Recipe, ham and cheese pizza

Pizza, everybody loves pizza. In this recipe I’ll tell you a few tricks so you’ll get the perfect pizza, with soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside crust.

Nutrition facts and health meter for pizza, ham and cheese

Let us check the health meter. You can see pizza is not among the healthiest dishes. For example If you eat half of this 12 inch pizza your daily protein intake would exceed your daily protein needs. It’s also high in calories, fats. Even cholesterol and carbs are present in quite large quantities. The Same slice of pizza would mean even larger nutrition intake for a female.

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Video recipe for pizza, ham and cheese

Servings: this recipe will Serves 4 or you can make 2 x 12,2 inch pizzas.

Ingredients:

For the dough you will need:

17,6 oz all purpose flour

2 tsp of flour for the yeast mixture

0,74 oz. of compressed yeast

½ tsp sugar

11,8 floz lukewarm water

½ tbsp salt

 

For the pizza:

10 oz tomato sauce

14 oz cheese – I use Gouda but you can use even cheddar or mozzarella or any other cheese you like

8,8 oz. ham

8 olives

2 dashes oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

First make the yeast mixture.

Crumble the yeast in a cup and add sugar, flour and about 0,5 cup of look warm water which you took from the whole quantity

Gently stir it and set aside at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, sift the flour into a bowl. Make a small hole and put in the salt. Mix just a bit and then pour in the yeast mixture and lukewarm water.

Mix until ingredients start to combine.

TIP 1: Just a quick tip - It is always better to add flour if the dough is to wet than to add water if the dough is to dry.

Then transfer the dough onto a working surface and knead it until you get a smooth Doug, about 10-12 minutes.

Off course you can also use your handy dough mixture if you don’t want to knead it with your hands.

When you are finished dust the bowl with some flour and Transfer the dough into it. Cover it with a cloth and leave it to rest on a room temperature for 1 hour.

After an hour just put the dough a bit together and leave it for another hour.

TIP 2: This is my second trick: if you leave the dough to rise for another hour it will be even softer. If you don’t want to wait for one more hour you can just star making your pizza because it will also be flufly and crunchy.

First cut the dough into to equal parts. Dust the dough with some flour and form it into a square. Transfer the dough onto a baking dish – a square one is best.

TIP 3: Here is my next trick: the baking dish should be a little warm, not hot, but warm. This will help the dough in rising, before baking.

Take your toppings and arrange them on top of the dough. First the tomato sauce, than add ham. Arrange nicely the cheese. Then add some oregano and olives. At last take some olive oil and gently drizzle it on the outside crust to get a very nice and crunchy outside crust.

When making a pizza with this dough it is very important to rest the prepared pizza for about 15 minutes before baking. If you don’t the pizza just won’t be that soft.

TIP 4: It is also very important to put the pizza into preheated oven. The temperature should be as high as possible. My oven can get to 275 (520F) which I think is just about right.

Bake it for around 15 minutes.

When done, arrange it with some arugula if you have it and serve.

Recipe, apple pie with fig and apricot jam

Hi this is chef Rok and today we are going to be making a very simple apple and coconut pie with fig and apricot jam.

You say apple I say pie…. This pie is something else. I tried many pies before but this one has got some kick to it because of the coconut and fig jam. It’s a jumy desert which can be made very quickly and you can store it in your fridge for days.

Nutrition facts and health meter for apple and coconut pie

This is a desert and the health meter is presented for 1 peace. As you can see the numbers for a single peace are quite low write. Well The problem is that we almost never eat only one peace, but always more. 

