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.

www.jesssmesses.co.uk
www.facebook.com/jesssmessesfood
www.twitter.com/JessMesses

Saving Money on Food

Hello food.....

Day to day Jess's Messes.

There is no doubt that when you want to eat relatively healthily and freshly that it becomes very expensive, so the housemate and I decided to create 5 pretty cheap meals, 1 each day of the week and make 6 portions of each. That way we could eat 2 portions on the day and freeze the 4 remaining ones, covering us for 30 meals!

The meal ideas had to still be tasty, as we want to enjoy food, but we just want to be able to spend a little less on it (and have more to spend on fun!).

Sarah and her amazing Lasanges!

So the meals we made were as follows:

1. Veggie Bean Chilli - Guest Recipe
2. Tasty, Tangy, Lovely Lasagne
3. Terrific Thai Green Curry
4. Chorizo and Roast Pepper Pasta
5. Sausage Casserole

I unfortunately only have the recipe for the curry on here currently, but I will be adding the other recipes from now on, 1 a week! So for money saving, but incredibly tasty recipes - follow this blog! :)

A Romantic Evening

Hello food.....

I went to my lovely friend Hannah's house for tea and was served one of the most romantic of meals of my life! Bread with dips in a wonderful heart shaped ramekin... pure love!

We had a wonderful of selection of  random radio 2 music playing the background, notably 'Hopelessly Devoted to You.'

It was a spectacular evening of wine and tasty good food and I look forward to repeating it in the future.

THANKS HANNNNNNNNNNAAHHHHHH!

www.facebook.com/jesssmessesfood
www.twitter.com/JessMesses
www.jesssmesses.co.uk

Jess's Messes Perfect Picnic Pack

Hello food.....

Coming soon... The Jess's Messes Perfect Picnic Pack

Joe's amazing design!

I've got a few ideas for this pack: Eton Mess Kit, Mini Quiches, Crackers with a Dip, Ginger Biscuits, Lemonade.

If anyone has any other ideas what they would like to see in a perfect picnic pack, let me know: jess@jesssmesses.co.uk 

www.jesssmesses.co.uk
www.facebook.com/jesssmessesfood
https://twitter.com/JessMesses

 

Leftover Stale Bread Recipe

Hello food.....

Cheesey, Oniony, Bready Bake

Fondue!

Mmmmm cheesey!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to have a feast of Cheese Fondue - with bread, garlic bread, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, grapes, pineapple and more... (with red wine of course)!




Today I had a lot of leftover stale bread. I could have used this for croutons on a soup or salad, but there was a hell of a lot, so that meant gallons of soup or tonnes of salad. Therefore this Jess's Messes invention was born. It's a really quick and easy thing to make, and genuinely uses leftovers/essentials that the majority of people have anyway! Not like my Jess's Poncey Leftovers! Give it a go!

Cheesey, Oniony, Bready Bake

What do I need?

1/2 a Stale Baguette broken into pieces
1 Red Onion (sliced)
1 White Onion (sliced)
20g Butter
Pinch of Thyme
200g Cheddar Cheese (grated)
50g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
2 Eggs
100ml Milk
Salt and Pepper

What do I do?

preparation

1. Place the butter in a frying pan and melt, then add both onions, with a pinch of salt and the thyme. Fry slowly until soft, then turn up heat to get some colour and crispyness on the onions.
2. Crack the eggs and add the milk, a pinch of salt and a good amount of pepper to a bowl and whisk.
3. Place each bit of bread in the egg mix and cover the bottom of your baking dish, add a layer of onions and small layer of cheese.
4. Continue to layer up your dish in this order - bread, onion, cheese.
5. When complete, pour the remaining egg mix over your bake and squash down with a spatula.
6. Optional - add more cracked black pepper on the top.

time to bake

7. Bake at Gas Mark 5 (190 degees C) for 20-25 minutes.
8. Serve.

So unbelievably quick and easy and cheap, and ensures there is no wastage of stale bread.

Enjoy!

Follow Jess's Messes on Twitter
Like Jess's Messes on Facebook

Fanciful Flavoured Meringues

Hello food.....

So, I may have been off the radar for a little while, I've still been Jess's Messes experimenting though - this time with flavoured meringues.

Normal meringues (Merry Meringues at Christmas time) were what really started me off with cooking, and within the teeny, tiny world of the Barrowclough family I am quite famous for them, therefore I decided to expand on this and see what weird and wonderful creations I could come up with.... Now I share them with you.

Banoffee Pie Meringue (Banana Meringue, Caramel, Cream and Chocolate Shavings)

After Eight Meringue (Mint Meringue, Chocolate Sauce)

Lemon Meringue Pie (Lemon Meringue, Lemon Curd, Popping Candy)










Chocolate Orange Meringue (Chocolate Shavings and Orange Meringue)

 
Salted Caramel Meringue (Plain Meringue, Salted Caramel Topping)

Apple and Cinnamon Meringue (Apple Meringue, Cinammon Cream)

A selection of fanciful flavoured meringues for Mother's day

Including Eton Mess (strawberry meringue, cream, strawberry pieces) and improved Chocolate Orange

So, hopefully now I have got your tastebuds tingling... I am just investigating ways of delivering and storing these, so I can begin to sell them. It's a great idea for a gift, as they are slightly unusual - however sticking with classic flavours that everyone knows work!

Let me know what you think, or suggest your own idea and I will create: jess@jesssmesses.co.uk