It's not delivery – it's home-made gourmet pizza
From Volume 3, Number 7 — September 3, 2009
Recipes by James Eddington
Eddington’s of Exeter
527 Main Street, Exeter, 519-235-3030
Photo by Casey Lessard
I chose these recipes for the similarity in ingredients. This will make your shopping easier and will reduce any waste. Both recipes can be a staple or a small part of many other recipes. The acidity of the tomatoes allows a full seven-day week of safe refrigerated storage.
Chef’s note: fortunately, our busy restaurant turns over all of our sauces, raw product, prepared products and fresh produce on a daily basis. At home it is different. Keep this in mind when creating recipes and plan ahead. Limit grocery lists to products that you will actually use and products that can be used in several different recipes.
For example: Take all ingredients featured here in this article and pair them with another meal. Plan these meals throughout your week for variety and, in no time, cooking will become less of an effort and more of a joy.
Naan bread pizza with fresh seasonal vegetables
Naan bread is a great alternative for homemade pizza. Naan bread is a popular Indian/Asian flat bread used for many applications. You can purchase naan bread at most grocery stores.
Ingredients
Naan bread
Tomato sauce (see recipe attached)
Bell peppers, thinly sliced & sautéed in oil.
Zucchini sliced in rounds, lightly seared.
Red onions diced, lightly seared
Italian herb tomatoes (see recipe attached)
Mozzarella/feta cheese (shredded)
Chicken and/or chorizo sausage (optional)
Place naan bread on a flat baking sheet. Coat naan bread with a light layer of tomato sauce (use attached recipe or store-bought tomato sauce). Remember, this is pizza; it’s supposed to be easy! Layer with your favorite toppings.
The photo shows grilled zucchini, sautéed red bell peppers, Italian herb tomatoes and red onions; a great vegetarian option. Blackened chicken or chorizo sausage complement these ingredients well.
Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese. To really give this pizza a kick, mix mozzarella with feta cheese.
Simple tomato sauce made from scratch
Ingredients
2 tsp butter
1 shot olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 celery, finely diced
10 ripe tomatoes, diced
or 1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup brown sugar
10 wiggles of worcestershire bottle
1/2 handful chopped fresh basil
and oregano
Splash of red wine
1/2 cup water (chicken or vegetable
stock will give tomato
sauce more complexity)
This is the easy part; sauté minced onions and celery on medium-low heat in butter and olive oil for ~15 minutes. Add garlic and sugar, let caramelize two to four minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and let simmer for minimum of 1 1/2 hours, stirring periodically (if you find mixture is getting too thick, add a splash of water to thin out). Once all ingredients have softened, purée to desired consistency with hand blender. Let cool and store covered in refrigerator. Will last up to eight days, and can be used for many applications.
Italian Herbed Tomatoes
Essentially you will be making your own basic bruschetta. It can also be used as a tapenade, a welcome addition to a fresh lunch wrap or key ingredient in a fresh tossed pasta.
Ingredients
10 Roma tomatoes (cut in half, seeded,
& diced in to fingernail size bits)
3 single cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp white sugar (or 3 tsp honey)
Diced fresh basil and oregano (to taste)
Splash of balsamic vinegar (must be Modena and 6 % acidity)
Salt and pepper to taste
Hearty splash of olive oil.
1/4 red onion, diced
Optional: diced sundried tomatoes add a nice dimension to mixture.
The really easy part: Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Transfer into container and store in fridge. Will last up eight days if stored properly.
Wine Selection for Pizza
Masi Tupungato, Passo Doble, (Argentina)
Medium deep cherry colour; spice, vanilla and black cherry aromas; full bodied, rich and sweet with a long finish.