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Video recipe for apple and coconut pie

Servings: 30 pieces, if you make it in a backing dish with diameters shown on the screen

W: 32 cm = 12.6 inch

L:   42 cm = 16.5 inch

H:  5.5 cm = 2.2 inch

Ingredients:

18 oz all-purpose flour

¾ cups sugar – for the crust and

¾ cups sugar – for the coconut mixture

2 tsp baking powder

3 Tbsp milk

9 oz. butter

6 eggs divided into egg yolks and whites

6 Tbsp shredded coconut

6 Tbsp of fig and apricot jam

8 medium apples, peeled, cored and grated

OK Lets cook:

First thing you need to do is to make the pie crust. Sift the flour into a bowl and add baking powder. Mix it so the baking powder gets nicely incorporated in the flour. Then add the sugar and also mix it with the flour.

A little trick for the butter – you should take the butter out of the fridge an hour or two before you start making the crust so it will soften and you will be able to mix it easily.

Then add the egg yolks and milk. The dough will come together very quickly. You shouldn’t knead it for a long time; this is done in just in a minute or two. When done leave it in a bowl and start peeling and coring your apples and preparing the egg white and coconut mixture.

For the coconut mixture you first need to mix the egg whites. When they are nice and firm, start adding the sugar in two parts and incorporate it after adding each part. When the sugar and egg whites are mixed together add the shredded coconut and mix it in gently.

Now it’s time to assemble:

First take about two thirds of the dough and arrange it onto a baking dish. Leave some dough as you are going to need it for the top part of the pie. As you can see I am using my hands for this. I almost never roll the dough for the pies but instead just spread it evenly onto a baking dish. You can of course also roll the dough if you want to.

After arranging the dough comes the jam. I have here a mixture of homemade fig and apricot jam. Plum jam also goes very nice with this pie.

Arrange it nicely on the surface and then add the apples. On top of the apples comes the egg white and coconut mixture. Arrange it nicely and then roll the remaining part of the dough and cut it into long strips. Arrange the strips on top, making something like a spider web.

When done, put it in the oven and bake it for around 40 to 50 minutes on 180C which is around 350F.

This desert is perfect if you want to make something in advanced. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Recipe, plum cakes

Hi this is chef Rok and today we are going to be making the simplest cake you could make, and you can use almost any fresh or frozen fruit you want. So let’s make plum cake.

Nutrition facts and health meter for plum cake

Nutrition facts for these muffins are Halloween scared, well not all of them, just the sugar part. But what is Halloween without sugar right. With only one muffin you get more 60% of your recommended daily sugar intake.

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Video recipe for plum cake

Servings: 15 cakes, if you make it in a baking dish with diameters shown on the screen

Baking dish:

W: 32 cm = 12.6 inch

L:   42 cm = 16.5 inch

H:  5.5 cm = 2.2 inch

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

13 oz sugar

2 tsp baking powder

35 oz plums, fresh or frozen, pitted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon peel

6 eggs

2/3 cups water

5,3 oz cooking oil

1,5 Tbsp powdered sugar, for topping

OK Lets cook:

First, start with greasing your baking dish. Take some butter or cooking spray and arrange it evenly. Dust with some all-purpose flour.

Divide egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls.

Also divide the whole sugar quantity in half. You will use some for egg whites and some for the yolks. Then Mix the egg whites into a firm mixture. When the consistency form peaks, add in the sugar and mix it into the mixture. This will make egg white mixture even firmer.

Then put the second half of sugar into egg yolks and mix. Add vanilla (I am using vanilla sugar here but if you don't have it, use vanilla extract)

Then add water, oil, lemon peel and mix everything until the mixture thickens.

Mix flour and baking powder separately and then add this into egg yolk mixture in two or three parts.

When done take the egg white mixture and add it into the batter slowly and lift the butter gently with every turn you make.

There you go, perfect.

Take your baking dish and pour in the batter. Fill all the corners and arrange your fruit on top of the batter. In this case I am using frozen plums.

Put baking dish in your oven and bake it for around 40 to 50 minutes on 330F (170-180C).

There you go that was easy wasn't it.

Recipe, sweet cabbage

Hello this is chef Rok and today we are going to be making a very healthy dish and that is sweet cabbage.

