I’m sitting in my dining room, which has just been painted white by our landlord after years of peeling paint and strange patches on the walls.  I feel like I have a blank canvas to play with, full of potential.  Our living room on the other hand is packed full of our dining room furniture and pretty much resembles Steptoe’s Yard.  But I get to start again in this room.  This weekend we’ll start to drag stuff back.  I’ll put my vintage plates lovingly away in the dresser.  My husband will enjoy reorganising our music collection far more than a person should.  We’ll argue over how the books should be arranged and in what order.  Pretty soon it will look much as it ever did, a thoroughly lived in room with all the tapestry of our lives strewn about.  But for now it’s a blank canvas and how often do we get one of those?

I was going to make a tenuous link about pizza bases being a blank canvas but I won’t do that (except I just did). This is a pizza base with a difference since it is made from cauliflower.  I’d seen quite a few recipes for grain free pizza bases made from cauliflower around the internet and the idea intrigued me.  When I saw this recipe on Green Kitchen Stories the simplicity of the recipe appealed to my sometimes lazy attitude towards cooking and so I took the plunge and gave it a try.  It was a great success and my husband declared it the best “gluten free” pizza he’d had.  Notice he said “gluten free” because quite frankly if you are looking for this base to taste like real pizza you will be disappointed.  Personally I’ve forgotten what pizza tastes like but I know this isn’t going to replicate.  It does stand out on its own as a delicious alternative with a slightly nutty, sweet taste and softer texture. 

Since my husband can’t eat tomatoes these days I went for a goat’s cheese topping with roasted fennel and pear.  The result was delicious.  The sweetness from the caramelised fennel and pears complimented the tang of the goat’s cheese perfectly.  We’ll definitely be making this again many times in the future.

Pizza base recipe adapted from Green Kitchen Stories:  Serves 2-3

1 cauliflower (how much you use will depend on the size of the cauliflower)

80g ground almonds

1 tablespoon of dried rosemary (or whatever dried herb you like)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs beaten

Preheat the oven Gas Mark 6, 200°C, 400°F

Line a baking tray with parchment and set aside.

Chop the cauliflower in to florets and process in a food processor to make a fine, rice like texture.  You should end up with about 700ml of cauliflower rice.  I started off in batches and stopped once I had reached 700ml.

Add the ground almonds, rosemary, seasoning and mix together with your hands.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs.  Mix together until a dough is formed, you will probably need to use your hands for this so be prepared to get messy.  Transfer the dough to the baking sheet.  It will be quite loose and sticky.  Push the dough out towards the edges of the baking sheet and flatten with your hands until a flat base is formed.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.

Topping:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 fennel bulb finely sliced using a mandolin

1 pear finely sliced.

Hard goat’s cheese sliced

While the pizza is baking in the oven, place the fennel on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for about 15-20 minutes until the edges are beginning to caramelise and the fennel is slightly softer. 

When the pizza base is ready remove from the oven and top with the fennel, sliced pear and finally the goat’s cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Figs with Everything!

I was going to call this Figs for Friday, an equally cringe making title but I guess I missed the opportunity there now that’s its Saturday.  Instead last night after I spent some quality time with the M25 on my way home from work I made a version of this chicken and coconut korma, then watched a few episodes of 30 Rock until I nodded off in the chair and my husband declared I should go to bed.  Sadly a fairly average Friday evening around here at the moment.  I don’t know if it’s the change in weather but I have been feeling monumentally tired this week.  I think blaming the weather is generally considered a reasonable conclusion for most things.  Anyway, figs have been featuring a lot in our diet lately.  I love fig season, my husband’s not so keen...which just means more for me.

A couple of things I’ve enjoyed.  This salad is a riff on the super seed kale one I posted a few weeks ago.  This time I cooked up some lentils with the rice, used toasted pistachios instead of the seeds, chopped up fresh figs instead of the dried cherries and used a few drops of balsamic vinegar in the dressing in place of the cider vinegar.  Figs, pistachios and goat cheese work so well together.  Sticking with that theme I also used figs on top of my favourite gluten free pizza crust with goat cheese, toasted pistachios, basil and some lambs lettuce.  The sweet figs made a delicious pizza topping and cooked up perfectly under the grill.

