HELLO :D
So after being dairy (well, lactose) free for a while now, I started to really crave pizza.. it was certainly one of my favourite foods before this. (As an added note I foolishly tried some cheese in a restaurant and was poorly after it.. so I knew I deffo couldn't chance a normal pizza..)
My main problem was that I knew that even if I were able to find the lactofree cheese in the supermarkets (never seem to be able to find it in our usual one!) it might be completely disgusting... I had resigned myself to life without cheese... my verdict on it however, is this:- The texture is WEIRD. But the taste is good. Well good enough. So if you grate it, or melt it, it's pretty much like normal cheese. Eating it in a block isn't reccommended because you get the bizarre texture and it isn't really strong enough to make up for all the CALORIES. And of course it's nothing compared to wonderful mature cheddar, but there you go. It is perfectly fine for pizza. Also as an added side note I did use it in a cheese sauce but it was nothing very special, however it worked well in homemade pesto. (which is well worth making and it really did need some cheeseyness to sweeten it!)
On a trip to a large Tesco we discovered the cheese, positively hiding between two other delicious looking lactose-containing cheeses in the cheese aisle. Yes.. we had to walk up the lovely and so tempting cheese aisle to get it.. but in hindsight it was worth it.. for PIZZA!
So I made the base using Jamie Oliver's recipe and it made masses (I halved it and still got enough for 4 pizzas! So there are currently two balls of pizza dough in the freezer and we've had pizza for lunch twice in a row O_O) Incidentally you can check out his recipe here - http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pizza-recipes/pizza-dough
It looks a faff but if you're used to breadmaking then it's not so different and since it makes so many it's really not too bad as once you've got them you can just get them out the freezer/fridge. And so worth it :>
Once I had my base I rolled it out nice and big and thin and added my toppings leaving a space of about 2 inches all round ^_^ The lactofree cheese grates really easily so that was nice and simple (I hate grating cheese usually...), and I found some parma ham and mushrooms in the fridge so I put those on aswell. I also did a stuffed crust by putting cheese on the space I'd left and folded it over.. I personally think that was the best bit so try it :D Even if you don't stuff the crust fold it over into a crust because it looks more like a real pizza then. For the tomatoey stuff I used tinned chopped tomatoes, just be sure not to get too much liquid as it can make for a soggy pizza (not lush :(). It also seems to be a good idea to put your cheese on last so the toppings are a bit covered and less likely to catch int he oven.
Then into the oven at I guess 180 for you guys or as I have a fan oven I had it on 150 - 160 for 15 - 20 minutes until your cheese is bubbling and the toppings are cooked :D
Yummy! I like mine with rocket personally :'D
Also as a side note I made Nigel Slater's lamb and beetroot patties the other day and they are really, really nice so I'd reccomend:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/lamb_beetroot_and_bulgur_03270
Here it is, and again it makes loads so you'll probably end up freezing some. But it's really yummy! And beetroot is easy to grate - my Mum found some in Waitrose but not Sainsburys.
Chloe
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