Food And Nutrition
Easy no-yeast pizza
Freshly baked pizza tastes great, and this pizza dough without yeast requires no waiting around for the dough to rise. Just mix it up and you’re ready to go. Try it with your favourite toppings.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs, plus extra for topping
- 2 pinches caster sugar
- 1 garlic clove
- 200g/7oz mozzarella (or any other cheese), torn into pieces, for topping
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dough
- 300g/10½oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 300g/10½oz natural yoghurt
Method
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Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7 and put two baking trays in to heat.
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To make the sauce, put the tomatoes, mixed herbs and sugar in a saucepan. Peel and finely grate the garlic, add it to the pan and set over a medium heat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until thickened then remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool.
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To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour in the yoghurt the stir with a fork to combine. When the mixture forms a rough dough, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to form a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll out into thin circles.
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Carefully remove the hot baking trays from the oven and lay the pizza bases on top. Bake for 3-4 minutes until beginning to rise then remove from the oven.
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Turn the pizza bases over and top with the sauce. Scatter the mozzarella over the top. Season with black pepper, sprinkle over a pinch of herbs then return to the oven. Bake for 5 minutes until the bases are crisp and the cheese is bubbling.
Deviled eggs are a favorite snack in my household. They are so flavorful and it’s easy to make them in a variety of ways. Sometimes I’ll set up a deviled egg bar where friends can garnish their eggs with a variety of toppings like capers, sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, smoked salmon, crumbled cheeses, etc. These deviled eggs are a perfect combo of salty and spicy and are sure to impress any guests.
Serves 24
Ingredients:
- 1 dozen hard boiled eggs, peeled
- ¼ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons chunky blue cheese dressing
- 1 to 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crumbled blue cheese, for garnish
- Chopped celery leaves, for garnish
Instructions:
Halve each boiled egg. Place the whites on a platter and place the yolks in a food processor. Process the yolks until they look like coarse sand, then transfer to a mixing bowl (you can also mash the yolks with a fork if you don’t have a food processor).
Combine the egg yolks with mayo, blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce and chopped celery. Season with salt and pepper and stir again.
Scoop the yolk mixture into a piping bag (or resealable sandwich bag) and pipe into each egg white. Garnish with crumbled blue cheese and chopped celery leaves. Serve immediately or keep cold until ready to serve.
Butternut squash makes a lovely vegetarian stew when mixed with a few store cupboard ingredients. A great dinner for busy days where you want something cheap and healthy. If you add plant-based yoghurt, it’s also vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 750g/1lb 10oz), peeled, deseeded and cut into 2.5cm/1in pieces
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 300ml/½ pint boiling water
- plain yoghurt (any variety), to serve (optional)
Method
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until softened. Add the squash and cook over a high heat for 8–10 minutes until starting to colour on the edges. Add the salt, spices, chopped tomatoes and 200ml/7fl oz boiling water. Cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes until the squash is soft.
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Add the chickpeas with the remaining 200ml/7fl oz boiling water, cover and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with some yoghurt, if you like.
All the flavours of the Caribbean are here in this delicious celebration dish that is perfect for a summer dinner party or special occasion meal.
Serve with Andi’s sweet potato roti .
Ingredients
For the rundown sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Scotch Bonnet, left whole
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2½ tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 100g/3½oz coconut cream, grated
- 6 cherry tomatoes
- 200ml/7fl oz vegetable stock
For the fried chicken
- 1 free-range egg
- 50ml/2fl oz milk
- 100g/3½oz plain flour
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 chicken thighs, skin on, boneless and cut into 3 pieces each
- 100g/3½oz breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the ital vegetables
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, cut into quarters
- 1 red onion, cut into quarters
- 2 large carrots, peeled, diced and par-boiled
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 125g/4½oz spinach, wilted and chopped
- 125g/4½oz rainbow chard, wilted and chopped
For the mango pickle
- 100ml/3½fl oz white vinegar
- 100g/3½oz caster sugar
- 6 black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 mango, peeled and chopped
- 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
To serve
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Method
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To make the rundown sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and garlic. Add the scotch bonnet and fry until the onions are softened. Add all of the spices, stir gently and let it sizzle for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and coconut cream and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer gently for a further 30 minutes to reduce and thicken.
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To make the fried chicken, beat the egg and milk together in a small jug. Mix the flour, cumin, paprika, coriander and allspice in a wide bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece into the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, then back into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Fry the chicken pieces in the deep fat fryer for 3 minutes on each side until golden. Carefully transfer to kitchen paper to drain.
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To make the ital vegetables, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the onions until slightly softened. Add the carrots and spices to the pan and stir to mix. Transfer to a roasting tin and drizzle the remaining oil over the vegetables. Roast for 25 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and stir through the greens.
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To make the pickle, place the vinegar, sugar and peppercorns in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to cool a little and add the mango and chilli. Leave to pickle for 10 minutes.
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Serve the chicken and ital vegetables on plates and pour the rundown sauce on top. Garnish with coriander, spring onion, and parsley. Finish with the mango pickle.
