Category Archives: Dinner

Freezer Pizza Bases

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These Freezer pizza bases are so handy to have on hand, home made  pizza ready in just a few minutes, isn’t that what we all want? Just take a crust out of the freezer, heat your oven, top, and bake.

Supermarkets sell ready made crusts, but they always have the cardboard feel and taste to them so I figured if they can make them,  so can I.  Healthier,  better and cheaper. I’ve only used a small amount of yeast since this makes the Pizza’s taste better and improves the texture, also the longer rise makes a much better crust. I like to make the dough in the morning, then I let it rise until double in bulk, then I punch it down and put the dough in the fridge until ready to bake in the evening. You could make the dough in the evening and leave it to rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator, whichever suits your schedule better.

Makes 4 large/6 medium pizzas

INGREDIENTS:

1000 gr./ 6 2/3 C.  (type 00) flour
600 ml./ 2.5 C. luke warm water
15 ml./1 tbsp. honey
30 ml./2 tbsp olive oil
7 gr./2 tsp. instant yeast
20 gr./3 tsp.  salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your warm water and stir in the honey, then sprinkle the yeast in and stir. Let sit for about five minutes until bubbly and active.
Add flour, olive oil and salt and knead for about 5 min. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for about an hour or  until double in bulk.
Punch the dough down and shape into a ball and cover again, place in the refrigerator for at least five hours or until ready to use. 

Remove from the refrigerator an hour before using so the dough can come to room temperature. Tip the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Divide into 4 or 6 balls.

Pre heat oven to 220 C/430 F.

Cut 4 or 6 peaces of parchment paper large enough for each pizza.
Roll out each ball of dough on a piece of parchment paper that you have covered with some flour or semolina.
Spread with tomato sauce and bake each base for about 5 minutes or until just firm.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack before freezing (I freeze them with the parchment paper as extra protection). 

Once they are completely frozen,  place them in a zip lock bag or wrap them in cling film. Keep in the freezer until ready to use. They will keep for at least a month.
When ready to use, remove from freezer and top with your favorite ingredients,  bake at 220 C/430 F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Greek Steak Souvlaki with Feta and Cucumber Pomegranate salsa

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Now that summer is here I can’t wait to get the Bbq on, and these Steak Souvlaki skewers are perfect for grilling. Tender pieces of Beef are marinated for a few hours with Greek herbs and spices. The marinade is so amazing that you can use it on any kind of meat. The red wine vinegar is a key ingredient as it tenderizes the meat and gives the dish that typical Greek flavour.  
The smell when the beef is grilling is insane – you can really smell the oregano and it’s almost as if your in a Greek Tavern, (with a bit of imagination and perhaps a glass of Retsina in your hand).   If you ever go to Greece make sure to bring back some Oregano, they sell it dried in bushes and it’s the best you’ll ever find.

Serves: 4 – 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb / 1 kg beef (steak), thinly sliced
Marinade
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1½ tbsp dried oregano
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a pinch of ground cloves
• a pinch of dry mint
• 1/2 tsp dry chili flakes
• salt and pepper


Cucumber Pomegranate Salsa:
• 1 large beef tomato, de-seeded and diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, de=seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 1/2 red spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped
• a pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper
• a drizzle of olive oil
• a little squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp.dry mint
• 1/2 tsp. dry oregano


To serve:
• 4 – 6 Pitas or baguette
• extra lettuce
• more Feta to crumble on top

INSTRUCTIONS:


1. Place the Marinade ingredients and the beef in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 6. Remove from marinade and skewer on to wooden or metal pins alternating with pepper and onion pieces.
Salsa
1. Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Cook Beef
1. Heat a griddle pan over high heat.
2. Cook the skewers on high for a few minutes until crispy and brown then turn them over and cook for an other two minutes.
3. Remove and serve straight away. Serve with lots of Pita or Baguette

Enjoy!


Mediterranean Roast Lamb with Mint Chimichurri

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Mediterranean Roast Lamb with Mint Chimichurri, what’s not to love?

This recipe is simple, fuss-free and turns out perfect every time, lamb is very forgiving since it’s quit a fatty cut of meat so it will not dry out easily. However I do put a small baking dish at the bottom of the oven filled with water to humidify the oven.
If you can, buy a piece of lamb with the bone still in, and although carving without the bone may be easier, the bone adds a lot of flavour to the meat during cooking.
Also it adds so much flavour to the potatoes and onions on the bottom, they are basically being cooked in all the lamb juices and drippings.

