Pizza Post

Here is a recipe I wanted to share as I feel it is a great one to cook when guests come over. Plus, who can beat the taste of a fresh home-made pizza?

What I love about this recipe, is that you can prepare it in stages and even allow guests to participate in the making of it (if you like). 

Here's what you'll need:

Dough:

2 c flour

2t. dried yeast

1t. sugar

1t.salt

2t. baking powder

1/2 t. bicarb soda

1/2 c warm milk

1.2 c plain yoghurt

1 egg

2t. olive oil

2t. lemon juice

Tomato Sauce:

500g tinned tomatoes 

2 cloves garlic

2t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1T tomato chutney

1 sprig of rosemary leaves chopped

Topping:

Here is where you get to be creative and add your favourite pizza toppings. For the pizza I made for this occasion I used sausages and fresh produce I bought at the market that morning.

To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, baking powder and bicarb soda in a large bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, yoghurt, egg, olive oil and lemon juice then pour into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Meanwhile, make tomato sauce by placing all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 mins or until thick puree forms.

Heat the overn to 200 degrees celcius. Lightly oil a large pizza tray.

Turn the dough onto a surface lightly floured and knead for 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Press onto prepared pizza tray then cover with toppings: first the tomato sauce, then your desired other ingredients. 

Leave the pizza to stand for 5 mins then bake in the oven for 15 mins or until all the toppings are cooked through. 

*Note I like to bake the dough before I put the toppings on to cook. I bake it for around 15-20 mins, or until it is golden brown in colour.

Enjoy!

Lemon Cake for my Love

Sometimes I think we can find it easy to bless people in the community, those we work with, friends, extended family etc that we forget to look for ways to bless those closest to us. So a couple of weekends ago while my hubby was away for the day I decided to bake him a cake I know he loves. So they say "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and perhaps spending the day alone it made me realize how truly amazing my husband is. Yet, how often do I take the time to show him that through more than words or in a special way? Sometimes I think its easy to look for others to reach out to, but at the same time perhaps neglecting those we are closest to who need that extra care too. While I'm at it, I thought I'd share the recipe because this cake is truly delicious. Its by one of my favourites- Donna Hay, out of her Fast, Fresh, Simple book.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

3/4 cup veg oil

2 eggs

1T grated lemon rind

2T lemon juice

1 Cup natural yoghurt

1 3/4 Cup of Caster Sugar

2 Cups self-raising flour

Lemon Frosting

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

1/4 Cup lemon juice

Preheat Oven to 180 degrees celcius. Place the oil, eggs, rind, lemon juice, yoghurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk to combine. Sift over the flour and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a greased 24cm fluted ring tin and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked. When the cake is still hot place onto a plate. To make the lemon frosting, gently stir together the sugar and lemon juice. Spoon over the cake and allow to set. Serve warm.

*I used a love heart shaped tin

Enjoy and may we all take time to love those closest to us.