Vegi Pizza

 I have mentioned the 'upside down' pizza incident before and think it is time to explain. In the 3rd and 4th years of my undergraduate degree I shared a fantastic (yet damp) flat in Aberdeen with Miss D (vegetarian) and Mr F (omnivore) where we shared kitchen adventures on a budget - blue and white stripy canned tomatoes, bulk bought cheese and pasta featured heavily. On new years day Mr F and I decided to make pizza for dinner, and with the help of some shop bought pizza bases and lots of red cheddar we produced three spectacular pizzas - 1 vegi and 2 with meat. We waited eagerly for the pizzas to come out of the oven and I removed Miss D's vegi one first with much ceremony only for the topping to slide of and land on the pull down oven door. The toppings were hastily scraped up and popped back on top of the pizza base but the results were less than appetising.

Thankfully my pizza making skills have improved exponentially since then which is a good job as nothing says a cozy Saturday night like a homemade pizza and a movie.

Vegi Pizza

(Makes 2 thin and crispy bases)

Pizza Base:

250 g strong white bread flour (with extra for dusting)

1 tbsp dried yeast

1 tsp sugar

150 ml hand hot water (1 part boiling water, 2 parts cold)

3 tbsp olive oil

Tomato Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic, crushed

400 ml pasata

1 tsp oregano

Vegi Toppings:

Small can sweetcorn, drained

2 green peppers, thinly sliced

Large red onion, sliced

6 chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced

Ball of low fat mozzarella, drained and shredded

100 g low fat mature red cheddar, grated

For the base:

• Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, stir in the yeast and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
• Add the flour to a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and olive oil.
• Mix until combined, turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 5-10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed.
• Divide the dough into two and place in a greased bowl, cover loosely with cling film (or shower cap) and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Tomato sauce:

• Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan.
• Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds, pour on the pasata and stir in the oregano.
• Cook for 15 - 30 minutes until the sauce is thick (you should be able to draw a wooden spoon through the sauce and the bottom of the pan will remain visible.
• Season to taste (the pasata can often be bitter so a decent pinch of salt is needed)

Assembling the Pizza:

• Grease some baking paper with olive oil.
• Preheat the oven to 200oC (fan assisted), place baking tray in the oven when cool and allow to heat as the oven heats.
• Roll out one ball of dough until about 0.5 cm thick.
• Place base on baking paper and cover with half of the tomato sauce.
• Top the pizza with half of the toppings.
• Place on top of the heated baking sheet and cook for 20 - 30 minutes until base is crispy and cheese is brown and bubbling. 
• Cook the second pizza while you enjoy the first warm from the oven.