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Dough Balls #Pizzahut style

These delicious little dough balls are versatile so soft and addictive, served as a starter or snack! with any dips of your choice.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Ingredients

• 200 grams Italian Tipo 00 flour ** Extra flour for dusting and kneading
• 7 grams fast action dried yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 140 -150 ml water
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Italian herbs (optional)

Instructions

• In a large bowl put the yeast, sugar and one or two tbsp of luke warm water and leave it for few minutes. When you see that it is bubbling up then you know that your yeast is active.
• To this add salt and oil, then add the flour and mix well. Then add water. Then using your hands mix thoroughly and make it into a slightly wet dough.
• Turn the dough onto to a well-floured surface and work it your hands for about 5 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Leave it to rest for 45 to 1 hr
• Place the well-kneaded dough into a well-oiled bowl and brush the top with oil and cover it with a clingfilm so it won't dry out.
• Once the dough is double in size. punch the dough and inflate the air, Make little balls from it and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 30 mintues to rise.
• Meanwhile Preheat the oven to 200°C / Gas mark 6**. Brush the dough balls with milk/alternative milk. Bake these dough balls for 15 to 18 minutes, After 10 minutes reduce the oven temperature.
• once done bring them out and bake the next batch until all the dough balls are baked. Serve them with olive oil seasoned with crushed pepper and salt. Or any of your favourite dips! Enjoy.

Notes

Italian Tipo 00 flour is finely ground than normal flour and will give your dough an incredible super smooth texture. I use this flour to make pizza as well and they turn out incredibly beautiful.
The same recipe above turns into an irresistible pizza as well.
Once it rises, punch down the dough and you can freeze it as well. The day you plan to bake take it out and leave it on the counter once it comes to normal temperature, continue the process to make either dough balls or pizza!
I usually bake at a low temperature as my oven gets very hot. Check your oven and bake.

The post Dough Balls #Pizzahut style #Vegan appeared first on My Veg Fare.

We all love food, don’t we? When I go to the supermarkets I started noticing that we have hundreds of choices when it comes to buying food or ingredients right?  After moving here being a vegetarian I started reading labels which I never did before!  As I wanted to be sure whatever I was buying it.  We also never ever bought ready made food which was not so popular in Indian then.  we use different kinds of oils in India which usually is to that state we come from isn't it interesting?

Kale famed as superfood belongs to the cruciferous family.  This is high in fiber (1 cup has 2.6grms), high in Iron, high in calcium, Fat-free, keeps cholesterol in check and rich in omega 3, Vitamin A, K and C.   Did you know that even though it is good for health? I read somewhere in Google search that it is not good for everybody.  You must also read about how it is best to eat it raw or cooked or steamed!
Let’s make this superfood pesto then…..

Kale and Almond Pesto with Roasted Red Peppers and goodness of Hemp seeds:
Author: Jayasri
Yields:  2 Cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Category: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian

INGREDIENTS:
300 grams  Kale*
50 grams of mixed herbs (Basil, Parsley, Oregano)
¼  cup Hemp seeds
1/3 cup Almonds
1 Large Red Pepper
4 Garlic cloves
10 large olives
½ tbsp chili flakes
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
¼ to ½  cup Olive oil
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
METHOD:

1. Take just the leaves of kale, do not use the stem as they will be very chewy, wash well and pat them dry.
2. Take fresh herbs of your choice I have used Basil, Parsley, Oregano. Wash and clean the herbs pat them dry.
3. Use a stove top or a grill and roast red pepper and Garlic, peel the skin off and keep it aside.

4. Toasted and cooled Almonds and Hemp seeds for few minutes this just helps in releasing the oil and enhances the flavour.

5. In a food processor combine Almonds, Hemp seeds, olives, garlic, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, roasted red pepper, salt, Kale start processing the machine. With the machine running slowly drizzle olive oil into the processor until the mixture is well blended but still has some texture pausing to scrape down the side so everything is well combined.

