Meatballs Pizza (Jamie Oliver)

I did make meatball pizza, after I mentioned it in my last posting :)
This pizza used Jamie's pizza dough recipe, which I ever made before, and we loved it :)

Here's the recipe:

What you need:

(below is double recipe)

260ml lukewarm water

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

2tbs extra virgin olive oil

400g bread flour

1 tsp sea salt

Topping:
Jamie's meatballs (recipe HERE) - halved
tomato based pasta sauce (I used Prego traditional)
button mushrooms, cut
grated cheddar cheese
grated mozzarella cheese

1. Sprinkle sugar and yeast over water. Set aside for about 10 min till frothy
2. Pour yeast mixture and oil into flour and salt
3. Knead dough till smooth and springy
4. Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl. Proof for about 30 min till double in size
5. Knock back dough and roll out to a 12" circle
6. Place on a greased and floured baking pan
7. Spread tomato based pasta sauce of your choice, place halved meatballs, cut button mushrooms, and then sprinkle grated cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese
8. Bake in preheated oven of 220degC for 15-20 min till the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly

The pizza dough is another keeper recipe, a must try!

Pizza with Ricotta, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Fresh Basil

This was a quick and easy pizza that I made for us to gobble up while we were busy packing boxes. I really, REALLY, loved how creamy the ricotta made this pizza - it tasted rich and decadent without any guilt. I also enjoyed how sweet the grape tomatoes and onions were after cooking and the fresh basil topped the pizza off with a wonderful flavor. I loved this pizza and plan to make it again and again.

Pizza with Ricotta, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Fresh Basil:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• Corn meal
• 1 ball of pizza dough (I used store bought)
• 1 container of pizza sauce (Trader Joe's is really good)
• 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup of fat free ricotta
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Handful of grape tomatoes
• Red onions slices, sliced very thin
• 6-7 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread dough on a pizza sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and a sprinkle of corn meal. Spoon the sauce on the dough and spread evenly.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Mix the ricotta cheese with the minced garlic then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix well. Add dollops of ricotta all over the pizza. Next, add the grape tomatoes and red onions. Season the top of the pizza with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Add fresh basil. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Italian Salami Pizza

One of the perks of being a food blogger is that I get sent all sorts of tasty products...how cool is that? I was just sent some products from Columbus including two different types of Italian Salami. We had a busy day and I wasn't in the mood to cook a big meal so the family opted for homemade pizza. I topped it with the two types of salami along with some turkey pepperoni, pepperocinis, bell pepper, and black olive slices. It turned out hearty, flavorful, and so delicious. The kids picked off some of the salami but my husband and I both enjoyed it. Quick, simple and tasty.

Italian Salami Pizza:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• Corn meal
• Pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Salami Toscano
• Lite Italian Salami
• Turkey pepperoni
• Pepperocini rings
• Bell pepper, sliced
• Black olive, sliced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Remove the dough from the bag onto a floured surface. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread dough on a pizza sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and a sprinkle of corn meal. Spoon the sauce on the dough and spread evenly. Top the sauce with shredded mozzarella then the two salamis, pepperoni, pepperocini rings, bell pepper, black olives, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if desired.

Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Slice and enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Strawberry Cheese Streusel Pizza

This is a must try for those who love pizza and like to try something with a twist
Perfect with a cup of hot tea!

Recipe is from Joyce's site

Soft & juicy in every bite

Yummy and crisp edges

Sweet, tangy an salty all in one - yum! Believe me, this is a must must try! :)

I've submitted this pizza for September's LBT challenge which the theme is happened to be pizza :)

Btw, this what I did with the other remaining pizza dough - mini ham and cheese pizza - yummy yummy!

Mediterranean Pizza

I needed to use up some ingredients in my refrigerator but I didn't feel like cooking so what's a girl to do? Make pizza. Using store bought dough and sauce makes this really feel like I am not cooking. I threw some leftover baby spinach, kalamata olives, black olives, sun dried tomato, feta cheese, red onions, and garlic on this pizza. It turned out delicious - my husband and I both really loved it and so did the kids.

Mediterranean Pizza:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• Corn meal
• Pizza dough (store bought or homemade)
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Baby spinach
• Kalamata olives, sliced
• Black olives, sliced
• Sun dried tomato
• Feta cheese
• Red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• Dash of oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Spread dough on a pizza sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and a sprinkle of corn meal. Spoon the sauce on the dough and spread evenly. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese all over followed by the spinach, kalamata olives, black olives, sun dried tomato, feta cheese, red onion, minced garlic, and dash of oregano.

Place pizza into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven then let cool for a few minutes. Slice and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Cheesy Stuffed Crust Pizza

Made this pizza I love - usually I bought from Pizza Hut, this time I tried to make myself
Not as pretty, but very very happy with the taste :)

Before baking...

After baking...see the mozzarella cheese are everywhere - should name it 'dotty pizza' instead :)

See my hubby pull the cheesy crust - yum!

One slice is not enough :P

The pizza base recipe is from HERE - nice and soft!

