Broccoli and potato pizza

Broccoli and potato are two pizza toppings that taste fantastic, but I haven't enjoyed them since living in New York and Melbourne respectively.



Broccoli heaped high on a pizza slice is a classic choice at Penn Station at 34th street. Now, the Yanks like their pizzas fairly plain. They often go for a single topping, such as pepperoni, broccoli or even just cheese. That's their culture. Where as I'm the sort of person who orders a vegetarian pizza and add chicken.



Potato on a pizza might be seen as carb-loading, the sort of thing Michael Phelps might inhale before an Olympic swimming event. However, when done modestly, the crackle and softness of herb encrusted roast potato pieces is the perfect addition to any pizza. I first tried it in Lygon St. Melbourne and suddenly remembered how good it tastes.



Anyway, before the toppings comes the dough-making athleticism of my beloved husband Morgan! See the recipe here. Last night he even allowed me to touch the stuff mid-knead. I felt like a bit of a duffer, every time I tried to gently squish the dough, it tore. Ah well, practise, practise, practise. :)


While the dough sits to rise. Chop up a sweet potato, 1 potato and 1 beetroot into 3cm-5cm cubes.


Oil a baking tray and add veges. Cover with a little oil, rosemary, tarragon, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Put in a medium oven for 40mins. Take out the sweet potato and beetroot. Let the potato cook for another 10-20mins.

We use Alfa One Rice Brain Oil Cooking Spray. Rice bran oil has a mild nutty flavour and a high smoking point, which is good in the oven. We use it to spray around the metal bowl for the pizza dough too.


Dough is ready!


Chop up broccoli florets. Make a mixture of olive oil, vinegar (I used pomegranate balsamic), lemon juice garlic, salt and pepper. Use this mixture in addition to tomato paste for the base of the pizza. You can also sprinkle it on top of the ingredients before they go into the oven. You don't want the broccoli to get dry.


Put tomato paste onto rolled out dough. Add grated mozzarella cheese next. Finally add: broccoli, torn salami and slices of roasted sweet potato.


Mmmm, broccoli


Finished!


For the potato pizza, start the same as above, but then add cubes of roast potato, roast beetroot, 2 slices prosciutto, sliced olives, some crumbled feta and sliced mushrooms


Delicious!

Spinach and Mushroom Schlorp

'Schlorp' is a term Morgan and I use to describe a curry or stew-like concoction that (usually) has a high protein and umami ratio. It is thick enough that you eat it with a fork over rice or some other carb. Although, additional carbs are not a necessary part of enjoying schlorp! ;)

Tonight I made schlorp from the bolognese sauce leftovers.


I really wanted to use the rest of the bunch of silverbeet after reading about the high amounts of ALA in dark green leafy vegetables (our bodies can turn ALAs into omega-3s). Of course spinach is high in a lot of nutrients including: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper, Manganese, Thiamin, Folate and Zinc. Whew!


Fry up some garlic and fresh chillies on very low heat in a little olive oil.


Add spinach, mushrooms & 1 cup of chicken stock (the last two are excellent umami flavours). Find out more about umami here


Add lentils (that's to add good vegetarian protein), leftover bolognese sauce (you can use any tomato-based sauce leftovers), 2tbsp sour cream (more umami) & 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice.


Simmer for about 10mins


Serve over brown rice with a little Parmesan cheese (more umami!).

Calzone

Tonight we made a version of Jamie Oliver's calzone using half the dough from our pizza a week ago. It is great that dough survives being frozen. I don't know how the yeast manages it. :)


Instead of using Jamie's suggestion of 'tomato sauce', I made some using mixed heirloom tomatoes


I fried up 1 brown onion in some olive oil for 10mins and added tomatoes, 2 red chillies finely chopped, 1 stick of dried rosemary (leaves, not stalks) and 1 baby eggplant (not salted!).


I added a big knob of butter, 4 cloves of garlic, silverbeet and tomato paste.


Finally I added sliced swiss mushrooms, 1tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt & some cracked pepper and cooked slowly until the liquid mostly evaporated.


Morgan created the Calzone using shaved Parmesan and feta--we didn't have any mozzarella.


Folded over. We made two calzones. The first had a thinner crust and more filling, but fell apart a little more (pictured here). The second one was more robust (pictured below). With practice we will get the ratios right.


Into the oven on the pizza stone for 15min.


So tasty-looking.


Why go out for dinner?


Yep, it tasted as good as it looks. The pizza dough was crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. I am amazed really. The last time I ate a calzone was in NJ and it was bland and dripping in fat. What a difference this was!

Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Last night you didn't hear much from us because we enjoyed leftover curry. Yummo! Tonight I convinced my amazing beloved to make pizza dough for dinner to honour the heirloom tomatoes that just arrived in our Food Connect Gourmet box.


Look at these beauties!


I made an olive oil, garlic, lime juice, mystery herb (minty thyme or oregano?), rosemary, salt and pepper marinade.


I allowed the oil, herbs and garlic mixture to meld with the fresh tomato whilst Morgan's pizza dough was constructed. I have no idea how he wrangles the yeast and flour into submission, but I appreciate it so much. Thanks baby!!!




I take shortcuts that make sense. These pizza tomato pastes sit in our fridge for months and save time.


Rocket, marinated tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green capsicum, sliced mushrooms, olives, fresh red chillies, spring onions and the leftover Castello on top.


In the oven for 10-15mins


Oooooh yummmy!!!


Melty


What a good life

Eggplant, Mushroom & Pumpkin Thai Curry

The next challenge is: eggplant! Tonight my booful husband Morgan made thai curry.

Ingredients
1 onion finely chopped
3 baby eggplant cut in slices
2 small sweet potatoes diced
1/4 butternut pumpkin diced
4 swiss brown mushrooms sliced
Marinated tofu
1 can coconut milk
Green curry paste (from a jar)
Fish sauce
Fresh coriander
Lime juice

Method

Salt the eggplant and leave to drain out the yucky bitter juices. At the same time put pumpkin and sweet potato chunks into a moderate oven for 1/2 hr.

Update: Apparently fresh, small eggplants don't need to be salted--thanks to my readers for pointing this out. I guess living for so long with old, stale supermarket produce has affected the way I approach my veges.


Pre-dinner snacks of rice cakes, re-fried beans, (tin of re-fried beans mixed with sour cream, lime juice, garlic, jalapeno, pinch of cumin) and spouted mung beans.

Saute onion in some peanut oil. Add curry paste (plus extra red chillies if you wish) and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add eggplant (well-rinsed), mushrooms and coconut milk and bring to the boil (add a few kaffir lime leaves and a spoon of palm sugar if desired). Simmer for ten minutes. Add the roast veges, tofu and fish sauce and heat through.


Serve with fresh coriander on brown rice (we were lazy and used a microwave pouch).


Eggplant triumph! :)

Cleaning up the kitchen tonight I saw the empty bags from my tofu and rice and thought I'd share them. Anyone living in Brisbane can buy these at a local supermarket.


Soyco Tofu & microwavable brown rice. It's so easy to have these long-life items in the fridge and pantry to make week day meals a breeze.

Buttery Mushrooms

Saute a wedge of butter with red onions. Add sliced swiss mushrooms, sprigs of rosemary, sliced olives, garlic & parsley. Cook for a few minutes. Add a schlorp of aged red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with castello cheese on toasted slices of Banneton sour dough.


I served the mushrooms on my favourite villeroy and boch 'Botannica' dinner plate. I just have the one. It always fills me with the joy of science, discovery, gardens and the sublime mystery of the natural world.