6. You can add parmesan if you like a creamier texture or you can completely omit it. I haven’t added it.   Only thing is you need to find out if the Parmesan is a vegetarian as Parmesan contains rennet.
7.  Taste and check if you need more salt and spice.  As some Kale may have a bitter taste.  Adjust accordingly.

Disclaimer: This Post is in collaboration with Jamie's Italian, I am a big fan of  Jamie Oliver. I have been compensated for a small fee and the opinions are my own.

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Kale and Almond Pesto - Jamie's Italian Olive Oil Buyer's Guide

Kale is categorised as one of the super foods for its high Nutritional value! Make this pesto with Kale for a super delicious creamy and rich in nutrient as an accompaniment

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 300 grams Kale
• 50 grams Mixed Herbs ( Basil, Parsley, Oregano)
• 1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
• 1/3 Cup Almonds
• 1 Large Red Pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tbsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp Himalayan Pink salt ( adjust accordingly )
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese ( optional)

Instructions

• Take just the leaves of kale, do not use the stem as they will be very chewy, wash well and pat them dry
• Take fresh herbs of your choice I have used Basil, Parsley, Oregano. Wash and clean the herbs pat them dry.
• Use a stove top or a grill and roast red pepper and Garlic, peel the skin off and keep it aside.
• Toasted and cooled Almonds and Hemp seeds for few minutes this just helps in releasing the oil and enhances the flavour.
• In a food processor combine Almonds, Hemp seeds, olives, garlic, mixed herbs, chilli flakes, roasted red pepper, salt, Kale start processing the machine. With the machine running slowly drizzle olive oil into the processor until the mixture is well blended but still has some texture pausing to scrape down the side so everything is well combined.
• You can add parmesan if you like a creamier texture or you can completely omit it. I haven’t added it.   Only thing is you need to find out if the Parmesan is a vegetarian as Parmesan contains rennet.
• Taste and check if you need more salt and spice.  As some Kale may have a bitter taste.  Adjust accordingly

Notes

Superfood Kale Pesto - Jamie's Italian Buyer's guide

NOTES:
You can use different nuts such as walnut, cashew (my favourite and creamier!), Pine nuts (my daughter’s favourite), you can use Brazil nuts (buttery) and Macadamia nuts they are creamier too wouldn’t think of Pistachios though ????!
You can add more olive oil to thin it down and also helps in preserving pesto.  If you are using it in pasta you can even thin it down with a dash of cooked pasta water too.   Store it in air tight container in the refrigerator covered for up to a week.  I suppose you can also freeze pesto in Ice cube trays. Once frozen transfer them to freezer bags and use them as needed but don’t forget to thaw it.

FOR VEGAN VERSION: Use Nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese or completely omit it.
FOR NUT FREE VERSION:  You seeds of Sunflower, Linseed, Pumpkin seeds, or any other seeds instead of nuts.  But use it in less quantity otherwise it might dominate the taste of pesto.

The post Kale and Almond Pesto - Jamie's Italian Olive Oil Buyer's Guide appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Making a dessert is time-consuming don't you think? but after it's made and  if you have a sweet tooth you are bowled out to both the virtual and real treat.  I am not a dessert person, I love pineapple pastry though, I go weak in my legs I have a special love for them and all milk based Indian sweets.  I don't like sweets which are too sweet and surprisingly this pannacotta is not too sweet, well of course you can make it sweet if you add more sugar but, panna cotta aren't too sweet but wickedly delicious.  Panna cotta is an Italian delicacy, panna cotta is an  Italian dessert made with thickened cream and moulded with gelatin, as I don't use gelatine I have subbed it with Agar Agar.  These days panna cotta can be made skinny, dairy free and whatever way you want to enjoy it!

It's that time of the year your palette changes from warm food and soups to something refreshing and cool, Fresh salads either with veggies or fruits or a combo of both and something thandi (cool) to drink.  Spring is slowly settling to Summer,  brings your senses to a galore of tastes tingling your taste buds craving for something fresh and juicy.