Personal I prefer the lamb medium done with a hint of pink. But you may cook it longer if you prefer.
________________________________________
Serves : 4-6
Total cooking time : ca. 2 hours
Roasting Temperature: First 20 minutes 200° C / 395° F.
Remaining time : 160° C / 320° F
________________________________________

General cooking times:
Rare: about 15 minutes per pound
Medium-Rare: about 20 minutes per pound
Medium: about 25 minutes per pound
Well-Done: about 30 minutes per pound
These times are only guidelines. It is best to check with a thermometer since not all cuts cook the same.

INGREDIENTS:


• 1 (4 pound) bone-in leg of lamb
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. chopped fine fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. thyme leafs
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 1/2 cup of stock
• 3 medium onions peeled and sliced in 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm.
• 5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/2 inch / 1 cm
• 1 x Chimichurri sauce recipe

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Take the leg of lamb out of the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to let it get to room temperature.
Pre heat the oven to 200° C / 395° F.
Remove any excess skin from the leg of lamb and discard. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Cut incisions with a sharp knife all over the leg of lamb, just a few times to make cooking more even and so the herbs and flavouring can penetrate into the lamb.
Season the lamb liberally with salt and pepper all over.
In a small bowl mix the olive oil, mustard, chopped herbs and grated garlic.
Rub the lamb with the olive oil and herb mixture.
Cover your baking tray with parchment paper and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Prepare your onions and potatoes.
Place the slices of onion on the bottom and then top with the potato slices.
Place the lamb on top. Pour the remaining herb and olive oil mix over the potatoes.
Add the wine and stock and place the lamb in the middle of the oven.
Roast for 20 minutes then lower the heat to 160° C / 320° F and cook for another 100 minutes (1 hr and 40 min) .
If the lamb gets to dark cover loosely with foil. Make sure to baste the lamb with the juices every 30 minutes.
Uncover the lamb for the last 15 to 20 minutes for a crispy outside, if you used foil.
Depending on how you like your lamb done; Continue cooking the lamb until it has reaches your desired internal temperature, (if using a thermometer) , checking the temperature every 20 minutes. The other way to test is by pulling/cutting off a piece of meat.
Let the lamb rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
To carve the lamb. Place the lamb on a cutting board. Turn it so the bone is parallel to the cutting board.
Cut the lamb off the bone by slicing with your knife parallel to the bone. Serve with the potatoes and onions.
Serve the Mint Chimichurri sauce along side.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Grilled Cheese Meatballs in Onion Sauce

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Meatballs loaded with onion sauce and finished off under the grill to melt all that cheese to golden perfection. These are the kind of dishes that make me wish winter would last forever.

You can serve these with mashed potatoes, over pasta or even in a bun.

The meatballs in this recipe are medium large intended for dinner, but you could make them a lot smaller and then serve them as an appetizer for a party with little wooden skewers in them.

Serves: 4 – 6

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed or grated
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 – 3 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • ———————————-
  • 4 medium onions, peeled and sliced
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 cup grated cheese*

*Cheddar , Gouda, Asiago, Fontina, Gruyère, Havarti, Monterey Jack are all great cheeses for melting and grilling, use any one or make a mix.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat the oven to 220° C / 425° F
For the meatballs, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands. Don’t overmix. Form 8 meatballs.
Put them in a oiled oven dish and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes. I use a cast iron skillet but a baking dish is fine too.
Meanwhile heat a large frying pan and glaze the onions on medium low heat in the two tablespoons of olive oil, add a pinch of salt. Partially cover and let cook for about 20 minutes. Stirring now and again. After the 20 minutes add one tablespoon of sugar and stir around until in begins to caramelize and gets a deep golden color.
Add the two tablespoons of flour and again stir until this too gets a golden color.
Gently add the beef stock and stir to completely combine. Add the cumin and let simmer for 10 minutes.
When the meatballs are cooked take them out of the oven and carefully pour over all the onion sauce.
Set the oven to grilling.
Cover the meatballs and onions with the grated cheese and place back in to oven. Grill for about 5 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

Enjoy!

Myra XO