How to Make Homemade Pizza

Pizza is in almost everyone’s favorite food list, and why not? There are dozens of varieties that can be created with a number of ingredients. But if you’re tired of the usual fare at restaurants, you should try making your own homemade pizza.

Pizza Dough

You can buy ready-made dough at markets in Singapore but knowing the basics can let you experiment with different layer thicknesses later.

Ingredients: 3 ½ or 4 cups of bread flour (add an extra cup for rolling), 1 envelope of instant dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil (reserve an additional 2 teaspoons), and 1 ½ cups water with a temperature of 110°F

Preparation: In a mixer, combine the bread flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water and oil and wait until the mixture forms a ball. Check of the dough is sticky. If it is, then add 1 tablespoon of flour until it’s solid. If it’s dry, add 1 tablespoon of water instead. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.

Next, grease a bowl with the oil, place the dough and cover the bowl with a wrapper. Wait for at least an hour until the dough size has doubled. Then, on a floured surface divide the dough into two and cover with plastic wrap or towel before resting for another 10 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

To make a 12-inch pizza, you should also master the technique in making the right pizza sauce with this simple recipe.

Ingredients: 6 ounces tomato paste, 6 ounces water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, ½ cup chopped onion, ½ teaspoon white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram, ¼ teaspoon chili powder,1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation: In a saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until tender before stirring in the tomato paste and water. Next, season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, oregano, basil, cumin, marjoram, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for not more than 20 minutes.

Homemade Pizza

Finally, create a 12-inch homemade pizza with the fresh dough and pizza sauce.

Ingredients: Pizza dough, pizza sauce, cornmeal, firm and soft mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, feta cheese, raw or sautéed mushrooms, sliced bell peppers, sliced Italian pepperoncini, cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, oil-tossed baby arugula, sliced pepperoni, sliced ham, raw or caramelized onions, pesto, and fresh basil

Preparation: Preheat the pizza stone in the oven to 475°F for 30 minutes. One dough ball at a time, press them flat on the surface without making a hole on the surface. Brush with olive oil and rest for 15 minutes. Do the same for the second dough on another pan. Sprinkle cornmeal on a pizza peal and place the doughs on top. Spread the pizza sauce on the dough and place all the toppings. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza stone before placing the pizza. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Best Dishes For Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching and the pressure is on! Everyone is flooding in the malls and markets buying the perfect ingredients to cook the perfect dishes. Well, we hope you’re one of them because these dishes might need you to go the grocery but they are definitely not that difficult. There aren’t many people who cook, there aren’t many people who even know how to cook, but let’s face it, everybody loves food! We may have different pallets but at the end of the day, we just have to eat! Now, why are we even doing this? Because Christmas is the perfect time for you to impress the ones you love with the perfect dishes. Sadly, we aren’t talking about dessert, just the main course.

Here are a few of the best dishes for Christmas:

1. Roasted Turkey
Turkey is one of the heaviest proteins out there. Packed with a huge dose of protein throughout every bite, roasted turkey is a great way to stuff everyone’s tummy with a great roasted turkey. The good thing about the roasted turkey is that you can play around with a lot of herbs like peppermint or rosemary depending on your preference.

2. Christmas Ham
Now, you may be wondering what is the difference between Christmas ham and regular ham. Well, guess which one is sweeter and better seasoned? You guessed it! Christmas ham. With an amazing glaze and perfect crust, Christmas ham is a great addition to put on the table.

3. Roasted Ribs
Now, you can’t just eat your ribs with a fork and a knife, you have to get your hands dirty, and getting your hands dirty is the fun part! You don’t have to be all strict on Christmas, you can have some fun with your food! You might have a hard time cleaning your child’s face as they bite into those ribs, but at least you’ll have fun doing it!

4. Lamb
It’s time for lamb! There are so many things you can do with your lamb that we just can’t decide which is the best dish for Christmas. You can either braise your lamb chops in your signature juice or you can once again grill them. There are so many dishes you can make with lamb. What could go wrong?

Christmas is the time of the year that really pressures us to give the best dishes to our loved ones. But at least with this list of dishes, what could go wrong? Christmas is a time of love. Not just in our gifts, but also in our dishes.

Vegan Pantry Staples: Food Items to Stock in Your Kitchen

Shopping for vegan grocery food items is pretty easy once you know the basics to look for. A lot of beginners often feel intimidated by this, but disregarding the elaborate and lengthy product labels and all that, a simple guide can pave a long way for you to master the art of shopping vegan food items.

Note that having a well-stocked pantry at home is a trump card of every efficient kitchen. Following a vegan diet doesn’t have to be all greens and salads, instead, you can always experiment with cooking different meals whenever you feel like it!

Nuts
Nuts are great to snack on as it is. In some dishes, nuts are also considered the perfect additional ingredient to help step up the flavor. They are notably good for the heart and they help you live a healthier, longer life. Nuts come in a wide array of kinds thus making them a must-have in every vegan kitchen. For some meal ideas, you can combine walnuts into your salads, blend cashews into cheese, or turn pine nuts into pesto.

Vegan milk
Vegan milk options range from almond, soy, rice, cashew, and coconut milk – which all packs the essential nutrients you need minus the staggering amount of calories in your normal milk. Coconut milk, for one, has high fiber and B vitamin content. Meanwhile, soy milk contains generous amount of protein and almond milk has zero cholesterol (which can clog your arteries) and no saturated fat as well.