Strawberries and summer come hand in hand, you can see loads of strawberries in the market a punnet would cost you a pound, not all strawberries are sweet, talking to local people here I found out strawberries from Hertfordshire are very sweet, and when I find them in the market I never miss to buy them my daughter loves them, both us wander a lot she is a foodie friend to me.  Last time when we went to Gym we found these British strawberries I forgot from where it came, they weren't too sweet, we were a bit disappointed so we decided on munching some cherry tomatoes instead walking back home, Ahh.., I didn't  tell you did I? there is a little farmer's market we often go to whenever we go to Gym pick up some fresh fruits and veggies, Cherries are my favourite, I just can't stop eating with one  by the time we come back home I would finished the whole lot.

I first thought I will make some lemonade then decided otherwise as I had just made it a few days back.  I had put my grey cells to work, I remembered that I had to do a dessert this month for #cookingwithfriends theme and had already planned on making Mango pannacotta  which I changed to strawberry instead and made Mango milkshake (Seekarne).   As the strawberries weren't that sweet I thought of making  this with a combination and decided upon vanilla and some chia seeds  to go with it.

We never had strawberries as kids.  I can only think of Melons and Mangoes when summer set in, in our part of the world, we loved eating loads of watermelons and mangoes and sometimes eat Ice cream when there used to be a man who used to bring in his cart all these Lollipops and sometime Kulfi's,  mother never made them at home looking after three kids and her full-time job was enough for her to manage.  My parents never liked us buying Ice creams from him, and was a rare treat. I still remember my first Ice cream I made was when I was in year 11, for a first timer it was a great success and as eggs were a no-no at home I made it eggless as well.

Time changes so many things in life, never thought  I would be here eating strawberries instead of Mangoes!, how we change our food habits and adapt to what we get.  Mango milk shake to a pannacotta, that's what has changed when you are blogger best of all, with all the love in the world you prepare it.

STRAWBERRY-VANILLA CHIA SEED PANNA COTTA (GELATINE FREE / VEGETARIAN)

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Recipe source: Jayasri
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes (20 min each)
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS: 
For Strawberry pannacotta:
500 grms Strawberries
(2 Cups pureed strawberries)
1/4 cup very warm water
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
1/2 cup Brown sugar

For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
2 Cups milk
1/2 cup double cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
1 tbsp Chia seed
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
1/4  cup very warm water
1/3 cup Suagr

METHOD:
Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender  with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.

In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes,  Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod  and blend them all together.  Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.

Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of  the fridge.  Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

NOTES:
Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is  vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin.  It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises.  It does not have any taste, odour and smell.  You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc.  1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if  you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste.  My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

Do you like panna cotta, which is your favourite and tell me why it is your favourite?

Disclaimer:
Cooking With Friends: This blog post is part of the monthly “Cooking With Friends” themed blog post challenge. This challenge was started by a bunch of virtual friends united by their love of food, with the aim of tackling a different food-related theme each month. If you want to try this month’s theme, please feel free to do so and link your recipe in the comments section. We’d love to check it out. Meanwhile, check out what the others in the group have come up with this month.
Anjana from At the Corner of Happy and Harried, Garima from CafeGarima,  Jyothi from Curry Tail, Madhuri from MADaboutkitchen, Subhasmita from The Flavors of Kitchen, Sujatha from Spice n Treats, Dolphia from Story of cooks

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Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatine free/Vegetarian)

An Italian delicacy made with thickened cream and chia seeds with Agar-Agar and delicious strawberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• For Strawberry pannacotta:
• 500 grms Strawberries
• 2 Cups pureed strawberries
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
• 2 Cups milk
• 1/2 cup double cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
• 1 tbsp Chia seed
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1/3 cup Suagr

Instructions

• Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.
• In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes, Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod and blend them all together. Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.
• Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of the fridge. Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
• Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

Notes

Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin. It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises. It does not have any taste, odour and smell. You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc. 1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste. My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

