Delicious homemade pizza recipe

by Shane McDonald | Jun 19, 2018 | Lifestyle

My delicious Pizza Recipe

If you are looking for a tasty meal or snack to share then you can’t go too far wrong with a homemade pizza. This is my own homemade pizza recipe. It includes a pizza base recipe and a pizza sauce recipe.

I have followed recipes online and from time to time they don’t actually work out. However, with this recipe, I can guarantee the pizza recipe here does work. This is one recipe which I have made a few times now and it just improves each time I make it.

There are 4 stages to this pizza recipe. The pizza dough, the pizza topping and the pizza assembly…. and of course actually baking the pizza.

The Pizza dough

(this pizza recipe makes one 12 inch pizza, thin base. If you want thicker or if you want 2 thin pizzas you need to double the quantities.)

You will need the following to make the pizza dough:

150g flour.
120ml warm water
Teaspoon of oil
Half teaspoon sugar & a bit less same for salt
Just over 1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
(If you use quick yeast you may need to play around with the quantities)

Pizza Base method

Mix the warm water (1/3 almost boiling mixed with 2/3 cold) and the yeast and the sugar. Give this a good mix around with a fork for 30 seconds. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins until it looks frothy.

In another bowl sieve the flour and salt and then add a drop of oil as per the ingredients.

Once the yeast mix is ready make a well and pour into. Don’t put all the water in as you might have enough in 110 or 115 ml. Mix together with a fork. When it looks like it is coming together, form a ball and place on a surface with some flour. Now you need to knead and stretch it for 10 mins. Once this pizza dough mix has been kneaded put in an oiled bowl for 45 – 60 minutes covered with a damp clean cloth or cling film.

This should double in size during that time.

Pizza recipe – The topping sauce

This pizza topping sauce is my own recipe. It was developed out of necessity as I had none to-hand, but I had tomatoes. If you already have one store bought you can skip this. However, the flavour from a home made sauce is phenomenal.

You need the following ingredients:

15-20 cherry tomatoes or 2-3

Large tomatoes

Pinch of salt

Black Pepper

Half clove of crushed garlic (optional)

1 tsp Spinach pesto (optional)

1 tbsp of Rojo sauce (optional)

Cheese

Mushrooms

(Any other toppings eg spinach, sweet corn etc)

Chop the tomatoes as small as you can without being blended mush. They should still have some consistency. Heat a pan on a medium to high heat with a drop of olive oil. Once hot place the tomatoes on the pan with the pinch of salt and some freshly cracked pepper and fry for a few mins. Reduce the heat and add the pesto and Rojo sauce. After 10 mins you should be able to break up the tomatoes further. Once in a sauce consistency place in a bowl and let cool in the fridge.

My Pizza Recipe - The Pizza before it is cooked

Assembling the pizza

Once the pizza base has doubled punch it back and knock out the air. Place on a floured surface and start rolling into a circular shape. Flour a pizza pan and place the dough on it. Leave in a warm place for 10-15 mins.

Heat an oven to 210C (fan) or 230 C (without fan).

Once rested and the tomato sauce is cooled you can progress. Spread the prepared sauce on the base ensuring to cover all the areas. Now add your toppings.

If the oven is at temperature place the pizza into the oven in the middle. Cook for 9-12 minutes (keep an eye). You should now have a delicious homemade pizza. Use a pizza slicer and enjoy.

The Result – The cooked Pizza

My Pizza Recipe - The Pizza Cooked and delicious

My Butternut Squash Massaman Curry Recipe

by Shane McDonald | May 22, 2018 | Lifestyle

There is nothing more delicious or satisfying then a lovely home made curry. Cooking something from scratch allows you to customise the recipe to your taste. By cooking from scratch you also know what has gone into your food. Using a set of prepped ingredients you can get this delicious Massaman Curry Recipe from chopping board to plate in under 90 minutes. This Massaman Curry Recipe is vegan but you could add chicken or meat if you wished.

Massaman Curry Recipe – Ingredients

SPICES
1 tsp of Garam Masala
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Tumeric
2 tsp of mild curry powder
1 tsp of smoked paprika
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Black Pepper

OTHER ITEMS
2 tsp of oil (I used rapeseed oil but Olive oil can be used also)
1 Garlic clove minced
1 large onion finely chopped
1 inch of fresh root ginger grated and peeled
Can of chopped tomatoes or 450g of chopped tomatoes
Can of Coconut Milk
1 Butternut Squash (you will only use half of the squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm pieces)
100g of baby spinach leaves
3 large potatoes, cut into eights
1 vegetable or mushroom stock cube
10-15 large button or chestnut mushrooms (optional)
Handful of Cashew Nuts (toasted)

This is my own Massaman Curry Recipe and it is a mixture of a few different recipes which I have cooked. This always works well for me. Apart from the first 25 minutes of cooking the rest of the cooking time requires little work on your part.

