Pizza Night

Easy Pizza Dough
Marja Himmist

1 c warm water
1 package yeast (or 1 T yeast)
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
3 T oil
1 1/2 c flour (approximate)

Dissolve yeast in warm water; add salt, sugar and oil. Stir in flour until sticky. Continue to stir in enough flour until dough can be handled. Knead dough on a floured board until it is no longer sticky. Cover with a bowl for 5 minutes to rest. Prepare toppings while the dough rests.

Roll out dough on a floured board or counter to the desired size and transfer to a greased pizza pan. Add your favorite toppings. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.


Stuffed Crust Pizza

Karen Tolliver

5 string cheeses cut lengthwise in half

pizza dough

Roll pizza dough out 2 inches larger than you want your pizza (i.e. if you want a 14 inch pizza roll out your dough to 16 inches). Place string cheese around the pizza, about an inch or two from the edge of the dough. Fold the dough over the string cheese. Press the dough so it seals completely.

**Tip** When you roll out your dough, if you let it sit for 5 min covered then it will keep it's shape when you move the dough.

Pizza Stone

Make sure that you follow the instructions for seasoning your stone. The pizza will stick the first few times. Use cornmeal or lots of oil to help the pizza not stick (I found that corn meal worked the best, it just was not fun eating the pizza because it made it nice and crunchy).

The benefits of the stone is that it helps to have even cooking, and it has a crunchier crust. You can use the stone for anything. I have heard of people baking cookies on it, or even rolls or biscuits. I have also had roommates leave their stone in the oven because it helps with even cooking for all things.

Make sure when cleaning your stone do not use soap. The stone is porous so if you use soap your food will taste like soap after that. All you need to do is scrape off the food, and then wash with water. You can cut right on the stone. It will get messy looking, but that's ok.


Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza
Carolann Wedlund

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe (recipe follows)
4 Pieces Garlic Naan Bread
16 oz fresh Mozzarella Cheese, shredded or sliced
1-2 Shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Cilantro, minced
1 Red Bell pepper or Tomato, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take Naan bread and cover with sauce and chicken from Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe. Place shallots and red bell pepper or tomato over chicken and then cover with desired amount of Mozzarella cheese. Place "pizza" on a non stick sheet tray and bake in oven for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and the naan starts to brown around the edges. Sprinkle on Cilantro after pizza is out of the oven.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I usually make the following recipe for dinner and then use left overs for pizza, if you wish to only use it for the pizza you make want to half the recipe.

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, poked with a fork, and cut into large bite-sized chunks

Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup Ginger-Garlic Paste, recipe follows (or 6 cloves garlic and 2-inch thumb ginger minced)
• 2 serrano peppers, minced (seeds removed if you don't want it spicy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 to 2 cups water
• Oil, for grilling
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Minced fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Cooked rice, naan, or crusty piece of bread, for serving

Directions

For the marinade: In a large bowl, mix together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or in the refrigerator up to overnight.

For the sauce: When you're ready to make the curry, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and serrano peppers. Saute until lightly browned around the edges. Add the tomato paste and cook until the tomato has darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add the garam masala and the paprika and saute for about 1 minute to draw out their flavors.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. You may need more water depending on how much liquid the tomatoes give off.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. When it is nice and hot, lightly brush it with oil. Place the chicken on the grill, shaking off some of the excess marinade. Cook until it's charred, about 2 minutes on each side. (Don't worry that the chicken will still be a little uncooked, it finishes cooking in the sauce).

Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and process until smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring back up to a boil. Add the chicken and fenugreek leaves, if using. Take the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the cream and stir through. Garnish with minced fresh cilantro, and serve over rice, with naan, or a crusty piece of bread!

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

• 1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don't use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It's a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc. We always had a jar of this stuff in our fridge growing up.