Herby Stuffed Crust Pizza

The manic week from hell is over. The dreaded Ofsted paid us a visit. Thankfully the weather and kids behaved themselves (ask any teacher and they'll tell you kids go loopy when it's windy) and we did well. The Head, governors and LA thanked us today by treating us staff to a tonne of cream cakes, chocolate & what seemed to be the worlds biggest fruit bowl. By the end of the day a huge dent had been made in the cream cakes (well they did HAVE to be eaten!) and the fruit...well it can wait another day.

After a few months of feeling really uncertain in my job my boss has given me an offer I can't refuse. My science background and quite frankly, food-geekyness has impressed her so much she's asked if I'll help lead the Healthy Schools initiative. Healthy Schools is all about promoting the health and well-being of its pupils and staff through healthy lifestyle choices. I have a little troupe of 9-11 year old grow-your-own wannabes and after half term will be launching a parents & child cookery club, Jamie O eat your heart out. We'll ignore the cream cakes and chocolate in the staffroom, they are a well earned treat!

Tonight I wanted a quick and easy tea, plus we had quite a bit of stuff needing to be used up. I'm also thinking about making pizza in one of the first cookery classes. Initially it wasn't meant to be stuffed crust, but Hubby rolled the dough out a bit too big and it wouldn't fit on the baking tray so folded the edges over on top of some of the cheese. Well if Pizza Hut...sorry Pasta Hut can stuff their crusts, so can I.

Herby Stuffed Crust Pizza
Serves 2 very hungry people or 4 with a side

Base
500g strong white bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp of yeast (or 1 sachet of fast-action yeast)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
300ml warm water ( 1/3 freshly boiled, 2/3 cold water)
1 tbsp mixed herbs

Sauce
1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of sugar

Topping

1 block pizza mozzarella (you can use any cheese you want)
any other toppings you want!
olive oil
basil leaves (optional)

If you are NOT using fast-action yeast prepare yeast with the warm water & sugar and leave for 15 min to froth.

1) Mix together flour, salt, herbs and fast-action yeast (if using).

2) Stir olive oil into the warm water/sugar mix. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour, stirring constantly until well combined. It should form together to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.

3) Knead dough on a floured surface for 10 min. If using a mixer, use dough hook and knead for 2 min. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave to prove in a warm, draft-less place for 2 hours (or until dough has doubled in size).

4) In a small saucepan simmer all of the sauce ingredients for 10-15 min until you have a thick sauce.

5) Preheat oven and the biggest baking tray you can find to 250oc (or the hottest your oven will go). Roll out the dough and place on the hot baking tray. Place a row of cheese about an inch in from the edge of the dough. Fold the dough over the cheese.

6)Spread the sauce evenly over the dough base then sprinkle over the cheese and any other topping you want. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 8-10, until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbling.

Venison Meatballs

I apologise in advance about the deterioration in my photography from now on until the spring. Light isn't great in the kitchen and with the nights drawing in this means I don't take as good photos. But I'm slowly learning how to use our camera properly and in turn I should be a bit better at taking pics.

A few weekends ago on Something for the Weekend (my favourite Sunday lie-in programme), Simon Rimmer made some delicious looking Venison Meatballs. I've been meaning to make it for some weeks now. Our lovely butcher Stuart ordered in some venison in for me and then minced it.

I've always been undecided about venison. It's more of a psychological "argh, I'm eating bambi" issue rather than not liking the taste. Saying that, watching Babe has never stopped a craving for a bacon butty. The ragu was delicious and rich and would be just as good as just a basic ragu without meat. I'll certainly be using the ragu recipe again. I think Hubby enjoyed the venison more than I did, but then again he doesn't have any issues with eating any animal!

Venison Meatballs
Serves 2-3

SAUCE

1 onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
75g tomato puree
225ml red wine
225ml chicken stock (or venison stock if your lucky to have some)
1 heaped tsp dried rosemary

MEATBALLS

1 egg
65ml milk
300g venison mince
50g breadcrumbs
1 garlic clove
30g parmesan, grated

1) First, start on the sauce. Gently fry carrots, onion and garlic in a deep saucepan until softened. Stir in tomato puree and cook on a low heat for 5 min.

2) Pour in stock, wine and rosemary and simmer for 45 min.

3) While the sauce is cooking make the meatballs. In a bowl whisk together egg and milk then add the remaining meatball ingredients. Using you hands combine all the ingredients well.

4) Roll the meatballs to the size of a plum and chill for 20 min.

5) Fry the meatballs until browned both sides, then add the meatballs to the ragu. Finally simmer for 5 min.

Curry Monday - Coconut Chicken Masala

As I'm getting more experienced at cooking from scratch I'm finding it easier, especially when it comes to curries. My store cupboards are now so well stocked it only takes a quick shop for the fresh ingredients and I have a meal. Takes out a lot of the pressure when I can't decide what to cook!

Talking of chicken, this week I went back to my usual fantastic meat supplier after visiting a dodgy farm shop a few weeks back. I'm on their [the great suppliers] mailing list and a few months back they sent me interesting letter saying where all of their chicken is sourced. Their chicken is by far the best around. Not only is it succulent and tasty, but doesn't leach water when you cook it. Kate at a Merrier World has recently written an article all about chicken welfare, which is well worth a read.