Recipe Method

In a pan, heat the oil on medium heat and cook the onion and ginger until it begins to soften. Then add the garlic and stir so the garlic does not burn.
On another pan fry and caramelise the butternut squash on medium heat for about 15 minutes until you start to see colour and the veg begins to soften a little.
Place the chopped potatoes into boiling water and par-boil while the butternut squash is cooking in step 2.
Make a paste with all the spices using a drop of warm water
Once you have been cooking the onion for a few minutes add the spice paste to the onion, garlic and ginger mix.
Cook off the spices for a few minutes and then add the chopped tomato and the caramelised butternut squash. Mix to coat the added ingredients.
After a few minutes add the coconut milk and the par-boiled potatoes
Mix the stock cube with 250ml of boiling water and add to the ingredients.
Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the pan.
Taste the sauce at this point and if you wish to add more elements from the set of spices used then feel free to do so. e.g. if there is not enough of a kick, add a few dashes of chilli powder or even a whole finely chopped chilli with the seeds. This is your opportunity to customise the flavour of the curry.
Meanwhile, toast some cashew nuts lightly under the grill and ensure to toast both sides. You can also add some sesame seeds to the toasting mix also if you wish.
Reduce the heat and on low heat (3/9 on my cooker) leave to cook slowly for another 40 minutes until the sauce has thickened. If it has not thickened to your liking, you can increase the heat for a few minutes and this should do the trick.
Once you are ready to serve, blanche the baby spinach in boiling water dry and place on the plate. Serve the curry on the bed of warmed spinach leaves (they will cook slightly in the heat also), top with the toasted nuts.
Enjoy!

Suggested Accompaniment for this Massaman Curry Recipe

One thing which goes really well with this Massaman Curry Recipe is Chapati. These Chapati, known also as roti, safati, shabaati and roshi, are unleavened flatbread. They come mainly from the Indian Subcontinent but are really similar to other middle-eastern and asian flatbreads.

To make you need around 1 cup of flour, preferably chapati flour. (I don’t have this so I use half bread flour and half plain flour.)
Now add a good pinch of salt and 1/3 cup of warm water (added slowly). You need to get a non-sticky dough. So keep working the dough until you have a wetish dough which is not sticking to your hands.

Flour the surface and roll 2-3 inch pieces into very thin sheets. At this point, you can add some crushed fennel seeds to taste (i like this).

On a medium hot pan, place the rolled dough onto the pan and press down. Once it starts to colour or small humps form, turn over. It might swell with air and puff up, if it does, just press it down with a spatula until it is slightly coloured and warmed on both sides.

You may need to experiment on temperatures but you will soon get the perfect thickness of dough and the perfect temperature for a delicious chapati.

Best Pancake Recipe

by Shane McDonald | Feb 12, 2018 | Lifestyle

Looking for a great Pancake Recipe – look no further !

When is Pancake Day 2022

Pancake Day 2022 is on Tuesday 1st March 2022 and it’s the 60th day of the year. This is an easy recipe and for me the Best Pancake Recipe you can use.

My Best Pancake Recipe – In Time for Pancake Day 2022 – Tue 1st March

Pancake Day 2022 is Tuesday 1st March 2022. So, if you are looking for the Ultimate Tasty Pancake Recipe and the easiest pancake recipe this is it. This pancake recipe has never failed me and I have tried a few.

1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 cup of flour
Pinch of salt

Simply mix all the ingredients together. Start by mixing the egg and flour and then add the milk. Whisk well and make sure there are no lumps. By whisking the ingredients well you introduce air into the mix. If possible, let it rest for 30 mins to and hour if you can in the fridge, (this step in the recipe is not actually necessary but I find it works well for me).

To cook the pan cakes use a small amount of butter on a non stick pan. Se the heat of the pan to a medium heat – not too hot. You can use some kitchen roll to mop the excess if you go overboard. Now ladle some of the pancake mix into the pan. Don’t touch the batter as it is cooking until you see the little holes appear in the top. The first pancake for me is always a throw-away (I still eat it though) but I hope this pancake recipe helps.

Pancake Toppings

The traditional pancake for me is to drizzle the pancake with lemon juice, roll the pancake in caster sugar and then fill the inside with jam. Roll up, slice in two and enjoy.