Beans
Beans are packed with antioxidants, protein and fiber which are all beneficial to the body. Regardless of whether they come in cans or in dried variety, beans are easy to store in your pantry. They add depth in almost every dish, and sometimes you can even add them in some desserts! You can never go wrong with having a regular stock of cannellini beans, chickpeas, and black peas.

Herbs and spices

• Cumin – It adds a smoky flavor to your meals. The taste of cumin commonly stands out in a lot of spicy and Mexican dishes.
• Cinnamon – This is generally used for sweet treats, but cinnamon also adds a rich flavor in making savory meals.

• Cayenne – The perfect spice for chili lovers! If you’re a fan of the spicy heat, have cayenne in your kitchen.
• Oregano – Often branded as the flavor of Italy, Oregano undoubtedly boosts the flavor of your meals. Plus it comes in a greenish color, making it a perfect garnish for your dishes.
• Turmeric – Turmeric adds a bright yellow color to your dishes, such as that in curry. Aside from color, it also adds an earthy flavor to your recipes and contains anti-inflammatory properties.

6 Tips to Eat Healthy Even on a Budget

There’s no known magic formula when it comes to eating healthy on a tight budget. Just like in anything else, all it takes to make it possible is creativity, a little planning and good old-fashioned work. Plus, with these cost-cutting tips, you’ll see that it’s not that difficult to opt for healthier foods even with a tight budget.

1. Shop Local. Buying straight from the organic farmer in your neighbourhood is a good way to cut some cost. The same thing goes if you buy directly from wholesalers. If you’re quite unsure about the location of the local farmers in your area, just visit Localharvest.org to track them down.

2. Buy in Season. Purchasing fruits and vegetables that are out of season will always cost you more, as these selections carry the added cost of energy and transportation. So next time you go shopping for fruits and vegetables, make sure that you buy them in-season. If you’re used to adding blueberries in your morning oats, buy them in bulk during their peak season and freeze them.

3. Consume More Plant-Based Foods. Wild-caught fish and grass-fed beef may be delicious, but they don’t come cheap. So stretch your food dollar by loading more on filling and cruciferous greens, as well as good fats like avocado and high-fibre carbs like legumes and quinoa.

4. Opt for Frozen Goods. Although eating fresh fruits and vegetables is preferred by most of us, going with frozen produce is not half bad. They’re actually a good deal and are as healthy as the fresh stuff. In fact, these goods are frozen at the peak of their ripeness, providing you with all the nutrients on just a fraction of the cost.

5. Go Big on the Flavour. Want to make a delicious dinner without adding calories and cost? Then incorporate seasonings, spices and seasoned vinegars in your cooking repertoire. With these ingredients, cooking flavourful meals without costing too much will already be possible for you.

6. Buy in Bulks During Sale Time. If you have enough storage space in your place, then it would be a great idea to stock up on healthy produce during sale time. Nuts, for instance, are put on sale as the holiday season approaches so consider stocking up this excellent source of protein, fibre and omega-3 fatty acid. Stocking up on perishable items are also good as they can still be frozen for later.

Eating healthy on a tight budget may take some effort, but when you consider the rewards of getting better health and saving money, you’ll find that it’s really worth your time and effort. Just be smart with your food choices and cost-cutting tricks.

 

Preparing Homemade Pizza

What do you do when your kids are around? You think of ways to entertain them so they will not get bored and go outside. You have to take that opportunity to spend more time with them. There are a lot of things that you can do with your kids but if they love pizza, what is the best thing to do? You have to prepare homemade pizza with their help.

Making pizza is a good bonding experience plus you are teaching your kids the value of hard work. Pizza is famous here in Singapore. You can just easily order and have it delivered but where is the fun in it? Grab your recipe book and engage the family. If you do not have a recipe, you can just refer here. Before anything else, you have to know that the preparation time is about two hours.

So, here’s how to make homemade pizza:

• Secure the ingredients: The ingredients for the dough include 1 ½ cups of warm water, 1 pack of dry yeast, 3 ½ cups of bread flour, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of salt and 2 tsp of sugar. This is enough for two 12 inch pizzas. As for the toppings, you need tomato sauce, grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese, crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, sausage, basil, pepperoni, onions and ham. For the equipment, you need a pizza peel (flat baking sheet), mixer and oven.
• Making the dough: The first thing that you should do is place the warm water in a large bowl of the mixer. Then sprinkle the yeast. After 5 minutes, add salt, sugar and olive oil. Use paddle first but after a minute, replace it with the hook attachment. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

• Prepare oven: Preheat your oven for 30 minutes (or more). The temperature should be at 450°F. After leaving the dough, it is time to divide it in half. Make sure to punch it so it deflates.
• Prepare toppings: The toppings will depend on what your kids like. Let them decide what they want to do with their pizzas. Just remind your kids not to overdo the toppings because it will affect the crust of the pizza.
• Bake it: Using the pizza peel, flatten the dough with your hands. Start at the centre and work outwards. You should use your fingertips when pressing the dough; it should be at least ½ inch thick. Stretch it until you reach the desired diameter. Put the desired topping and bake it for about 10 to 15 minutes.

The pizza is now ready to be served. Singaporeans love pizza which makes this an excellent choice. If you invited friends over, you can serve pizza. They will surely love it. Pizza is best with a soda or a juice drink. If your child prefers water, leave it be.