This cabbage is not a desert but you actually put some sugar in it. This vegetarian dish can be served as a main course or side dish.  This dish is also better if you prepare it one day in advanced, refrigerate it overnight and reheat it the next day.

Nutrition facts and health meter for sweet cabbage

Let us check the health meter now. As I mentioned this dish is very healthy. None of the nutrients stand out so be my gest and eat it as much as you want.

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for female

Video recipe for sweet cabbage

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage – aprox. 42 oz. cut into strips

2 onions, chopped

1 tsp garlic, chopped finely

2 tsp cumin, whole

1 bay leaf

1 tsp salti

0.5 tsp groud black pepper

0,75 cup, tomato sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2,5 cups water

Let's cook:

First thing you need to do is add oil and onions into quite large pot. Fry the onions for about five minutes until they are soft and start to caramelize just a bit.

Next add the salt so it helps soften the onions, pepper and bay leaf to enhance the flavors.

In order to get most out of cumin flavor, fry it together with the onions. 

We are actually making sort of a paste here which will be a base for the cabbage.

Next is garlic. You shouldn’t fry garlic for a long time. It is enough just to smell the aroma of the garlic after you put it in – that’s after a few seconds.

Now comes the sweet in the cabbage part, so add the sugar. You should just slightly caramelize it for about a minute and not brown it.

The sweetness of the paprika and tomatoes will add the aroma and color. Cook all these ingredients for about 15 minutes so you get a nice and smooth paste and then add shredded cabbage.

First you need to coat the cabbage with a paste.  There is quite a lot of cabbage at the beginning but after you sauté it for a few minutes the cabbage will shrink and you will be able to mix everything easily.

To help the cabbage sauté just add about half a cup of water, cover the pot with a lid and let it sauté for a few minutes.  Then add the flour, mix a bit and sauté for a minute or two. Then comes the parsley another mix, about 2 cups of water and another mix. Cover it with a lid and cook on low to medium temperature until the cabbage is soft, that’s about 20 minutes to half an hour, mixing a few times in between .

This dish goes perfectly together with mashed potatoes or you can just eat it for a main course.

Enjoy

Recipe, asian stir fry noodles

Hi this is chef Rok and today we are going to be making stir fried Asian noodles. Mostly I make this recipe or fried rice, when i make Asian food. This recipe is so easy and you can make it any time if you don't have time, because you can make it in less than 15 minutes. So let’s make Stir fried Asian noodles.

Nutrition facts and health meter for Asian stir fry noodles

These noodles are not in the healthiest section. Mostly Eggs provide the cholesterol and Chicken also has some. Most of the calories come from the noodles and oil. Noodles are also the main carb provider.

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Video recipe for Asian stir fry noodles

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

14 oz rice noodles

1 medium onion, sliced

1 chicken breast (half), cut into bite size cubes or strips

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

1 small green bell pepper, sliced

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 cup beansprouts

1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste

2 medium eggs

3 Tbsp cooking oil

¾ tsp turmeric powder

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

2 Tbsp sesame seed oil

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp chili sauce

Let's cook:

First you need to soak your rice noodles. Put them in cold or look warm water for about 40 minutes or until soften.

Before you start with Asian wok dishes, heat your wok or pan extremely, because immediately when you put something in the pan, it will cool a bit, and if you don't heat it up enough the ingredients will start to cook and not fry. This is a stir fry not a sauté or simmer dish OK.

So, first add in the cooking oil. When it's hot enough add in cubed chicken breast. Fry for about two or three minutes. Then add the ginger garlic paste and mix again.

Now the veggies. Add in sliced red and green pepper and carrots. Fry for a minute, add in the turmeric and mix.

Take soaked noodles and add them to your veggies and chicken. Mix everything hourly for about a minute and then add around half cup of water. Water will help soften the noodles.

Now start adding the sauces. As you can see in the video, I didn't use any salt until now. Soy and oyster sauce are very salty so there is no need to add in more salt, but if you want you can add it when frying the meat and veggies.