Last year Channel 4 featured a programme called River Cottage Treatment where Hugh F-W tried to convert fast-food addicts to good wholesome home cooked food. While searching for a beer batter recipe I came across his recipe for Coconut Chicken Masala that featured in the series. "That's Curry Monday sorted" I thought!

The recipe made a delicious and creamy curry that I would certainly make again. I halved the recipe and it made enough for the 2 of us, plus a small portion for lunch tomorrow.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Coconut Chicken Masala

Ragu of Tiny Meatballs

The Easter weekend is nearly over and I can't believe how fast it's gone. My Simnel Loaf went down really well, I'll be making it again next Easter. At least I'm now on a 2 week holiday before going back to work (one of the few advantages of working in a school). As I gave up biscuits for lent I can see a surge of biscuit baking ahead!

Saturday night we camped out with Hubby's cousins. It was the first camping trip of the year. I admit I was a bit apprehensive at first, when we settled in for the night frost was beginning to form on the tent. However once we snuggled into our sleeping bags we were soon warm. At 6am I had to get up to shake an inch of snow off the tent, just a shame it had all melted by 8am.

A few weeks back I stumbled upon Katie at Other People's Foods post on Jamie Olivers Ragu of Tiny Meatballs. I've made various meatballs before, but they have always been really disappointing. However these look so delicious I decided to give meatballs another go.

Both of us really enjoyed them and to make it even better we have another portion for tomorrow night. The only slight alteration I would make to it in the future is to only put zest of 1/2 a lemon in.

Congratulations to Niri who won the Hotel Chocolat Easter egg.

Oven Baked Red Pesto Chicken

Thankfully we missed to worst of the snow, but it's still bitterly cold with a biting wind. I'm on Chantry Farm's mailing list and today recieved an interesting letter explaining where all their meat came from. With lamb home reared on thier farm, beef from Quenby Hall, Pork from Packington Pork, free-range chicken from Packington Poultry and Derbyshire Dales, free-range eggs from Liberty Farm and fish fresh from the docks in Hull. It certainly gives me a great deal of confidence buying from them as I'm supporting local farmers, something that is very important to me.

Some of thier chicken went into tonights dinner. I've been meaning to make this dish for the last few weeks, but with one thing or another I've ended up cooking something different. It was really delicious and filling and we'll certainly be making it again soon.

Oven Baked Red Pesto Chicken
Serves 2-3

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken fillets, diced
1 red onion cut into wedges
1 large red pepper, cut into wedges
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g basmati rice
1 tin chopped tomatoes
300ml chicken stock
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
5 tbsp red pesto

1) Preheat oven to 190oc. In an ovenproof saute pan, fry chicken in oil until the chicken is starting to brown. Remove from pan. Fry onions and peppers for 4 min. Add garlic and fry for a further 30 seconds.

2) Add chicken back into pan then pour in stock, tomatoes and rice. Stir in chilli flakes. Bring to the boil then bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 min. Stir in pesto before serving.

Cheats Minestrone

The snow was a fleeting visit and it had melted by this morning...much to my disappointment! Last week Amanda at Little Foodies posted a natural cold remedy. As I think I'm beginning to come down with a cold I decided to give the recipe a go after work today. It was really soothing and far nicer than Lemsip. Next time I'm going to try and brave more ginger.

The microwave in work has now been fixed so I'm taking hot lunches again. I often eat this cheats minestrone for lunch as it is filling and made in 10 minutes. In reality this is nothing like true minestrone, but hey it tastes good!

Cheats Minestrone
Serves 4

1 litre of hot veg stock
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
100g of thin spaghetti broken into short pieces or macaroni
350g frozen veg
4 tbsp pesto

1) Bring the tomato and stock to the boil then add the pasta. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add veg and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Stir in pesto.

Chicken in a Tomato Sauce

Tonight's tea was originally meant to be fajitas, but with hubby changing his mind I made a chicken in tomato sauce and served it with a random assortment of pasta. Why is it when your cupboards look full, you don't have enough of something to make a full meal?!?

Chicken in a tomato sauce
Serves 2/3

2 chicken fillets, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 pepper, cut into strips
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp mixed herbs
dash of Worcestershire Sauce
seasoning
olive oil

1) Fry onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until onions are softened. Add chicken and cook until browned.

2) Tip in the rest of the ingredients and cook for 20-25 min.

Chunky Tomato Soup

Yesterday my friend and her Hubbie came over for lunch and I made Chunky Tomato Soup. Tastewise this is the closest I've got to the taste of Heinz Tomato Soup. Rather than smooth consistancy of the Heinz version it does have chunks of tomato in it (which I like). Once my friends got home they brought us a Breville Stick blender off our wedding list, so I wonder if they are giving me a subtle hint!

Chunky Tomato Soup

Serves 4

Adapted from GFM - Feb 07

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed (or 1 or 2 teaspoons of garlic paste)

1 can of chopped tomatoes

300ml/ 1/2pt tomato juice (or passata)

300ml/ 1/2pt veg stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

big dollop of creme fraiche

1) Cook onion and garlic over low heat until softened, not browned.

2) Add tomatoes, tomato juice, stock & Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 15 min. Season for taste. Just before serving stir in a spoonful of creme fraiche.