I hope you find some delicious ways to enjoy figs before they disappear.  Here are a couple more ideas from the archives!  Have a good weekend x

Sweet Roasted Figs on Porridge

Gluten-Free Orange, Fig and Olive Oil Cake

Sweetcorn, Rosemary and Goat Cheese Gluten Free Pizza

So my last post which seems like eons ago was some nonsense about it never being too hot to bake.  Well, I’ve changed my mind.  It is officially too hot to bake or do anything much for that matter.  I’m enjoying a much needed break from work and feeling very relieved that I’m not commuting this week in my old car which has no air conditioning.  I may as well be driving an oven in to work and slowly roasting myself at the same time. The only way to keep vaguely cool is to have the windows wound down which on the motorway is no fun at all.  Deafening traffic noise means no radio.  Commuting in hot weather has also given me a lopsided tan.  My right arm now being lovely and brown while my left has some serious catching up to do.

However I digress because we are here to talk about pizza and not my delirious heat induced ramblings.  One of my favourite things to eat in summer is corn on the cob.  I love how easily it cooks in the oven, on the grill or barbeque and with a little butter melted on top it is perfection in itself.  I decided to combine my love of sweetcorn with pizza.  Ok you may need to use the oven if you follow my method but I’m sure the grill or barbeque will make an excellent alternative for cooking the corn.  The pizzas are a grill job so all in all, not too bad.

I made the pizza bases using this gluten free flatbread recipe which makes a fantastic pizza base.  Just leave out the cumin.  I’ve blogged about it many times, here, here, here and here.  The original recipe came from BBC GoodFood.

For the sweetcorn I wrapped each cob in foil with a little butter then baked them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes on Gas Mark 7, 220°C, 425°F.  Once the corn is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to slice the corn kernels from the cob.

Once the flatbread is cooked, spread the corn across the flatbread then sprinkle with fresh rosemary and crumbled hard goat cheese.  My husband added ham to his which he really enjoyed.  Simply grill until the cheese has melted to your liking.  About 5 minutes.

Roasted Grape Gluten Free Pizza.

It’s my belief that roasting fruit is the stuff of genius.  It never ceases to amaze me how a humble piece of fruit can be transformed in the oven.  Take the grape for example.  I’ve never really been a fan.  They’re fine, but not really on my radar on a day to day basis.  I can never help but associate them with something you bring a sick person in hospital.  Roast them in the oven however and you have sweet and caramelised deliciousness.  When I happened upon this post from How Sweet It Is I was instantly inspired to roast some grapes and I knew I wanted them on pizza.



I used my old favourite gluten free flat bread recipe originally adapted from BBC Good Food.  Simply add the roasted grapes to the flat breads once they are cooked and finish off under the grill topped with hard goat cheese.  The sweet grapes paired with the tangy goat cheese were a match made in heaven.

 

To roast the grapes simply wash, cut in half and lay on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and roast at Gas Mark 7, 220°C, 425°F for about 20 minutes until the grapes are caramelised and beginning to burst.

 

 

Roasted Fennel Gluten Free Flatbread Pizzas

Ever since the man of the house started to get a hyper acidic stomach he hasn’t gone near a tomato.  Among other acidic friends the tomato is currently out of bounds.  Cutting out tomatoes isn’t exactly as hard as cutting out gluten, especially as its winter but still, it is surprising how often the humble tomato pops up.  Pizza toppings are one area that has given us a new challenge.  This is our current favourite...Roasted fennel and goat cheese.  The fennel gets sliced super thin with a mandoline and then roasted in olive oil for about 15 minutes.  Once atop the flatbread it is then joined by crumbled goat cheese which in turn becomes lovely and melted under the grill.  I’ve raved about these flatbread pizzas before, if you haven’t already tried, you should.  They are a revelation!

