Dinner in 20 mins - I can do that

Can you get dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less? I'm not talking frozen meals or junk from the takeaway, I 'm talking home cooked...with a little help.

In this case, I'm talking pizza...one of the most requested meals around these parts. My family don't like it any old way either. They have become pizza connoisseurs and it's my fault.

As you may have seen from a recent post, Mr3P and I met up with some of the lovely people at Bakers Delight and tried their take home, DIY, fresh pizza bases. I'm impressed with how tasty they are and how they take all the hassle out of making your own bases, or buying those less than fresh ones I've seen in the supermarkets (which, yes, I have tried them too and IMO, they don't taste home made).

You don't have to be a master chef of even a pizza chef to turn out these meals in no time at all. I simply popped into my local Bakers Delight and grabbed a few fresh bases (they come in packs of 2).

Place your fresh (par cooked) Bakers Delight bases on a pizza tray or an oven tray if you don't have one.

Add some pizza sauce.

Top with a few of your favourite toppings...I like to do a quick prep and put all of my intended toppings on a plate on in some bowls. 

We like to get the kids to top their own pizza, so there is no arguing over who wants what or picking off of toppings later. A nice way also to get them involved in the dinner making process. My pickles LOVE cooking with me....it's just the washing up part that they suddenly become magicians, and disappear..................

These pizzas take around 10 minutes to bake at around 200ºC, depending on your toppings.

I like to serve the pizzas with a fresh salad and lemonade!

My favourite topping for a pizza is chorizo, anchovies, mushrooms, olives and capsicum with a tomato or ricotta sauce on the base.

I'm doing a little giveaway on my Facebook page, thanks to Bakers Delight. Just pop on over and tell me what your favourite topping for your pizza is. I have 3 kids colouring packs (to give them something to do while you assemble and bake you pizzas!) You need to use the hashtag #BDpizza and #BakersDelight in your Facebook post.Or feel free to post pics of your creations on Instagram with the same hashtags and @3picklesMarnie

Only open to Aussie residents sorry.
I'll choose my 3 favourites over the next few days and announce it on Facebook this weekend.

Happy pizza making!

x Marnie

Pizza Master Class

Hands up if you like pizza?

....me too!!

Last week Mr 3P and I attended a Pizza Masterclass in Melbourne and I thought I'd share a few of the tips we picked up from the experts and what we used for our base and toppings.

• Yummy fresh ingredients will always make your pizza special. 
• Not overloading the base with too many toppings will ensure that your pizza will cook evenly and not end up a soggy mess. I love that the pizza (above) that one of the chefs' made has just a few simple ingredients and fresh, uncooked toppings too!
• Some toppings, like mushrooms should be pre-cooked before using. The chef cooked his mushrooms in a little olive oil and garlic. I cooked some at home in the same way but added some chilli too!
• Other toppings should be added AFTER your pizza is cooked... like rocket, baby spinach and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Now you can make your own base (like my Farmer's bread recipe here) or you can save the hassle, especially if you're on your way home and can't be bothered making the base, but still want to have some home made pizza. You can pick up these fresh bases from Baker's Delight. They kindly supplied the bases on the night and they were really yummy. Simply add your toppings and pop in the oven....easy

On my pizza I used

• a little of the Leggos Traditional Basil Pesto and some Sugo di Pomodoro
• Bertocchi Flat Sopressa hot salami
• Sauteed button mushrooms
• Lots of anchovies
• Fresh chilli (seeds removed)
• Bertocchi pancetta
• Black olives
• Perfect Italiano Pizza Plus...what a difference this cheese makes to a pizza! I'd normally just use some cheddar. This was a blend of cheese that is perfect to sprinkle on your pizza. It really made the difference and wasn't oily like the cheddar can be.

 Mr 3P and I enjoyed a few drinks on the night thanks to Dan Murphy's. I had a beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon called Cat Amongst The Pigeons and he tried this interesting beer ^^

 We were so inspired by our pizza masterclass that we made some more for lunch the next day.

So, what's your favourite pizza topping? And the biggest debate of all time.....does pineapple have the right to be on a pizza?


x Marnie

All of these photos were taken with my iphone as I didn't want to lug around my DSLR on the night, so sorry about the picture quality. xx

How to eat pizza & still lose weight

Are you on a low carb, weight loss program, but still want to eat something yummy like pizza? You can.

Here's how......

Ok, ok, so it may not be an actual pizza, but it tastes just like one...without the added fat, calories and overload of carbs.

And it couldn't be easier to make.

Firstly, lay out a piece of Mountain Bread.

Then layer with your favourite (healthy choice) toppings, some low fat cheese and a sauce.

On this one I have used:

• fat reduced ham 
• thin slice of low fat, tasty cheese
• mushroom
• capsicum
• olives
• a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce

Heat up your frying pan and place the folded wrap in. I like to use the trusty Glad bake to prevent it from sticking and saves me time doing the washing up.

Now this probably looks a little weird, but it works really well.
Place a metal saucepan lid on top of your wrap to cook. It flattens it a little and makes a nice crispy crust. No need to go and buy one of those sandwich presses.
Don't forget to flip it over and cook the other side!

Serve it up and enjoy a yummy pizza treat without ruining your weight loss program.

PS: Don't forget to enter my Schwarzkopf giveaway (go here). 

It's drawn on Thursday, so get a wriggle on!

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