Yeast-Free Dough // Chicken Tikka Pizza

Things I'm loving at this moment: sweet milky coffee, linen scented candles, The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding, the smattering of snow I can see through the window.

Things I'm not loving at this moment: the seemingly never ending winter, my long to-do list, the loud rumbling of diggers outside, tired eyes from too little sleep. 

It's been a long past week or so and I've got a busy upcoming schedule (الحمد لله) so this Tuesday will be a little haven amongst all the hectic. I'm planning on baking some red velvet later but we'll see how that goes as I'm currently feeling a little 'cooked-out', meaning that in the past few days I did a hell of lot more cooking than I usually do. There was cake, banana bread, chicken tikka, various curries, naan, pancakes, pasta etc. and pizza of course.

  Chicken Tikka Pizza to be precise, with a yeast free dough because ain't nobody got hours to spare to wait for rising dough or the patience to go that long without consuming said pizza, for that matter. I've already shared a pizza recipe on this blog before but whereas that base was naan-like in texture this one is more what you'd expect from a traditional pizza base.

Rest assured its still easy and super delicious, doubly so when piled high with this chicken tikka and other toppings then baked until the cheese is all bubbly and golden, drool. 

The recipe uses cup measurements but I've recently added in a cooking conversions page so do check that out if you need to.

So to make the make the base, you will need the following ingredients:

- Plain flour

- Baking powder

- Salt

- Milk

- Butter

Begin by combining 3 cups of plain flour, 1 and 1/2 tblsp of baking powder, 1 tblsp of salt in the bowl out your stand mixture.

To this add in 1 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of water, 1 tblsp of unflavoured oil and 1/4 cup butter.

Using the dough hook attachment on the mixer combine all ingredients together on low speed until a ball of dough forms. You may need to add additional flour if it is too sticky or a dash more liquid if too dry.

Sprinkle some flour onto a surface and knead the dough slightly to reduce excess stickiness.

Divide the dough according to how many pizzas you want to make.

Using a rolling pin roll out the dough retaining a reasonable thickness for the base.

For the first stage of the cooking pop the base onto a hot ungreased pan aka tawa. You can stretch the dough or alter the shape slightly at this stage. 

After a few minutes, flip and cook the other side. Note that the dough is not fully cooked at this point. 

Over an open flame heat the base to cook the remaining parts and add some colour. 

Prepare the toppings: the no-cook tomato sauce, chicken tikka, sliced red onions, red peppers and cherry tomatoes.

Place the base onto a baking sheet, spread with the tomato sauce, add the toppings along with grated cheddar and sprinkle of mixed herbs. Omit the chicken for a tasty veggie alternative. 

Bake in a Gas Mark 8 oven for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and is golden. Remove from the oven, slice and serve.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x 

Peri-Peri Chicken Pepper Fajitas

It's my day off and I'm quite content right now; it's snowing outside but inside the fire is roaring, I have a slice of homemade nutella cake, the fairy lights are twinkling, there's a vase of the most beautiful orange roses on my table and we just watched the latest episode of TWD. Now not to branded an entitled snowflake millennial (middle finger emoji) but little acts of self-care are quite important, especially considering that day to day we are bombarding with a never-ending cycle of bad news. That's why its essential to sometimes step back, relax and do things that you enjoy. 

One of my more productive forms of enjoyment is cooking (more specifically baking) for other people, but I find cooking for one a big old hassle and so on days when its just me I sometimes end up skipping lunch. Although this isn't so true if I've had the foresight to do some meal prep or if the fridge is stocked with pre-cooked goodies. A great recipe in this case is this chicken pepper mix which tastes just as phenomenal a day later as it does fresh from the griddle.

The chicken is flavoured using a homemade peri-peri style sauce and cooked with red onions and peppers making it both spicy and incredibly flavourful. Traditionally fajitas are made with cuts of beef so feel free to substitute if desired. Either way you can pair it with your flatbread of choice and pile it sky-high with toppings for an easy yet delicious lunch//dinner meal option! 

So to make these peri-peri chicken pepper fajitas you will begin by creating a marinate:

In a jug blend together 3/4 of a bell pepper, 2 green chillies, 2 garlic cloves, 3 tblsp lemon juice and the spices - 1 tsp salt, 1tsp dried mixed herbs, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes, 1 tblsp paprika, 1/2 tsp tandoori masala.

Followed by 4 tblsp of olive oil, 2 tblsp of natural yogurt, 2 tblsp of malt vinegar, 1/2 tsp of green chilli sauce and 2 tblsp of peri peri sauce.

Blend ingredients together using a hand mixer until no lumps remain.