 



Flatbread recipe adapted from BBC Good Food

Makes 2 small pizzas.  You can cook the fennel while you are making the pizzas, that way everything is ready at once.

100g (4oz) gluten free self raising flour (I used Doves Farm)

75ml natural yoghurt (I used sheep’s milk yoghurt)

25ml water

For the top:

Olive oil

1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Hard goat cheese (or mozzarella may work).

For the Flatbreads

Preheat the grill to medium and dust a baking sheet (or grill pan) with flour. In a bowl combine the flour and yoghurt then start to add the water and mix well until a slightly wet dough forms. Don’t be tempted to add more flour as you want the dough to be a little wet.

Divide the dough in half.  Flatten each half of dough to form a rough circle about ½ cm thick.  Dust with a little flour as you do this to stop them from sticking to the surface.  (I use baking parchment which I sprinkle with flour to do this, it helps stop the dough sticking and can be used to transfer the dough to the baking sheet).  Place the flatbreads on a floured baking sheet and cook under the grill. Cook the first side until golden brown (about 5 minutes) then turn and cook the other side. As the second side begins to brown remove the flatbreads on the baking sheet from the grill to add the topping.

For the Fennel Topping inspired by My New Roots

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C, 400°F.  Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, finely slice the fennel.  Place on a baking tray and roast in olive oil for about 15 – 20 minutes until just cooked but not browning as it will be cooking more under the grill.  When the fennel is ready lay it out across your cooked flatbreads until evenly covered. Next top with sliced goat cheese.  Return the flatbreads to the grill and cook until the cheese is melted and just turning golden.

Aubergine, Courgette and Tomato Gluten Free Flatbread Pizza

Ever since I discovered the wonder that is this gluten free flatbread recipe and started making pizzas with it, I have been busily experimenting with different toppings.  I thought I’d share my current favourite with you and hammer home just how amazing these pizzas are in case you forgot to try them.  This has become a bit of a Friday night after work treat.  They come together pretty quickly, perfect when you have struggled your way through Friday commuters and weekenders.  Trains seem extra slow, people have bulky bags, seats are scarce and isles are full.  Thank goodness there is pizza at the end of this!

 

To make these pizzas follow the original recipe here.  As I’ve had more practice making these I’d recommend flattening out the dough on a piece of floured baking parchment.  It makes it easier to lift the flatbread on to the baking tray.  Also flour the baking tray too (as above).  Again this stops the flatbreads sticking.  For the aubergine and courgette topping I simply chop them up in to small, fairly thin chunks then roast these in the oven (gas mark 7, 220°C, 425°F) in a little olive oil for about 10 - 15 minutes.  You don’t want them too well done as they will brown off under the grill once you have scattered them across the top of your pizza.  Add them to the top of the pizza when you add the tomatoes and then top with mozzarella.  Garnish with fresh basil.

 

 

Recently with my iPhone/Instagram

A robin came and kept us company while we were doing some gardening.  He was loving all the attention.

Flat peaches in my new pretty glass bowl from Cambridge market.

Avocados, I can’t seem to get enough.

Gluten Free Flatbread Pizzas this time with tomato, mozzarella and roasted aubergine.  More avocado on the side.

Lone poppy on a windswept walk.

Stopping for coffee. I think this cafe is self aware...

A day trip to the seaside.  It rained...ALOT.  St Bartholomew's Church, one of the tallest churches in the UK.  Love the bird taking flight at the top as I snapped this.  Also, sheltering in a doorway waiting for the rain to pass.  Check out those turn ups.

Traditional British summer activity...visit a beach in the rain.

A little bit of colour on a grey day.

Spotted my dream car parked next to us in the multi storey car park. 

How was your weekend?