I used Prego pasta sauce, topping it up with sliced breakfast ham, button mushrooms, grated parmesan cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and finally - grated mozzarella cheese

What I did for the pizza crust, I sprinkled the 3 cheese combo - grated cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella all around the edges

I rolled the dough away from me til the cheese hidden inside and made several cuts all around the edges with approximately 5cm distance each

I twist each part 90deg pointing outwards - do the same to the rest

Do not overbake or else the crusts will be hard

Very cheesy indeed! :)

I'm submitting this cheesy pizza to Aspiring Bakers #8 June'11 Bread Seduction hosted by Jasmine from The Sweetylicious at this LINK

Spinach, Garlic, Mushroom, and Fresh Basil Pizza

When I am having one of those days where I don't feel like cooking, I pick up some pizza dough and sauce from Trader Joe's and create a quick and easy pizza using whatever ingredients I have in the refrigerator. This weeks pizza had leftover spinach, sliced mushrooms, garlic and fresh basil - it was FANTASTIC. Homemade pizza is so easy to make and tastes WAY better than take out pizza!

Spinach, Garlic, Mushroom, and Fresh Basil Pizza:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• Corn meal
• Pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese
• Baby spinach
• Sliced mushrooms, sliced very thin
• Fresh garlic, minced
• Fresh basil, chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Spread dough on a pizza sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and a sprinkle of corn meal. Spoon the sauce on the dough and spread evenly. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese all over followed by the spinach, mushrooms, and minced garlic.

Place pizza into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven, add the fresh basil on top. Slice and serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Pepperoni Pizza Cups

Side Note: Sorry for the late post - Blogger has been down since yesterday afternoon. Thankfully they are finally back up and running... now if only they will replace my Creamy Chicken Flautas post from yesterday that they deleted - UGH.

I wanted to make the kids a fun and filling snack after school to give them enough energy to get through Taekwondo class. I decided to try baking pizza cups using Pillsbury biscuits that I had in the refrigerator. I made thin crust pizza cups (using 1/2 a biscuit) and thick crust pizza cups (using one whole biscuit). Both versions turned out great but I think my kids preferred the thin crust. These tasty after school snacks were so fast and easy to make and my kids LOVED them. My daughter requested the leftover pizza cups for school lunches for the remainder of the week... you can't beat that!

Pepperoni Pizza Cups:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• 1 tube of refrigerator biscuits (I used reduced fat Grands)
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese, diced or shredded
• Turkey pepperoni slices
• Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• Dried Basil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.

Cut each biscuit in half then press the dough into of the bottom and sides of the muffin tin. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon sauce into each cup. Place some diced (or shredded) mozzarella cheese into the cups followed by a few slices of pepperoni.

Finally add a bit more mozzarella if desired then sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese and dried oregano.

Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

More Of Homemade Pizza - Jamie Oliver Recipe

Adapted from The Batter Baker, another excellent pizza dough recipe from Jamie Oliver, my all time favorite chef

What you need:
(12" thin pizza dough)

130ml lukewarm water

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

200g bread flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

Sprinkle sugar and yeast over water. Set aside for about 10 min till frothy

Pour yeast mixture and oil into flour and salt

Knead dough till smooth and springy

Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl. Proof for about 30 min till double in size

Knock back dough and roll out to a 12" circle

Place on a greased and floured baking pan

Pile on your favourite toppings, and bake at 220degC for 15-20 min till the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly

As boring as we can be, the old same topping still made us enjoyed the pizza so much! :)
Prego pasta sauce parmesan roasted garlic, ham, button mushroom, pineapple chunks, grated cheddar cheese and grated mozarella cheese :P

Okay, probably it's time to think of another topping! :)

Homemade Pizza - Another Recipe

Adapted from my breadmaker recipe book, quite good but I still prefer my first recipe
This one is a little less fluffy even though it's still soft

After bite:

What you need:
(3 pizza base of 10")

250ml water
1 tbsp olive oil
450g bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried instant yeast

Put the above ingredients in the above order except yeast in the breadmaker pan
Make a well in the centre but not down as far as the liquid and add yeast
Insert the breadpan in the breadmaker and lock, select pizza dough programme from the menu
Press start. Lightly oil a pizza pan or baking sheet
At the end of the cycle (1hour 30minutes) turn the dough out onto a lightly floured  surface
Gently knock back the dough. Roll out into a 10" round and place in the prepared pan or on the baking sheet
Preheat oven to 220degC
Spread the tomato base over the pizza base (I used Prego pasta sauce - roasted parmesan garlic)
Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients ( I use ham slices, button mushroom slices, diced pineapple slices and grated mozzarella cheese)
Bake for 15minutes or til golden and serve immediately

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Braid

I wasn't feeling well and had no desire to cook a meal but alas my family still needed to be fed. I found pizza dough in my refrigerator that needed to be used up so I decided to make another pizza braid. I grabbed the leftover meat from the Simply Roasted Chicken and tossed it with some barbecue sauce. I layered the pizza dough with barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, chicken, fresh cilantro, and red onion before braiding it. It was quick and simple to make and the whole family enjoyed it.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Braid:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cornmeal
• Pizza dough
• Barbecue Sauce
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Roasted chicken, chopped
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Red onion, sliced thinly

