Home-made Pizza

Part of the activities I do to keep myself sane is cooking. Last week, I made pizza for the family and after the dinner when everything's gone, it is safe to say that they loved it! I have been battling myself if I really wanted to cook this because I was thinking, this would consume much of my time. And it did! One thing to make this easier though is to make your dough and/or toppings a day or two prior to cooking.

Ingredients

Dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup soy milk (or any milk ftm)

1 tbsp oil (olive or vegetable)

Chicken Topping:

1/4 kg cubed chicken

1 bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable Topping:

2 cloves minced garlic

1 bulb red onion, minced

1 small bell pepper

1 pack of button mushrooms

3-4pcs of medium size tomatoes

crushed red pepper flakes

Tuna Topping:

1 cloves sliced garlic

1 bulb red onion, sliced

1 small bell pepper

1-2 pcs.  of chopped tomatoes

Other Ingredients:

Tomato sauce or any pre-cooked sauce you have

Cheese (parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella)

Basil and Spinach for garnish

Instructions:

1. For the dough: Mix first the flour, salt, baking powder. Some would dump the oil first before the milk but I combine the milk and olive oil AND THEN add it to the flour. Add more flour if your dough is a bit sticky. Kneed it until the desired consistency is achieved (not so sticky but not too dry either). Rest for 10-15 minutes.
2. For the toppings: If you are adding a raw meat, my rule of thumb is to add them first in a skillet with some oil, followed by the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, mushrooms, tomatoes, and then bell pepper. You can add more to your toppings as desired. Store this in the freezer and use it once you are ready for some pizza night. Plus, you can use it if you want to cook a quesadilla for the fam. 
3. Once rested, flatten your dough and add your tomato sauce, add some of your pre-cooked toppings (combine it if you want) and then garnish with some cheese and/or fresh herbs. Pop it in your oven (or mini oven in my case) for 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick your dough is. I keep my dough as thin as possible for it to cook easily.

Additional ip: If you only have a tomato paste in your fridge (just like I had that time), you can thin it up with some water, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.

Additional Tip 2: If you are pruning your basil in your garden in small amounts, you can store the pruned leaves in your fridge. Once dried, you can add them in any of your dish.

There is nothing wrong with buying pre-packed items as there are other busy moms and dads that are also trying their best in raising their families. My belief though is that since I am always away from my family, this is just my way of saying I want them to taste these dishes that I know are healthy and safe. Plus, you can prepare your dough with the kids. They will LOVE it!