Gluten Free Flatbread Pizzas with Tomato and Mozzarella

So a few weeks ago I posted about gluten free flatbreads.  I love them and I’ve been playing around with combinations.  I’d heard they can make a good pizza base and I decided to give it a try.  I’m happy to report it was a huge success!  They came pretty close to replicating what I remember real pizza is like.  It may be a distant, hazy memory as I haven’t eaten regular pizza for seven years but when I sank my teeth in to these it immediately felt right.  My husband is no stranger to pizza and he agreed these flatbreads come pretty close to making a decent pizza base.  The fact that they are so quick and easy to make is a massive bonus.  The base has a slight crunch but is also light and airy.  In the past my attempts at gluten free pizza have been a bit of a fail, often cardboard like in texture and distinctly chewy.  In fact one time we ended up scraping the topping off the pizza and just eating that.  No more will we have to suffer this fate now that I can make these lovely little pizzas.  I’m looking forward to trying out more toppings. 

Although I describe these as pizzas they aren’t traditional in the sense of having a tomato sauce topping.  I haven’t tried this mainly because they are best grilled so lend themselves to toppings like sliced tomato and mozzarella that stand up well under the grill and are quick to cook.  I’m not sure how well they would work cooked in the oven but if you give it a try I’d love to know how they turned out. 

Flatbread recipe adapted from BBC Good Food

Makes 4 small pizzas

200g (7oz) gluten free self raising flour (I used Doves Farm)

150ml natural yoghurt (I used sheep’s milk yoghurt)

50ml water

For the top:

Tomatoes sliced

1 x ball of mozzarella cheese sliced.

Preheat the grill to medium and dust a baking sheet with flour.  In a large bowl combine the flour and yoghurt then add in the water and mix well.  This will form a slightly wet dough. Don’t be tempted to add more flour.

Divide the dough in to four pieces and then flatten out to form a rough circle about ½ cm thick.  Dust with a little flour as you do this to stop them from sticking to the surface.  Place the flatbreads on a baking sheet and cook under the grill.  Cook the first side until golden brown (about 5 minutes) then turn and cook the other side.  As the flatbreads begin to brown remove from the grill briefly but keep them on the baking sheet.  Add the sliced tomatoes and slices of mozzarella to the top of each flatbread.  Place back under the grill and continue to cook until the mozzarella is melted and turning golden.  Remove and serve topped with fresh basil.







Sort of Pizza but not exactly

When you are first diagnosed with coeliac disease or find out you are gluten intolerant you start to run through the foods you aren’t going to be able to eat anymore.  Aside from the obvious things like bread, pizza is often pretty high on the list.  For me the hardship was not going out for pizza anymore.  I have learned to sit across from friends in a restaurant while they tuck in to pizza and I eat a salad without glaring at them enviously.  I have grown...but I have also forgotten what pizza tastes like.  Although in the cookery book this recipe calls itself pizza its really more pizza meets tart as the crust is made from pastry.  It still works pretty well to satisfy my pizza cravings.  Because it is essentially a pastry crust it is much heavier than normal pizza. Also it will crumble like all gluten free pastry.  It is imperfect or rustic as I like to call it but just go with it.  The result is delicious and can be eaten cold the next day.  This recipe serves 4 with salad or 2 on its own.

Recipe from Apple Tree Cafe Wheat and Gluten Free Recipes

Making the crust

200g rice flour

100g soya flour  *you can sub another flour here, I quite often use quinoa

150g margarine or butter

1 egg

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 190°C.  Sieve the flours into a bowl then rub in the margarine to make a breadcrumb like consistency.  Add the egg and mix together until the pastry begins to form.  You might have to knead it with your hands a little here.  Sprinkle a baking tray with rice flour then press the pasty into the tray to make your base.  Blind bake your pastry in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

Adding your toppings

Passata

Toppings of your choice.  I topped my pizza with roasted aubergine, courgette and red onion.

Mozzarella cheese sliced

2 large tomatoes sliced

Spread the passata over your pizza base then add the sliced tomato and mozarella.  Finish with the toppings of your choice.  Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden brown.