Add the mixture to 1 pound of boneless chicken cut into pieces, mix well to ensure everything is well coated then cover the bowl with clingfilm and set aside (this should be left to marinate in the fridge for a few hours if possible or it can be cooked straight away).

The next step is to finely slice up some red onion and coloured peppers. Heat up a few spoons of oil in a frying pan or griddle then cook the onions/peppers until the have softened.

Pour in the chicken along with all the marinade and stir to ensure it is incorporated. Cook on a high heat for a few minutes until the chicken is white in colour then lower the heat slightly, cover the pan and leave to cook for around 8-10 minutes.

The chicken will release its water, allow this to dry out and cook on a high heat for a few minutes to allow the flavour and masala to cling to the chicken pieces.

In the meantime gather up you condiments, grate some mature cheddar and slice up some fresh veggies such as bell peppers, cucumber and tomatoes.

To assemble grab a flatbread (I opted for a herb tortilla wrap), add a generous amount of the chicken mixture, top with grated cheddar, the sliced fresh veg and drizzle on your condiments (in this case, chilli sauce and natural yogurt. 

Wrap up your fajita and grill on a hot pan until nice and toasty. Stack up and serve with salad and sides; chips, guacamole, sour cream, whatever you fancy.

😋

Enjoy!

 Q x  

Rainbow Pasta Bolognese

The seasons have finally changed and the cold weather is upon us, I have been acutely aware of this because I've already caught a cold, twice. When this happens I have to resort to my mum's chicken soup recipe, it is full of good stuff and I usually feel better after having had it, but here's a little secret, I hate soup (particularly chicken soup). Yet I do know that a lot of people actually enjoy it, a friend of mine used to have soup everyday for lunch.. willingly. 

It was her idea of comfort food. Now I'm a big advocate of each to their own and all that, but my idea of comfort food contrasts significantly, right now I'm thinking melty cheese (in any form), pasta and hot pudding. All of the carbs and calories, oops. But its fine because according to the internet, comfort food provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone and may be characterised by its high caloric nature, high carbohydrate level, or simple preparation. 

So pasta definitely ticks all of these boxes and for me it is the epitome of comfort food!  

As you may or may not know, I'm definitely more of a dessert girl but this particular recipe is one of the first main course meals I successfully made. It is still my go-to for when I have to cook something that doesn't include sugar, as its a particularly forgiving recipe and turns out delicious every time. 

By no means is it authentic Italian but what it lacks in cultural authenticity it more than makes up for in flavour. Side note, this reminds me of what an Italian coursemate in uni used to say; people will put tomato sauce on anything and call it Italian. So I'm not about to do that, in fact if anything this pasta has a desi twist i.e. it is on the spicier side and it is is packed with flavour, owing to the combination of spices, vegetables, meat and sauce. 
(Speaking of Italian I have to mention last weeks GBBO, I guess sfogliatelle is next on my baking list, just kidding!) 

To make this Rainbow Pasta Bolognese, start with the following ingredients:

- Pasta

- Tomato Puree

- Tinned plum tomatoes

- Onions, ginger, garlic

- Bell peppers, peas, sweetcorn, carrots, mushroom

 Begin by bringing a large pan of salted water to a boil and add two cereal bowls worth of pasta. Give it a stir, turn the heat to low and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. 

Drain and set aside when required (this is to be done whilst you are making the pasta sauce so both components are ready at around the same time).

Make a start on the pasta sauce base by blending together 2 onions, 2 cloves of garlic and an inch of ginger using an electric hand mixer.

Heat around 5 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan, to this add in the onion blend and cook until golden brown.

Now for the spices; 1 tblsp salt, 1 tblsp mixed herbs, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp tandoori masala, 1/2 tsp garam masala.

Stir this into the onion blend and allow it to sizzle.

Now stir in a around 4-5 tablespoons of tomato puree and 1/2 a cup of water and incorporate.

If wanting to add meat to the dish then this is the stage at which to do it - add in 1 pound of chicken mince and keep stirring it on low heat to ensure that the meat does not clump up. 
Keep doing this until the chicken is cooked i.e. white in colour, the meat will also release its own liquid and you need to allow for this to evaporate. Cook until the desired consistency is reached.

Now for the tinned tomato, blend the contents in a jug beforehand to ensure there are no lumps then pour this into the pan.

Add in the vegetables (aka the rainbow) and cook for a few minutes. 

To create the sauce consistency mix in 3/4 of a cup of water and a splash of Piri piri sauce (this is the one that I use), put the lid on the pan and leave in to cook on low heat until the vegetables are sufficiently cooked through. Taste test and add more salt if required.

Finally, add the drained pasta to the sauce and gently stir to incorporate.