These are some of my favourite pancake toppings;

Sugar and jam
Sugar and lemon
Nutella
Nutella and banana

If you have enjoyed this pancake recipe please share it using the social media sharing tools on this site.

If you have any more unusual pancake toppings or fillings please make a comment in the section below.

Dalek Relaxation Tape for Humans – Funniest Viral Ever

by Shane McDonald | Feb 13, 2017 | A Bit of Fun, General

Do you remember the Daleks from Dr. Who? Those things really frightened me, but now the Dalek family are coming back. There is no Dalek invasion or Dalek army coming to feast on us. No, the Dalek are coming to us to help us with relaxation. According to this fantastic viral, the Dalek from Dr.Who will be making a return, but this time at your local spa. The stresses and strains of daily life will float away as the Dalek relaxation tape for humans plays in the background.

This video went viral a few years ago and didn’t really get as much attention as I thought it would but nevertheless I think its hilarious. The first time I head the Dalek Relaxation Tape I was on the ground in a ball with the laughter. Who ever did this is a genius, as the retro aliens come back to reduce our stress.

Have a look and enjoy – I think the Dalek Relaxation video is one of the funniest viral videos ever! I hope you enjoy.

Dalek Relaxation Tape for Humans

Next time you go to the spa, just remember the Dalek Relaxation tape … relax …. then laugh out loud !

Flying a Boeing 737 flight simulator in Dublin Airport

by Shane McDonald | Jun 20, 2016 | Lifestyle

Did you know there is a Boeing 737 flight simulator in Dublin’s Terminal 2 departures?

While getting ready to board a recent Aer Lingus flight to London Heathrow when I saw the signs in the departures area. I love aircraft and I just had to try it. It is not my first time doing this, as I tried the Flight Experience Boeing 737 flight simulator (800 series) in Singapore in 2011. On that occasion, I enjoyed a simulated flight from Hong Kong International to the now closed Kai Tak, one of the worlds trickiest airports to fly into.

The Dublin flight simulator is called uPilot and starts at 15 minutes for €45. Some might call it steep but for what you get it is well worth the money. There was a small pre-flight briefing but since I knew a lot of the controls and procedures before I knew it I was taxing along runway 28 at Dublin Airport. The simulated flight took a left turn over Wicklow, out over the Irish sea with a few slight left course adjustments we were heading for the Isle of Man. It was at that point I started a further left turn and descent to intercept with the localiser. Thankfully for everyone on board my simulated flight, the landing was safely made for a smooth touchdown at Dublin Airport.

Afterwards, the person running the flight simulator system told me that this particular Boeing 737 flight simulator was hand built from scratch by an enthusiast. It is incredibly realistic with everything from seatbelt sign noises and engine fire simulations to FMC settings, engine failures and full auto-pilot features.

The flight simulator could easily distract you from your flight so make sure you have plenty of time before your gate closes – in matter how realistic the flight sim, it won’t get you to your destination.

Flight Sim Update April 2019

I was recently in Dublin T2 and I had a look in the general direction of where this flight simulator was located but I could not see it. It may have moved or it may be gone. If you happen to know please drop me an email or a tweet on @mrshanemcdonald

Shane McDonald at the controls of a Boeing 737 flight simulator

Funniest Christmas Song – Dominick the Donkey

by Shane McDonald | Dec 14, 2012 | Music

Dominick the Donkey – Christmas Song

I heard this on BeatFM a few years ago as a cheesy Christmas Song. This is called Dominick the Donkey and it is actually a very old song. Dominick the Donkey was a Christmas song written in 1960. The song Dominick The Donkey was recorded by Lou Monte in 1960. The festive tune is all about a brave donkey, Dominick, who helps Santa to bring gifts and presents to children in Italy. Apparently, the donkey is required because the reindeer cannot climb Italy’s hills.

The reason why I heard this song a few years ago is that Dominick the Donkey was re-released on September 26th 2011 and was included on a few Christmas compilation albums. Dominic the Donkey was listed at in the top 20 in the charts in 1960.

The song was used on BBC Radio 1 morning programme ‘The Chris Moyles Show’ while they were making a bit of fun of show contributor Dominic Byrne. So much so, with all this media play, the song appeared in the UK Singles Chart and was in at No. 2 in the British iTunes during Christmas week. It would have been amazing if it had reached the Christma Number 1 spot.

Do yourself a favour and have a listen to Dominic the Donkey, I think it’s hilarious but you will either love it or hate it. If you hate it, it will probably end up as an ear-worm for you as it did me…

Is there a video to beat this – if to leave a comment or YouTube Link to a funnier one …

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