Oh my GORD: Jamie Oliver Cheat Pizza

We had a very quiet weekend {which was about all we could manage} spending plenty of time at home trying to get our overtired kids to sleep whenever possible. There were plenty of storms, and some sunshine, some tantrums and a few naps. Weekends like this mean one thing to me: home cooking. Easy, comforting food with a few glasses of wine thrown in for good measure. I bought Rob Jamie Oliver’s 30 minute meal cookbook for Fathers Day and hadn’t really tried anything until I started watching the show of the same series. I found the book quite overwhelming and text heavy, but after I watched the show I sort of “got” it. I watched it on Friday night and saw him make this pizza that was half cooked in a fry pan and finished under the grill. It looked simple, delicious and easy – 3 essentials when it comes to cooking for me.

Jamie’s Cheat Pizza
:1.5 cups of self raising flour
: Half cup tepid water
: Olive oil
: Salt
Add any topping that takes your fancy we used:
: Sopressa hot salami
: Fennel seeds
: Tomato sauce (we used the jarred stuff)
: Mozzarella
: Parmesan
: Red chilli

: Throw into a food processor the flour, water, a good lug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Blitz it until it’s all combined then whack onto a floured surface. It will be quite wet so don’t be shy with the flour.

: Roll it out until it’s about 1cm thick. Fold it in half {onto itself} and then half again so you have a quarter so it’s easy to transfer into the frying pan.

: Heat some oil in your pan and have the heat on high (at the same time turn your griller on so it’s hot ready for the pizza to go under in a few minutes)

: And unfold the quartered dough out covering the pan

: Add some tomato sauce to the base

: Then a few pieces of mozzarella, then the sopressa

: The chillis, fennel seeds and then the parmesan cheese. This only takes a minute or so to add the toppings and as you add them on you can smell/see that the base is cooking underneath and getting crispy

: Whack under a hot grill for a couple of minutes

: And slide out onto a board for cutting. I know! Literally under 10 minutes you have a home made pizza and base done. Snap!

Verdict? It was delicious and VERY easy…but…and there is always a but, because I like my pizzas thinner I found the base a little doughy and thick. It’s basically a deep pan pizza so the next time I make it I will make sure I roll it out a little thinner. But, to be able to make your own base and serve the thing out in under 15 minutes from go to whoa? Well, that’s a no brainer right? Think after sport school nights when you get home and need something simple, easy. This will be a Monday night dinner round these parts as we don’t get home from swimming until after 5.30pm.
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Aside that has nothing to do with the recipe I promise: Little did I know that this pizza would send me into heart burn hell. I woke up Sunday morning at 2am with a niggling twinge of heartburn so I got up, swigged some mylanta and sat up for a bit until it calmed down. It did not. I was in agony for hours and hours later and eventually in hospital yesterday morning trying to get it under control. I have started to suffer from bouts of heartburn more and more lately and this was the worst without a doubt. I thought it might have even been gallstone/bladder issues, but it looks like good old GORD (Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease) instead. I’m off to the GP this week for a referral to a gastroenterologist for a endoscopy. Gee that required some googling of spelling! You’ve got to love when an ER doctor tells you how “serious” this is, because I could get esophageal cancer. Way to brighten your (already very dull) morning! Anyway, not the perfect way to spend the end of our weekend, but then, not much has been going to plan of late.

Comments

  1. That’s our Thursday night regular pizza! Typing this from my phone otherwise I’d attach a pic of G showing off his pizza versus Jamie’s. I’ve been thinking about you and your clan on a daily basis. I know you’ve had advice, thoughts etc so I won’t add but – just one little thing. You’re freaking amazing! My 2nd had sleep apnea, croupe, ear/nose and throat issues and I too was a walking zombie, there is no way I could have cooked, written and taken the shots that you do. Keep at it Beth, it will pass, I promise you. I promise. xxx

    • Oh thank YOU! It’s so nice to know that so many lovely people are thinking about little old me in this quiet little village I live in. I KNOW it will pass, bring on the day!!

  2. Gotta lov Jamies easy recipes…NOT the reflux…feel for you I take medication for mine…salami & chilli and reflux not friends.. xx

  3. we were the same with this one- yum and easy but a bit thick on the base…. but pretty good overall.

    youre in my thoughts my sleepless friend

    xo em

  4. Am a newcomer to your blog Baby Mac and your posts suck me in everytime. Its like a good book and I want to keep coming back for more – Only you and your little family are real and your struggles are real so that part hurts.

    Like everyone else keeps saying- stay strong, were thinking of you
    xx Teg

  5. Oh Beth. I am sure they will control the reflux easily enough for you. I don’t think you need anything else interfering with your sleep….

    Take care.

    xx

  6. Yeah, well lucky you had that hospital trip because you really needed some more issues in the mix. Bloody hell.

    My uncle Vince was a sheep shearer and kept a huge blue box of Mylanta in his ute when I was a kid … he’d swig on it like it was water. Heartburn is the PITS.

    xxxx

  7. I used to have terrible heartburn pain. It ended up being my gall bladder. Had to have it out. Hope you find an answer to your reflux!

  8. Wow Beth that pizza looks delish! I have that book too and did find it a little overwhelming also, but I will certainly be trying this recipe out now! On the heartburn…that does just suck and I pray it leaves quickly xx

  9. Seriously? A dough and pizza that fast???? MUST try this. Like you, Joel likes his pizzas thin, so might take your advice about making it thinner.

  10. So sorry to hear about the GORD, that sucks cheeseballs.

    ANYWAY – thank you for teaching me that you can use a plastic handled pan to grill… I never thought to cover it in foil. DUH. Bev comes to the rescue again.

  11. My husband has GORD, it’s terrible, you poor thing!

    He has been on and off meds for nearly 6 years.

    Whenever I eat pizza though, I always get the BURN! Especially pizza with meat on it. I have a bottle of double strength on my bedside table that I take a swig of every now and then.

    Hope the Dr can sort you some meds or relief soon my lady.

    xx

  12. Love the clever title lady, GOLD! The pizza looked delicious, love a simple meal around here too. You poor bugger, sounds like heartburn hell. Hope everything goes well at the specialist… I’m not even going try and spell those words you mentioned ;o) xo

  13. Oh no! The heartburn! Poor you!

    Even though the pizza looks fab (and, what, a dough that doesn’t need rising time? Gimme!)… I’m still a bit shy of it after your painful tale. Sorry Jamie.

    Hope you’re ok, Beth. x

  14. Jamie’s books scare the shit out of me – I love the shows but am no where near game enough to try and cook something from his books. Luckily my husband is tougher than me and will happily give his recipes a go.
    Hope you are feeling better. Cant say I envy you and your GORD – sounds bloody painful
    x

  15. Ugh, you poor lady. I had my gall bladder out 4 weeks after having bub. That pain is not good (slight understatement). I hope you feel better soon and get whatever it is sorted out.

    And, can I just add that Jamie is gorgeous. Love his work 😉

  16. Oh no. Poor lovey. Has this been sorted out now? Did you do a double trip with Harper to the hospital?

    On the up side: recipe looks grouse!

    Hugs.

    xx

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