Serve hot, with added cheese if desired.
This also makes a great pasta bake/lasagna if you layer with béchamel sauce, top with grated cheddar and bake in the oven (let me know if you want the exact recipe!)
😋

Enjoy!

 Q x  

Homemade Samosas

Impromptu trips to pretty places are one of favourite things ever and although I don't get to jet of to far-flung locations every other weekend, we still do alright. For instance, the other day I went to a beautiful estate nestled just outside of the Peak District, not too far from where I live.

It was gloriously sunny and there were gardens, moorland, mansion and deer park, oh and we had a picnic by the lakeside with samosas still warm from being cooked in the morning, it was really nice (for lack of better adjectives).

Now if upon hearing the word 'samosa' your response is to say bless you and offer a tissue (true story) then boy are you missing out, because I would assume you've never tried them and these crispy little pastry parcels packed with the most delicious filling are sent straight from culinary heaven. I exaggerate not.
I have a memory from years ago when we went on holiday, we had them from the bazaar and the stall vendors would give them wrapped in newspaper and they were warm and spicy. Nowadays when my mum can get us all in the same place at one time we all help out and form a sort-of production line; I make the dough balls, mum rolls and cooks the 'roti', my sister (and me) make the samosas and my dad fries them. Bit tiring but the end result is worth it and its a rare treat, so worth the little bit of extra effort. 
The batch that we make is pretty big, not enough to feed a small army kinda big (only because you can't stop at one!) but it still means that you're dealing with large quantities of ingredients. Now my mum is a pro at this and she knows how to easily upscale quantities for her recipes, in fact it is almost instinctual.. meaning no accurate measuring involved (!) this makes it difficult for me to apply my meticulous baking methodologies but here's the good thing. Its pretty easy to not go overboard with the spices, taste test and alter as you see fit. 

So without further ado, to make the samosa filling you will need:

1.   Potatoes

2.   Peas

3.   Onions

4.   Chicken mince (optional)

5.   Spices and flavouring: tandoori masala, chilli powder, chilli flakes, garam masala, salt, dried fenugreek, lemon juice, corriander

To start with heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large pan, once its sizzling throw in two chopped onions and cook this on medium heat until the onions have softened slightly. To this add 1+1/2 tablespoons salt and 2 tsp red chilli powder and stir to incorporate.

 Meanwhile peel and chop up some potatoes, these form the majority of the filling so you need quite a lot (10 large potatoes). 
Then once the onions have softened add in the potatoes and about 400g of frozen peas, keep on medium heat and stir to combine.

To this mixture add in 1+1/2 tblsp coarse garam masala, 1 tbsp chilli flakes and cook until the water released from the potatoes has evaporated and they are soft.

If you are wanting to add some meat to your samosas, you can do this by combining 1 kilo chicken mince with one cup of water in a separate pan and cooking this on low heat, stirring continuously so that no lumps form. In terms of flavouring just add 2 tbsp tandoori masala and 1/2 tsp salt, as the majority of the spices are already in the potato mixture. Cook this until all water released has evaporated and the meat is well cooked and coloured. 

Meanwhile stir in a handful of both dried fenugreek (methi) and chopped coriander to the potato and pea mixture.

All thats left to do is combine the chicken to the potato and peas mixture; add in a dash of lemon juice and taste test. You can then adjust as you see fit i.e. add more salt and chilli flakes if required.
Side note: this filling can be used in not only samosas, but toasties, sandwiches, spring rolls or pitta bread!

If you're feeling brave (or not so lazy) you can make a quick dough by combining plain flour with a pinch of salt, then pour in enough water to combine it all together - knead until it is soft and stretchy.
If you're not so good at dough making aka me, you can use store bought dough, samosa strips or pastry.

In the case of dough, make small balls and knead them in the palm of your hand until they are smooth. Place onto a floured surface and roll it out into a circular shape (or attempt to at least).

Then place this onto a hot tawa or a flat ungreased pan, flip once the middle region begins to look cooked. Do not overcook the roti (unleavened flatbread) at this stage because we want them to have some structure but the majority of the cooking will occur at the frying stage later on. Create a stack of roti before you progress onto the next stage or if you have helpers and you're adopting the production line method you need not worry about that. 

Making the actual samosa is ridiculously easy (as depicted); just cut a roti in half, place some filing in the centre, brush some water on all edges, fold and seal one half then wrap across the other half, then crimp together the edges and voila.

The samosas can be frozen at this stage or if you actually want to eat your handiwork then heat up some oil and fry they samosas until golden brown and crispy. Serve with a spicy chickpea salad and some mint sauce.

I hope you give this recipe a go and wish you a relaxing Sunday and week ahead.
 😋

Enjoy!

 Q x