Pesto Pizza and Rice Salad

I usually make double the pizza dough and freeze half for another day. The rice salad is so easy to make and can be used for a packed lunch (if there is any left).

Pesto Pizza
Ingredients - Base
500g strong plain flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 sachet dried yeast
300ml hand hot water - approx
1 tablespoonolive oil
Ingredients - Topping
2 Tabsp. pesto sauce green or red
50g mushrooms - sliced
1 red onion - sliced
1 pepper - any colour
glug of olive oil
black pepper
100g cheddar cheese - grated (Red Leicester gives a good flavour)

Method
1. Sieve flour into a large bowl. Add the yeast, salt and sugar - mix well.
2. Place oil into a measuring jug and add approx 300ml hand hot water
3. Pour liquid onto flour and mix together with your hand until mixture forms a soft
dough. You may need to add a drop more liqiuid.
4. Knead the dough on a floured surface for approx 5 - 8 mins until smooth.
5. Place dough back into bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise for approx 1
hour until double in size.
6. Meanwhile start to prepare the topping and pre-heat the oven to Gas 6 200C.
7. The rice salad can also be prepared at this time.
8. Once the dough has risen - knock back - by taking it out of the bowl and kneading
again for a few mins. Cut the dough in half and roll out to dinner plate size.
The other half can be rolled out - put into freezer and once frozen bagged to use
another time.
9. Add a glug of olive oil to a fry pan and saute the onion, pepper and mushrooms for
a few mins until onions are soft.
10.Spread the peswto sauce over the pizza base, add the topping spreading over the
pesto sauce. Add the grated cheese, black pepper.
11.Bake for 20 -25 mins until the pizza is risen and the topping golden.


Rice Salad
Ingredients
200g long grain rice - washed and drained
1 red chilli - finely diced
1 roasted red pepper from jar - diced
handful parsley, mint, basil - chopped
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method
1. Fill a saucepan 3/4 full of water with a pinch of salt.
2. Add the rice and bring to the boil for 10 mins.
3. Drain the rice in a colander.
4. Put approx 1 inch of water into bottom of saucepan, place colander in saucepan
cover with a lid and leave to steam for 10 mins. ALLOW TO COOL
5. Once the rice is cold, place in a serving bowl.
6. Add the chilli, roasted pepper and herbs along with black pepper.
7. Place olive oil and juice of lemon into a jar with black pepper - shake well
to make a dressing.
8. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well.