The post Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatin free/ Vegetarian) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, it's been a long time I said hello to you all, we are already in December, I have missed you all from almost 2 to 3 months , hoping to be more active in this part of the world, I know I have become dormant but not with cooking or baking they are still doing well, it's just that I haven't shared anything with you  at all, I love to thank you my new followers on face book and Google+, I have to say this you are all my inspiration to come back soon and start to share my creations...Well you must be wondering why I am here today, Last year I had a wonderful time with my few blogger friends who was headed by Champa the lady who blogs at the Versatile Kitchen, like every year she does Bake-a-thon, that is baking the whole month of December, and I have enjoyed participating so here is an other year of Bake-a-thon enjoy the bakes you will see three times a week..
Here I go with my first Bake-a-thon..., these are as always for my Monday morning for their Lunch boxes, easy peasy pack them in kitchen foil and they love it.
I got this idea from Gino D' Acampo's, so I have been making different types of these, Long back I had made a Maffuletta bread which my kids loved, I had this in mind and Gino's pizza recipe turned it into these kind of Sandwiches.

VEGETARIANA PIZZA SANDWICH

Recipe : inspired by Gino D' Acampo
Serves: 4 to 6
This makes 2 Pizza bases

INGREDIENTS
200 grms of Strong Whole meal bread flour and extra for dusting
7 grms (2tsp) fast action dried yeast
1/2 tsp salt
3/4th Cup of warm water nearly
of warm water
2tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Italian Herbs

FOR THE TOPPING
1 Green Capsicum/Pepper
1 Red Capsicum/ Pepper
1 Large Onion
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata Black Olives
6 to 7 Jalapenos (I used one in Jars)
1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
100 grm Passata
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4tsp Red Chillies
Mozzarella cheese as much as you need 🙂

METHOD
Prepare the dough first, In a large bowl take warm water add yeast then add salt, Oil, Italian Herbs and flour toss them all together then pour water first 1/2 a cup mix well then start adding water until you make a dough then turn the dough onto a well floured surface and start kneading with your hand until it is smooth and elastic.
Next make your filling, First of all pour 1 tbsp of oil and heat it in a frying pan over a bit high flame, fry the Onions and  Capsicums for a few minutes switch off the stove add Jalapenos and Kalamata Olives chopped add salt , Pepper powder & chillies mix well and keep it aside to cool

Place this dough in an oiled bowl then brush the top also with oil and leave it in a warm place with a covered clingfilm for 30 to 40 minutes depending on the temperature.

Preheat the oven to Gas mark 5**/ 180 degrees
As I baked this in a 12" round cake tin I lined the cake tin with Parchment paper
Once the dough is rested and would have swollen up, take it on to the floured surface and divide it into 2 parts.

With the help of your hands push each one out from the centre and make 2 round disc, place one of the disc into the prepared tin to this apply Passata then spread the filling evenly then spread the grated cheese on it, now slowly place the other disc on top of it, and tuck them completely into the other one nicely then brush the top with milk. Bake it in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean or the bread is browned nicely on top.

Take it out on to cooling rack for few minutes, take it on to a board cut them into how many wedges you want and serve them or like me I packed them in their lunch boxes.

NOTES:  I could have used capsicum & onions just like that with other ingredients, but sauteed them as capsicum tends to give out water and the bread becomes gooey and soft, which my kids don't like so fried them both used them in the filling.
Hope you make it love it and enjoy it...
take care
c you soon....

The post Vegetariana Pizza Sandwich appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, It's been a long time I came here, I would really like to thank all my readers who have been in constant touch with my blog even though I haven't been able to update for such a long time.  To start with,  I was not blogging for a reason,  I am in the process of changing my blog hopefully I will be able to do it by next month.  I would also like to thank few of my blogger friends whom I have been associated with in some events which I love so much,  have patiently been waiting for me to post my recipes.  Once such event is Baking partners by Swathi of Zesty south Indian Kitchen.

