweet chilli sauce).

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the dough, then roll up into a large scroll so that you make a 40cm long scroll.

With an extremely sharp knife cut into 1.5cm thick pieces and place in the prepared tray with around 1 cm between each scroll.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned, then repeat until all the scrolls are cooked.

Sweet Chilli Palmiers

Only make these if you can take them to party straight away to share with other people. If you don’t then you will end up eating one every time you go into the kitchen and before you know it half the tray will be gone. Not that it happened to me. All conjecture. They’re a perfect two bites, one if you’re determined. Don’t be scared if the sweet chilli burns on the bottom, it’s meant to happen and once you eat one you will understand why. I have also made these with a filling of cream cheese and semi-sundried tomatoes but to be honest I am a sweet chilli gurl 4 lyf. If you do make these to go to a party I would recommend doubling or tripling the recipe, they tend to go fast. Of course the amount of sweet chilli and cheese is negotiable but I found that 4 tbsp of sweet chilli was a good amount to coat the puff pastry without it dripping out too much when you roll it and cut it.

Sweet Chilli Palmiers

Recipe by Ainsley Badman.

3 sheets of puff pastry, thawed

12 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Spread 4 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce on each piece of puff pastry.

Sprinkle each piece of puff pastry with one third of the cheese.

Roll up two opposite sides of the pastry until they meet in the middle, press them together and repeat with all three pieces.

Chill the rolled pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 C while the pastry is chilling, and line a large baking tray with baking paper, spraying it lightly with oil.

Slice the rolled pastry into 1cm pieces and arrange on the baking tray, leaving enough space to allow for the pastry to puff up.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

Allow to cool on the tray then store in an airtight container.