I am adding first the soy sauce, than oyster sauce, sesame oil, and for a bit sourness add the rice wine vinegar. We also need to spice up the dish with some chili sauce.  Now mix everything thoroughly. At the end, add in the bean sprouts and onions. You could use also spring onions, it would be maybe even better but regular yellow onion also works great with this dish.  

Now put the noodles on the side a bit. Pour in beaten eggs and coat the noodles with them. Fry for just one more minute and you are done.

This is it, we are finished.

One more tip…Be careful with this dish so you don't overcook the veggies. They still need to have that crunch to them. So work fast and you will get the right results.

Now all you need to do is serve and dig in. 

Recipe, ginger and garlic paste

Ginger garlic past is easy to make, and is mostly used in Asian dishes.

Nutrition facts and health meter for ginger and garlic paste

Nutrition facts for this recipe are presented on 100g basis.

Video recipe for ginger and garlic paste

Servings: You can make about 20 ice cube sized portion. 1 ice cube is approximately 1 tablespoon.

Ingredients:

140g Ginger = 5 oz

140g Garlic = 5 oz

Or if you want to make more just use the same amounts of both

And some water to make a smooth paste

Ok let’s cook:

First peel the ginger and garlic.

If ginger root is to big cut it into smaller pieces. Put ginger, garlic and water into food processor and mix for about a minute. 

Then open the cover, arrange the ingredients a bit with spatula and mix again. Repeat the process until you get a smooth paste.

Put the paste in an air tight jar and store it in your fridge for about 3-4 weeks.

I don’t use ginger garlic paste that often, that is why I put it into ice cube tray and store it in the freezer.

When you need it just take a cube or two out of your freezer and use it with your favorite Asian dish.

Enjoy

Recipe, pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

Hi this is chef Rok and today we are going to be making a delicious and special Halloween or autumn treat. So let’s make pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting.

Nutrition facts and health meter for pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

Nutrition facts for these muffins are Halloween scared, well not all of them, just the sugar part. But what is Halloween without sugar right. With only one muffin you get more 60% of your recommended daily sugar intake.

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Nutrition facts and health meter for male

Video recipe for pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting

Servings: yield 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces

1 cup (heaping) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup of cream half & half or you can also use evaporated milk

1 whole egg

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

Topping:

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

For cream cheese frosting:

1/4 cup softened butter

4 oz, cream cheese

8 oz powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

So let’s make these simple muffins:

First sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla sugar (if you don’t have vanilla sugar, add vanilla extract to wet ingredients) and salt. Mix the ingredient a bit and then add in Cut butter. Press and mix it with a fork until it is incorporated and gets a bit crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix together egg, pumpkin – don’t forget to clean the cup so you don’t throw away any of this lovely golden pure, than add cream, and also add vanilla extract if you didn’t use vanilla sugar previously. Now mix all ingredients nicely with a whisk until you get a gentle paste like mixture.

Now pour this pumpkin mixture into the dry mixture. Add raisins and then mix to combine the ingredients.

Generously grease 12 muffin tins or put in the muffin cups.

Pour the mixture nicely into the pan and fill the cups 2/3 full.

Topping:

Then take the ingredients for the topping and mix them a bit. Sprinkle with this cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Before you put the muffins in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the muffin pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. After they are done allow them to cool in pan for a few minutes before removing form the pan.  

Now the cream cheese frosting:

To make the frosting, put all ingredients in a mixing bowl (sugar, butter, vanilla sugar or vanilla extract and cream cheese). At first gently mix all ingredients so the powdered sugar doesn’t puff all over. Than take an electric mixture and mix on high until ingredients get soft and whipped.

Take a large star tip and pastry bag. Fill the bag with cream cheese frosting. Now let your imagination do the work and make shapes of your desire on these lovely muffins.

One tip before I finish – the frosting will be a bit soft after you finish mixing. If you want the frosting to get firmer just put it in the fridge for an hour and arrange the frosting topping at later time.

Well we are done. Enjoy