Perfect Pizza Recipe - easy, homemade, tasty pizzas!

Hello food.....

Selection of Pizzas and Potato Wedges

I've been pretty obsessed with making pizza recently. Ever since my Jess's Messes pizza making party I just can't get enough of it. It's so easy to make some lovely light pizza dough and then it's just a case of making a tasty tomato base and choosing your toppings.

So, here is a recipe for the dough and the tomato base and a few topping suggestions!

Pizza Dough
What do I need?

• 300g Plain Flour
• 1 sachet (7g) of yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 10ml Olive oil
• 200g Warm water

What do I do?

1. Place the flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add oil and half the water.
2. Combine using your hand and gradually add the rest of the water until you have a soft, not too sticky dough, you may not need all the water!
3. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until the dough is springy and shiny.
4. Place in a bowl, cover, leave to rise for an hour.

Tomato Base

What do I need?

• 200g passata
• 1 clove garlic
• Handful of fresh basil and oregano
• Salt and pepper

What do I do?

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and combine.

The pizza making

1. Roll out the dough until reallllllllllly lovely and thin and cover with a thin layer of tomato base.
2. Add toppings and mozzarella cheese and bake in oven for 10-15 mins at 200 degrees C.
3. Eat and enjoy.

Toppings suggestions:

• Cherry tomato and basil
• Chorizo, red pepper and red onion
• Hoisin sauce (instead of tomato base), pork belly, spring onion and coriander
• Goats cheese, caramelised red onion, rock salt
• No tomato base - garlic butter and parsley

Pizza and Garlic Bread

Interesting and Exciting Buffet Ideas

Hello food.....

Jess's Messes Fabulous Feast

I was asked to create a Jess's Messes buffet for my mum's 60th birthday party (whoops probably shouldn't mention age there), and I was thinking of ideas, googled for some interesting suggestions and everything was so standard and boring. So, I would like to share the ideas I came up with for other people looking for exciting ideas in the future.

I will of course do my best to upload the recipes in the next few week, but here are just the images to get your tastebuds tingling. :)

Fresh Spinach and Cheddar Ravioli with Salsa Verde

Mini Fish and Chips with Minted Pea Spheres

Mushroom Risotto in Parmesan Cones

Jerk Chicken, Sweet Potato and Coriander Fritters with Mango Salsa

Roast Pork with Apple Sauce and Crackling

Pitta with Falafel and Tomato Salsa

Cripsy Bacon Sandwiches with Homemade Ketchup

White Bread and Sun-dried Tomato Bread Rolls

Vietnamese Salad

Pretty Colours Salad

Potato Salad

Tomato and Basil Fritatta

Mini Beef Wellington and Red Wine Jus

Baby Scallops with Pear Puree and Crispy Bacon Bits

Mini Cheesecakes

Brandy Snaps filled with Passion Fruit Cream

Lemon and Basil Panacotta

Mini Meringues

Recipe of the week: Full of Beans Veggie Chilli

Hello food.....

One of the cheapest and tastiest meals around. Jess's Messes does not claim the rights to this recipe, it is entirely from the lovely Ms Sarah Morrison, however I would like to share and spread it around so others can enjoy the beauty of this dish!

What do I need? - 4 portions

• 200g Mixed dried beans (suggest - kidney, butter, cannellini)
• 1 Red onion (diced)
• 1 Garlic clove (crushed)
• 1tbsp Hot chilli powder
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• 1tbsp Tomato Puree

What do I do?

1.  Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of cold water.
2.  Drain and place in saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil - boil quickly for 10 minutes on a high heat.
3.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Drain.
4.  Place beans, onion, garlic, chilli powder, tomatoes and puree in a pan and bring to the boil.
5.  Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
6.  Serve with tortillas/pitta/rice.
7.  Enjoy!

It might take a while to make, but it's certainly worth it. So so tasty!

Thanks for the recipe Sarah!

Balls!

Hello food.....

Jess's Messes goes molecular gastronomy crazy!

Oooo playing with my new 'Spherification Kit!'

Very amateur day one playing! :)

Recipe of the week: Tasty Tangy Lovely Lasagne

Hello food.....

Another great Jess's Messes recipe for being relatively cheap and very easy to make. This method will make around 6 portions and is made in one large tray, however, if you are wanting to make and freeze for a later date then bake them in foil take-away trays!

 What do I need?

• 1/2 Red onion (diced)
• 1 White onion (diced)
• 2 Cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1tbsp Veg oil
• 250ml Red Wine
• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• Pinch of Oregano
• Handful of Basil
• 2tbsp Red Pesto
• 400g Minced Beef
• 8 Sheets Lasagne
• 200ml Bechamel Sauce
• 200g Mature Cheddar (grated)
• 200g Buffalo Mozzarella 
• Salt and Pepper

What do I do?

1. Make the tomato sauce - place the onions, garlic and oil in saucepan and fry slowly until softened.
2. Add the red wine and cook on a medium heat until the wine has reduced, almost to a syrup.
3. Add Tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, add herbs, pesto, salt and pepper.
4. In a different pan, place the beef and the remaining oil and heat slowly until all meat has browned.
5. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 10 minutes until all flavours are well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Build your lasagne: cover the base of the baking dish with some of the mince, place the pasta sheets on top, cover pasta with bechamel sauce.
7. Repeat the above process.
8. Cover the top layer of bechamel sauce with cheddar and torn mozzarella.
9. Bake in the oven at 200degrees C (Gas Mark 6) for 40 minutes.
10. Serve with some lovely dressed leaves and garlic bread.

Lovely tasty yummy food!

Interesting exciting buffet practice

Hello food.....

In July I am creating a Jess's Messes buffet for my mum's 60th birthday party.

So this week I have been practising some of the dishes I am making.

Here's just a few images:

Tomato and Pesto Fritatta

Lemon and Basil Panacotta

With Raspberry Coulis

Spinach and Cheddar Ravioli with Salsa Verde

Musroom Risotto in Parmesan Cone

Mini Cheesecakes

More mini cheesecakes

Mini Meringues

Beautiful Bechamel Sauce

Hello food.....

Maybe beautiful is an odd word to describe this..... it is what it is... there's not much more to say. Very useful for various dishes, but not exciting in itself at all. :)


What do I need?

• 40g Butter
• 20g Plain Flour
• 400ml Milk
• 1/2tsp Nutmeg
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Sprig of Thyme
• Salt and White Pepper

What do I do?

1. Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt slowly, careful to not burn. 
2. Add the flour and stir in.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan place the milke, nutmeg, bay leaf and thyme - bring to the boil slowly.
4. Strain the milk into the butter and flour mix and whisk to ensure you have no lumps. 
5. Season to taste.
6. Use where you need it.

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