Thick crust Veggie Pizza

'Pizza', mmm can't stop gobbling just one slice. Thats exactly what happened yesterday night. It was my first time baking pizza and i was very much worried that i just sat in-front of the oven for 2o mins. Senthil came home and said ' i smell Papa johns here'. I was happily grinning that, you could see all my teeth. With a few more mins of baking, i took the pizza out of the oven and can't wait to slice it up. Senthil was standing near me ready with his plate. I sliced the pizza and turned back to pick my camera, and i saw a slice already in his mouth. He gave me thumbs up and said, that i had nailed it. Of course, those were the words i was waiting to hear from him. Yay! and i did. And boom, it was a power cut. Both of us were laughing, looking at each other's mouth as we were ravening the slices. Stomach was full, but mouth was still hungry. I hope you too will enjoy this pizza. Check out the recipe and here it goes,

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 cups APF (Maida)

1 packet Active Dry Yeast

1 cup Warm Water

1tsp Salt

1 1/2tsp Sugar

2tbsp Olive oil

How to:

• Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let sit for 10 mins, until foamy on top.

• In another big bowl, add the flour, salt, olive oil and the yeast mixture.

• Transfer to a lightly floured surface and start kneading for 5-6 mins or until dough is smooth.

• Coat oil in a bowl, place the dough, wrap it with a cloth and let sit for 2 hours.

• Once the dough doubles in size, punch down the air, knead for a min, divide the dough and let sit for another 20 mins.

For the sauce:

Ingredients:

4 Roma Tomatoes

1/2 small Green Bell pepper

1 1/2tsp Garlic (minced)

1/2tsp dried Basil

1/2tsp Oregano/Marjoram

1tbsp Olive oil

Salt

How to:

• Blanch the tomatoes and peel off the skin.

• Puree 2 tomatoes and chop the other 2 tomatoes and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and saute for a min, followed by bell pepper.

• After a min add the chopped and pureed tomatoes and cook with lid closed for 12-15 mins in a medium flame.

• Add salt and the dried herbs and cook until it reaches right consistency. (Not too watery)

• Switch off and keep aside.

Rolling and Baking:

Glass Baking dish

Pastry brush

Olive Oil

Mozzarella Cheese

For toppings:

Pineapple (chopped)

Green Bell pepper (cut lengthwise)

Jalapeños (chopped)

Sun-dried Tomatoes (chopped)

How to:

• Preheat oven at 425 degrees.
• Transfer one-half dough onto a floured surface and roll it with a rolling pin. 
• Coat the baking dish with olive oil, place the rolled dough and coat the dough also with olive oil.

• Then apply tomato sauce over the dough leaving 1" gap at the side.

• Top it with your favorite veggies or meat, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on it and bake for 20 mins or until the dough turns golden brown.

• Let cool for 10 mins on a cooling rack and slice it up.

Serve warm with your favorite sauce and crushed red peppers.

Tomato Chutney 2

After a few lazy days, you know with all the diwali sweets and fried snacks, just ate and slept and forced myself back into my diet. What else could i blame my laziness on, ah! the weather, its getting colder everyday and the rain puts me into sleep and makes me cuddle inside my throw. Now and then i walk a few miles inside the mall, hehe. Its fun, right?

Well, to talk about the chutney, its everything about the tomatoes. Choose juicy, red and blemish-free tomatoes, cook and grind to your desired texture and savor every bite by dipping your favorite idli/dosa/chapathi.

Ingredients:

4 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)

7 Green Chillies (chopped)

1 1/2tsp Ginger (chopped)

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1/2tsp Mustard seeds

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1/2tsp Paprika

2 Bay leaves

1 pinch Asafoetida

1/2tsp Sugar

2tsp Oil

Salt

How to:

• Heat oil in a skillet, add asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaves, turmeric powder and paprika.

• Then add the tomatoes, followed by green chillies and ginger along with salt and sugar.

• Stir and cook with lid closed for 6-8 mins at a medium heat.

• Switch off when the tomatoes are completely cooked and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve the chutney as it is or you can grind coarsely and serve warm with dosa/idli.