Who doesn't like Pizza, I think that's everybody's favourite, especially kids, I don't eat cheese for 40+ reasons, I mean as I am 40+ and... I have reasons!! , but I love cheese in my pizza, I am no way better than a kid when it comes to pizza I just love it with the gooey cheese on it Just love it..., I have tried and still trying  different kind of pizza dough to get the perfection, one more which I have to still try is the OO' grade flour to make pizza and see the difference.
Coming back from my disastrous holiday which was only for 2 weeks which later part of the 2 week  got ended up with one week of food poisoning, ended up with a migraine. That was when I remembered I had to do the Baking Partner Challenge and decided to make the dough and thought will make it the next day when I come back from work, funnily..,  God knows what happened,  even though my mind was ready to accept as always my body wasn't ready to accept that I was Jet lagged and poorly,  coming back from work, cooked something for my kids and hit the bed It's been such a long time and I have never slept like that for almost 7 hrs till 10 O' clock in the night and kids woke me up  and telling me that they were hungry!!, I cooked up something and went back to bed again!!  I had an overdose of sleep I think, through all this I had completely forgotten about my resting dough in the fridge, so decided to make it the next day, without my knowledge I had rested my dough for 72 hours and the result was really amazing, that was an awesome pizza, Three of our friends from our group asked us to bake Pizzas, I chose Pam's recipe which she had adapted from 2 blogs one for Pizza crust and one for Pizza Sauce.

PIZZA TOPPING:
1 Small Green Pepper (Capsicum)
10 Olives
1 Small Yellow Pepper
1 Small Pink Onion
7 to 8 Vine Tomatoes
3 to 4 sprigs of Basil leaves
1 tsp Chilli flakes
1 tsp Italian Herbs
Salt to taste
Grated Mozzarella cheese
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading through many blogs and books,  when I first started baking pizza at home I used to bake with plain flour , then I started using Bread flour and mixture of flours for healthy baking, I have yet to use OO' grade flour, will surely do once I get hold on it and want to see the difference.  I have come to know that the Italians use this grade flour to make their pizza's!.
Coming back to this recipe, I too make the same kind of sauce changed it our family taste a bit, I made it a bit spicy so increased the chilli flakes,

NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA SAUCE
Recipe Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/new-york-style-pizza-sauce.html

INGREDIENTS:
28oz / 3 Cups Peeled Tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
2 Cloves Garlic
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1 tsp Red chili flakes
Salt as required ( If using tinned, there will be salt already so check before you use)
2 sprigs of Basil leaves
1 medium yellow Onion peeled
1 tsp Sugar

METHOD:

In a large bowl of water cook Tomatoes with their skin, after few minutes drain the water and keep aside, peel the skin of the tomatoes, chop and blend them in a food processor in a coarse consistency, It should not be very smooth,

Chop Onion and Garlic blend them to a coarse consistency, heat oil and butter in a deep pan add Red Pepper flakes, chilli flakes and dried oregano to this add coarsely blended Onion and garlic fry for few minutes stirring frequently keep an eye not to brown it but the raw smell disappears then add the coarsely blended Tomatoes stir well, to this blend add chopped Basil leaves and sugar, bring the flame to low and cook until it reduces to half for about an hour, season it with salt.

Once done store it in an airtight container stays well for 2 weeks.

THE BEST NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA
Recipe source: http://feelingfoodish.com/the-best-new-york-style-pizza-dough/

INGREDIENTS:
6 Cups ( 28 oz or 780 grms bread flour) All purpose Flour / Bread flour / OO' Grade Flour
2 and 1/4 cup (17.4 oz) water
1 tsp Instant dry yeast
2.5 tsp salt
3 tsp olive Oil