Place the pizza dough onto a floured surface and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place a silpat mat (or large baking tray) on the counter and coat with cooking spray and sprinkle the top with a bit of cornmeal. Roll (or spread) the dough out on top of the silpat mat into a rectangle. Drizzle a bit of sauce on top of the chicken and mix until evenly coated. Spoon some of the barbecue sauce down the center of the pizza dough, add slices of chopped mozzarella to the sauce followed by the chicken, cilantro, and red onion. Note: Don't use too much sauce or your pizza braid will be a bit soggy.

Cut even slits on both sides of the filling with a pizza cutter. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.

Once you have completed the braid carefully place the silpat mat onto a baking sheet.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Turkey Italian Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Braid

I didn't feel like making a big dinner so I decided to grab a few ingredients from the grocery store to make a homemade pizza. Instead of a regular pizza my kids and I decided to make a pizza braid. It only took a few extra minutes to make but was totally worth it! It not only looked really pretty it tasted delicious too. I planned on using just sausage and mushroom for the filling but my kids talked me into using pineapple too. This pizza braid was quick and easy to make and was a huge hit with the whole family... especially my kids who thought it was really cool.

Turkey Italian Sausage and Mushroom Pizza Braid:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 3 turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 8 oz of button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Cornmeal
• Pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Pineapple tidbits
• Dried basil, to taste

Place the pizza dough onto a floured surface and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage (removed from casings) to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, making sure to break up the sausage into crumbles. Add the onion, mushroom, crushed fennel seeds, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cook for an additional 5-6 minutes, stirring often, or until the sausage is cooked through and the mushrooms and onions are tender. Set aside.

Place a silpat mat (or large baking tray) on the counter and coat with cooking spray and sprinkle the top with a bit of cornmeal. Roll (or spread) the dough out on top of the silpat mat into a rectangle. Spoon the sauce down the center of the rectangle followed by the meat filling, pineapple, and cheese. Note: Don't use too much sauce or your pizza braid will be a bit soggy.

Cut even slits on both sides of the filling with a pizza cutter. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.

Spray the top of the pizza braid with olive oil cooking spray then sprinkle with a bit of dried basil.

Carefully place the silpat mat onto a baking sheet then place into the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

My First Homemade Pizza

Yeah!!! I did it - finally, I made my own homemade pizza :)
Thanks to Doris from Tested & Tasted - got the recipe for the base from her
It's just so perfect - soft and fluffy type, even til the next day after I warmed up in my toaster!
And my family loves this pizza so much that I made it 2 days in a row :P

Before going into the oven...
I don't have pizza pan so I shape according to my mood :P
This one is not round nor square hehe...

Just came out from the oven...
Pppssstt.. I like it to overbake it a little :P

Would you like to have a slice?

What you need:

115g bread flour

115g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

20g olive oil

1/2 egg

115g warm water

4g instant yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water til bubbles (around 10mins)

Mix both flour, salt, olive oil, egg and yeast mixture together with chopstick

When all mixed together, knead for awhile (around 5minutes or til the dough is not sticky)

First proofing - 2hours - around 3 times the size (cover with clean cloth)

Flatten the dough by punching the centre part and lift up from the bowl (by pulling the sides)

Divide into 2 parts and knead again for awhile (around 3minutes or til the dough is not sticky)

Second proofing - 30minutes

On a greased pan, shape the dough as preferred and put the toppings as you wish

I used Prego original tomato pasta sauce, honey baked ham, button mushroom, canned pineapple, grated cheddar cheese and grated mozzarella cheese - I like A LOT of cheese :)

(Abby and Ian did the topping for 2 consecutive days - they enjoyed doing it ^_^)

Bake in preheated oven of 200degC for 15-20mins or til golden brown

Special thanks to Vivi Nowotny for her guidance in handling pizza dough - very useful! :P

I guess I will stick to this recipe whenever pizza craving hits me

Just wondering if this base will taste nice with sweet topping.. perhaps chocolate rice, cheese and banana...

*slurp* :P

Margherita Pizza

We had a presentation at my kids' school for my daughter's second grade class so I needed to make a quick dinner that we could gobble up and run out the door. I used store bought dough and sauce because it was quick and easy, I threw on some sliced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and seasoned it with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. I topped the baked pizza with fresh basil. It was absolutely delicious and the entire family enjoyed it. If you need a fast and simple meal... this recipe is for you.

Margherita Pizza:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• Cooking spray
• Corn meal
• Pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Tomatoes, sliced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Fresh basil

Remove the dough from the bag onto a floured surface. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spread dough on a pizza sheet that has been coated with cooking spray and a sprinkle of corn meal. Spoon the sauce on the dough and spread evenly. Top the sauce with slices of mozzarella and tomato slices then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Place into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Add the fresh basil then slice. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net