Vegan Gluten Free Pizza

So, one of my friends asked me to help her with a vegan gluten-free dough recipe and I said that I will accept the challenge. Well after lots of research and experimentation, I managed to come up with this delicious, tasty millet based dough. It is a very good alternative to wheat if you are gluten intolerant and/or follow a vegan diet. The amounts of the ingredients are for 1 pizza so you have to increase the amounts if you are doing more than one pizza. When it comes to toppings I used what I had in my fridge/pantry and again feel free to use anything you like or prefer. Millet flour is sometimes marketed as Bajra/Bajri flour which is the Indian flour for millet, I made my own and ground some millet seeds in my spice grinder. I also added some ground golden flaxseed/linseed but it is optional if you cannot find it.  It is quite easy and quick to prepare, just throw the ingredients in a food processor and voilà. for one pizza you will need...

For the dough

• 215g millet flour
• 65g coconut oil
• 100ml boiling water
• ½ teaspoon rock salt
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed/linseed

For the topping

• 3 tablespoons kalamata olive hummus
• 1 small yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut into rings
• 2 slices white onion, separated into rings
• 1 mushroom, thinly sliced
• 2 smoked garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Harissa paste, to taste
• Pinch dried oregano
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly chopped dill

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F.
2. Prepare the dough, in a food processor  put the millet flour, coconut oil, salt and flaxseed, if using, and blitz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. With the motor running, add the boiling water tablespoon by tablespoon until you get a smooth dough. I used nearly all of the 100ml. 
3. Now, place a large piece of greaseproof paper on the kitchen top and dust with some millet flour. With your hands take the dough and shape into a ball on top of the greaseproof paper and with a rolling pin slowly roll out into a pizza base about 5mm thick. Don't worry if it is not round!! 
   
4. Spread the pizza base generously with the hummus and spread evenly the sliced pepper, mushroom, onion and smoked garlic. Dot with harissa paste to taste, sprinkle with dried oregano. Carefully transfer onto a large oven tray together with the greaseproof paper.
5. Bake into the preheated hot oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. When cooked take out of the oven, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with freshly chopped dill. Slice into 8 pieces and serve immediately.
   

Enjoy!!

R&A

Baked Cod with Sweet Peppers & Cherry Tomatoes

Recently my parents and youngest brother visited us and my dad wanted me to cook something for them so I thought why not cook some local fish with a Mediterranean touch for all of us. So, whilst we were at Doncaster market, I visited my friend Vince of Penny's Fisheries and got a good deal on some fresh cod. Then on our way home I browsed the net  for ideas whilst thinking what I had in our pantry at home and I found a recipe on the BBC Food website and adapted it to our own taste. So, off we headed to the supermarket to buy the rest of the vegetables that I was missing at home. Since cod is not everyone's favourite fish as some might say that it is quite bland on flavour I decided to add some natural flavour enhancers that made this dish super tasty and flavourful. I added some more herbs and capers. As you might imagine this amount of ingredients fed all five of us so feel free so adapt the ingredient amounts. Give it a go, you can use any fish you like and also vary/omit the vegetables to your liking. For 5-6 people you will need...

• 1.2kg fresh large cod fillets
• 4 red sweet peppers, chopped into medium sized-pieces
• 3 yellow sweet peppers, chopped into medium sized-pieces
• 2 red onions, diced into 8 pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• A large handful of green olives
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 500ml (2 cups) tomato passata
• Fresh basil leaves
• Fresh or dried mint leaves
• Some dried oregano
• Dried parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to...

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.
2. In a large bowl put the chopped peppers, onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers and some olive oil and mix well. Divide the mixed vegetables between two large oven dishes and put in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
   
3. In the meantime cut the large cod fillets in two pieces. When the vegetables are done, leave the oven on, take the vegetables out of the oven and pour 250ml (about 1 cup) of passata on top of the vegetables. 
4. Now, put the cod fillets on top of the partially cooked vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with some fresh basil leaves, mint, oregano and parsley. Freshly grind some black pepper and put into the hot oven for a further 20 minutes until fish is flaky and falling apart. Serve hot!
   
   
   

Enjoy!!

R&A