METHOD:
1.    I used only half of the Ingredients and made half the dough, I halved the recipe on everything even yeast.
I used 390 grms of flour, In a large bowl take yeast add couple of tbsp of warm water to activate it, within a few minutes you can see the bubbles, this is to make sure your yeast is active.
2.    Now to this add all the dry Ingredients mix well, Now add water enough to make it a dough consistency**  (see notes), then add oil and bring it to pliable dough, The dough actually will be a bit on the stickier side,  knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes hand kneading if the dough is kept for 72 hours But, if you are using it the next day that is for 48 hours knead the dough 8 to 10 minutes.
3.    Add oil at the end and bring the dough together, I halved the dough into two then place it in a large bowl and cover it with cling film and leave it in the refrigerator for 48 hrs or 72 hours, I left mine for 72 hours.
4.    The day you are baking take it out of the fridge and leave it for 1 or 2 hours for it to come back to room temperature.
5.    Meanwhile preheat your oven with your pizza stone for an hour, at the highest temperature, she asks to preheat at 550 degree. I just kept my oven at Gas Mark 4 for almost 1 hour (I was a bit worried about my pizza stone as I did not how good it was).
6.     Once the dough comes to room temperature, take one part of the dough with help of flour flatten it on to a parchment paper by pressing it around flatten it out thinly using more flour.
7.     Take another piece of parchment paper sprinkle semolina*(see notes) on to it, then place the flattened dough on to the surface
8.    Apply pizza sauce on to the surface, get all your chopped veggies top them on the sauce then grate Mozzarella cheese on to it, spread evenly  on the topped vegetables.
9.    Slide prepared pizza spread on to the preheated pizza stone and bake pizza for 6 to 7 minutes, cheese starts melting, just keep an eye that it doesn't get burnt.
10.   what else to say, take it out, slice them out take a bite and Enjoyyyy...., !!!

NOTES:
Important thing always weigh your flour, as each brand is different from each other.
As I said earlier I had halved the recipe the water was a bit extra for my dough so had to discard a bit, but the dough was a bit stickier in consistency.
The author of this recipe says we had to heat the oven to 550 degree but my oven only Gas Mark 9.
I was watching a TV show in which Chef was saying sprinkling semolina on to the surface of the pizza base ensures nice crispy bottom

VERDICT: Pizza was totally awesome, the first one I made was only with Tomato sauce, I mean the pizza sauce with cheese, my kids really relished it, next day I made with veggies topped with cheese, kids were totally bowled out, they loved it very much..,
I have planed to try out the base with OO' grade flour and will update here soon enough.
Thanks to swathi and Pam for this wonderful recipe.

The post Thin Crust Best New York Style Pizza with Veg and Best Pizza Sauce appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, Hope you are all doing fine, enjoying the three days of pongal, I have loads of posts to post, starting you will be seeing two posts today..., Enjoy them...
Here is the first one, the first is for Baking Partners, this month swathi of Zesty south Indian kitchen gave us two pies one was an Apple Pie and the other one is Sun Dried Tomato Tart, Of course you would know which one I would choose, my kids love anything spicy than sweetness, and this Tart was perfect for me to bake, when my kids come home from college hungry and they love to eat something like this, I made 4 Tarts. Individually and they love it for their snack time.
This is how I made it...
This Tart was suggested by samantha, so, thanks to both of you we loved it..

SUN DRIED TOMATO AND ONION TART
Recipe Source: Martin Picard's Sundried Tomato and Onion Tart

INGREDIENTS:
1 Roll of Ready made Puff pastry
2 Medium Sized onions
6 tbsp of Sun dried Tomato Pesto (Home made)*
Chives and Onion flavoured Red Leister Cheese
few Basil leaves
1 tbsp dried Italian Herbs
salt to taste
1 and 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp Double cream

METHOD:
Thaw Puff pastry as indicated in the pack
Take a Large Pan heat 2 tbsp of Olive oil to this add chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent, add a bit of salt which helps to cook quickly.
Then add Tomato pesto, dried Italian herbs some more salt ( required quantity beware you have already added some salt to the onions and also you have some salt in your pesto )
Add chopped some fresh Basil leaves
In a bowl mix mustard Powder and fresh cream and keep it aside
Meanwhile  Cut your Puff pastry into 4 squares, press them on to the tart tins and cut the extras and keep them aside in the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 / 180 degrees
Prick the bottom of the pastry and bake them in a preheated oven until the bottom becomes slightly brown. Take them out and leave it to cool.
Meanwhile your onion and Tomato filling would be cooled as well.
Fill the tarts with Sun Dried Pesto and onion filling to this add the double cream sauce into the four tarts.
Grate the cheese and top each of them with it.
Now take the cut out pieces from each tart, make them into long roll twist them to give a design join both the ends together and place them on each of the tarts and bake them now for around 20 to 25 minutes until they puff and start turning to golden brown.

