Pizza!

After comin' back from Europe, I had a sudden crave for pizza.  Sadly, I don't have the Italian touch.  Their pizzas are to die for!  Do stay tune for the photos of the other european locations.  Post-production in progress.

Down to business.... Pizza making!  Its actually quite simple.  You can either get the dough from your local hypermarket or supermarket; OR you can do your own dough!  Please skip the dough portion if you bought one already ;)

Pizza

Dough Portion


Ingredients:

• 4.5 cups All Purpose White Flour
• 1/4 cups Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 packet Dry Yeast
• 1.5 cups Warm Water
• 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar

Steps:

1. Measure 0.5 cups of warm water and stir in 2 teaspoons of brown sugar.  Ensure water is warm and not hot.  Dissolve the packet of dry yeast.  Leave it for 5 minutes at least.
2. Sift 4 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the salt.  Make a depression in the middle of the flour and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 cup of warm water.
3. When the yeast mixture has risen after the 5 minutes, add it to the flour.  Mix all together with hands and place on a floured surface.  Knead the dough for 8 - 10 minutes. *
4. Rub a clean bowl with olive oil and place the kneaded dough into it.  Moisten the top of the dough with olive oil.  Place a clean cloth over the bowl and keep it in a warm place to rise 90 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven for 15 minutes.  While preheating, you may use your rolling pin to flatten the dough to a circular shape.  If you would like a thin crust, split the kneaded dough into 2 before rolling it.  When dough is flatten, place it into the oven. **
6. Bake the dough for around 15 minutes.  Make sure you don't over bake it, as we just want to ensure the dough is properly baked when we placed the toppings. 

Notes:
* You can try adding Parmesan or Oregano into the dough to give it more flavor. 

** You may flour the oven dish.  This would make your dough to a biscuit like texture after bake - Less oily.  Or you make butter your oven dish.  This would give you a crunchy form base - Possibly oily.


Toppings Portion

Ingredients:

• Shredded Mozzarella/Cheedar or any kind of cheese. 
• Mixed Herbs
• 200g Tomato Puree
• 2 Chopped Onions
• Optional Toppings - Pineapple Pieces, Sliced Mushrooms, Sliced Capsicums/Bell Peppers, Olives, Peperoni, Salami, Cooked Mince Chicken, Tuna Pieces etc.

Steps:

1. Spread a thin layer of tomato puree on the semi-baked dough.  Sprinkle the onions on it.
2. Do you customization of optional toppings.  Let your creativity fly!
3. Sprinkle the cheese on the top and spread it out evenly.  Sprinkle mixed herbs on the top.

4. Put it back into the oven to bake.  It would take approx. 20 minutes.  Baked until the cheese melts and a little golden brown.
5. Slice it up and serve! 

Notes:
* You can try cracking an egg on top of it when the pizza is closed to being well done.
* You can try sprinkling chili flakes on top to give it the spicy kick!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Bolognaise

This is a super late post. I did this 2 weeks ago. I was suppose to post this for Valentine's. As it makes a good main course for a candlelight and wine dinner :)

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Ingredients:

• Pasta or the standard spaghetti pasta. 
• Olive Oil
• 2 Big Carrots
• 2 Big Onions
• 2 Green Peppers / Capsicum
• 4 Big Tomatoes
• Button Mushrooms (Fresh / Canned) *
• Oyster Mushrooms (Optional)*
• 200g Streaky Bacon (Optional)*
• 500g Mince Meat (Chicken / Beef / Pork)
• White Pepper
• Black Pepper
• 2 - 3 Bay Leaves
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Tomato Puree (Small Can)
• Spaghetti Sauce (1 Mid-Size Bottle Prego Brand)
• Salt
• A serving of Red Wine (Optional)
• Parmesan Cheese
• Mozerella / Cheddar Cheese

* Quantity based on your own preference.

Steps for the Sauce:

1. Diced the Onions, Green Peppers / Capsicums, Streaky Bacon, and Tomatoes.  Shred the Carrots.  Slice the Buttom Mushrooms.  Peel the Oyster Mushrooms into manageable pieces.

2. Take the Mince Meat and place it into a bowl.  Sprinkle few dashes of White Pepper and Black Pepper until its all over the meat, and a dash of salt.  Mix the meat well.  Leave it aside.
3. Heat a big pot with Olive Oil.  Once the oil is heated, put your diced Streaky Bacon.  Stir fry it until it is cooked, then put your diced Onions in and stir it for half a minute.  Put in the diced Green Peppers / Capsicums.  Stir fry it until it is soft.  Put in the Bay Leaves.

4. Put in the Mince Meat mix into the pot.  Stir it until the meat is cooked (Chicken / Pork turns solid white; Beef turns brown).  Add in a little more dashes of White Pepper and Black Pepper.

5. Put in the shredded Carrots, sliced Button Mushrooms, and diced Tomatoes.  Stir it continuously until the diced Tomatoes go soft.
6. Sprinkle the Oregano and Thyme into the pot.  Stir it until the herbs are mixed in.

7. Pour in the Tomato Puree into the pot.  Stir well.
8. Pour in the Spaghetti Sauce.  Add in a mug of water.  Stir well.
9. Put in the peeled Oyster Mushrooms.  Pour a serving of Red Wine into the pot.  Stir well.
10. Sprinkle a few dash of Salt.  Stir and taste the sauce.  If insufficient taste, sprinkle more salt.  Normally, a tablespoon is sufficient.
11. Close the pot and let it boil.  Do stir it in an interval of 10 minutes to avoid burning the bottom.  Let it boil for 30 minutes.

Steps for Serving:

1. Boil quarter pot of water, with a dash of Olive Oil and Salt.
2. Put in the Pasta when the water is boiling.
3. When the Pasta is soft, drain the water and pour a few tablespoons of Olive Oil.
4. Mix the Pasta and Oil well.  So the pasta will not stick together.
5. Take a self-preferred portion of Pasta and put onto a plate.
6. Shred some Mozerella / Cheddar Cheese on the Pasta.
7. Pour a self-preferred portion of the Sauce on the Pasta.
8. Sprinkle some Parmesan Cheese.
9. Serve immediately.

 
This recipe is quite tiring, as it needs a lot of stirring.  Please do take note, Pork and Wine is optional.

Good luck and enjoy :)