Take them out once well done, on to a cooling rack, after 5 to 10 minutes slowly push  the bottom and release the tarts carefully and serve them on individual plate sand serve with some salad leaves and sauce or ketchup of your choice.
Totally awesome and my kids just loved it...
Will post my Home made Sun dried Tomato pesto Recipe soon..., stay tuned ...

This is Challenge # 6 Baking Partners

The post Sun dried Tomatoes and Onion Tart appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Bread and Sandwiches have become a common thing at home, as my kids prefer to take Sandwiches to school, sometimes with veggies and sometimes Jam and even sometimes with dry curries or sometimes with Indian sandwich.  While Googling through for Sandwiches I went through my Book marked recipes, I found this recipe which I had book marked, as I love Baking Bread, I had fallen for this recipe as this would satisfy my kids for sure and me too.
I had Book marked this recipe from Nola Cuisine long back, because my kids were not a big fan of Olives I kept postponing this, and as I have loads of BM's it was quite forgotten, when I was going through the BM's if I noticed this one!, I always check my Book marked recipes before trying any thing new.  Now my kids now adding them now and then in pizza and other recipes.  They don't mind eating it,  Now they like topping olives always in their pizzas and like to eat them just as it is, I love Olives too.., this recipe has loads of olives and with some spiciness, my kids would love it, As this recipe is usually made with meat, I adapted it to Vegetarian version, he suggests loads of things so I just used what I liked.
I have never been to New Orleans and never tasted this bread sandwich, so If anybody has any kind of doubts do click on the links below and ask Nola. Here is only my version of the filling which is vegetarian hope you all like and try it 🙂

You must be wondering about today's recipe and why all this introduction : Yup, Today is the day for the Crazy Cooking Challenge, She Challenged us to bake Grilled Cheese Sandwich, As per the rules we have to adapt a recipe from an other blog, I Chose this Blog of Nola Cuisine and would love to thank both Tina Messick - Hudgens and Nola for this wonderful recipe, which I wouldn't have tried other wise so soon.., Thanks to both of you...

Basically this recipe is adapted from New Orleans Central Grocery according to Nola Cuisine  :
No trip to New Orleans is complete for me without a trip to Central Grocery for a Muffuletta. Detractors can fill the comments section with why they dislike the Central Grocery Muffuletta and why their favorite is so much better, have at it, but for my money Central Grocery does everything right with the sandwich that is said to have been created here by Salvatore Lupo.
Salvatore Lupo, a Sicilian immigrant opened the store in 1906 and operated it until 1946 when he retired and passed the reins to his son-in law Salvatore Tusa. The Muffuletta is said to have been invented early on to feed the Sicilian and Italian truck drivers who were driving produce, etc. to The French Market. The store is still in the family and has changed little over the years, with the exception of increased tourist traffic. Salvatore Lupo’s daughter, Marie Lupo Tusa released a cookbook in 1980 called Marie’s Melting Pot

.Central Grocery is an old style Italian market, with Italian imports, pasta, olive oil, meats, cheeses as well as local New Orleans Creole items.

Check out his website for beautiful photos from New Orleans ,  with beautiful clicks of the Sandwich bread and if you want to try out the Original sandwich bread with meat check out his blog for details...

 

NEW ORLEANS  MUFFULETTA  SANDWICH  GRILLED BREAD

(Pronouced as : moof-fuh-Leht-tuh or moo-foo-le-ta)

The post Muffuletta Bread Sandwich from New Orleans (vegetarian version) for CCC appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Did you know something , Pasta cooked al dente has a lower Glycemic Index than the pasta cooked very soft so I found out googling!.

PEPPERS AND ONIONS WITH CREAMY MASCARPONE CHEESE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Spirally Pasta
1 tbsp of Basil leaves

FOR THE MASCARPONE CHEESE SAUCE:
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp plain Flour
1 Cup Milk
250 gms Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Cheddar cheese
Salt as required
1/2 tsp of Pepper

FOR THE VEGGIES:
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 Large Green Peppers
1 Medium sized onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp of Grated Ginger
1 tsp  crushed chilli flakes

METHOD:
Cook Pasta as per instructions or until al dente ( it should be firm, not hard or not too soft).
In a wok or pan first heat 2 tbsp of Olive oil, add chopped Onion, Garlic and ginger and saute it for few minutes once they become transparent add chopped Green peppers  and saute them in a high heat, they should not become soft but cooked crunchier. Just gives such a great a taste to the dish, then add salt as required and crushed chillies add it according to your taste if you don't want it you can omit it.
Take an other wok or pan heat 2 tbsp of butter once it melts Keep on low heat, add the flour and roast it for 3 to 4 minutes don't burn it , then start adding milk slowly until it gets well incorporated with no lumps keep on stirring continuously so that there are no lumps then add mascarpone cheese and mix it well until everything is combined properly, add required quantity of salt (remember you have already added some salt to your veggies) and pepper powder to taste, then add grated cheese and cook further for another 3 to 4 minutes until it reaches a saucy consistency,
Then to this sauce add the veggies mix well,  pour this sauce over the cooked pasta, grate some more cheese and some torn Basil leaves for garnishing and serve it warm.
Mmm..., lovely, delicious Mum this is very nice.. was all the reaction I got from my kids!
Try it out tell if you liked it.... Check out some delicious recipes from her blog...

I am sending this to my own event only Pasta, pizza and noodles started by pari, guest hosted by me. sending this to herbs and flowers - Garlic by zesty palletes started by PJ.

The post Peppers and Onions with Creamy Mascarpone cheese Sauce appeared first on My Veg Fare.

This is to Taste and Create thanks to searching for spice, for this delightful recipe which my kids loved. I love to send this to PJ's event guest hosted by hosted by Krithi's kitchen - Herbs and flowers in my platter.

The post Spirali Pasta with Coriander Pesto appeared first on My Veg Fare.

PENNE PASTA WITH LENTIL SAUCE

Recipe source: The complete Pasta cook book

INGREDIENTS:
350 to 400 gms of Penne Pasta
250 gms of Dried Brown Lentils
1 Litre of Vegetable Stock
2 to 3 tbsp of extra virgin Olive oil
1 Onion Chopped
2 Carrots
2 Celery stalks
1 Red Pepper
6 to 7 French beans
1/2 cup peas
3 Cloves of Garlic
3 stalks of Fresh Thyme leaves
1 Tbsp of dried Italian Spices

METHOD:
First of all wash the dried Brown Lentils and pressure cook them till soft, these lentils don't need soaking overnight they just cook like Thuvar dal, you can use any other lentils of your choice.
In the Mean time cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water with a bit of salt and a tsp of oil so they don't stick together until al dente.  Drain well and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil to ensure that they don't stick together. 

Slice all the Veggies and keep aside, Make your own stock or use a stock cube to make 1 litre of stock.
Take a wok heat oil then add the sliced onions and crushed garlic fry until they turn transparent. Then add all the vegetables and cook them well over a medium heat for 10 minutes add the stock and then the dried herbs and fresh Thyme. cook for few more minutes until the vegetables are tender. Then stir in the cooked Lentils adjust water let it syrupy at this point, adjust salt and combine the pasta with the Lentil sauce and allow it to cook for 2 more minutes by closing a lid. Serve it with cheese..
My kids just loved it.. hope you too make it and enjoy.
I am sending this to Lisa's kitchen who is hosting MLLA #29 of Susan's MLLA event.

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