February 22, 2011

Mini Pizzas with Bread and Pastry Crusts

I have intermittent access to the net of late, and I’m technically frustrated, too. Talk about being whacked, yikes. And what timing! It might sound cheesy to admit that, ever since I started blogging, I login anxious to see what happened in the world of weblogs while I was away. I remember experiencing similar feelings when I was active on facebook —  silly, eh? Tell me about it! Please bear with me if it takes a while to get in touch with you, visit your blogs and post new recipes. Hopefully, the internet issue will be resolved soon. Thanks for understanding.

Alright, the mini pizzas I’m going to talk about is simply awesome and would make a stunning starter if you’re not counting calories. Keep a packet of puff pastry squares in the freezer or a loaf of sandwich bread handy to prepare these quick-fix pizzas for entertaining or whenever you fancy a delightful bite.

I make these pizzas a lot during Ramadan. You see, Ramadan is the time I’m rustling up plenty of cool appetizers. In truth, no Iftar party would be complete without these mini pizzas. Kids love it and it’s always a huge hit at Iftar gatherings. The best thing is, you can prepare the topping with exciting flavors and twists, bake it either on pastry or pizza crusts topped with shredded mozzarella, olives and pepper — very versatile.


Mini Pizzas with Bread and Pastry Crusts

Ingredients

12 slices of sandwich bread, or
12 puff pastry squares (I used Alkaramah), thawed at room temperature
2 tablespoon oil
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
¼ cup red onion, chopped
4 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 heaped teaspoon dry oregano
½ teaspoon dry basil
½ teaspoon dry thyme
½ teaspoon pepper powder
pinch garlic powder (optional)
salt, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup sliced black olives
1 teaspoon each chopped onion and bell pepper, for topping


Directions

For round pizzas with bread crust: Place the bread slices on a cutting board. Working with one at a time, use a pastry cutter to cut circles (I used a 3 7/16 inch cutter); reserve the trimming for another use. Hold the bread circles in the palm of your hand, wet the fingers of the other hand and gently press down within ½ inch of the edge. Repeat with all remaining slices; set aside.

For rectangular pizzas with puff pastry crust: Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature for an hour; prick the centre thoroughly with a fork; set aside

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Tip in the tomatoes, onions and pepper and cook until they are tender, stirring occasionally. Pour in tomato sauce, and toss for 2 minutes. Tip in basil, oregano, thyme and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for 3 more minutes until the sauce is thick; remove from heat.

Place the crust on a baking tray. Spread the veggie sauce on each bread circle/pastry square within ½ inch of the edge. Sprinkle with the cheese, top with the olives, pepper and onion.

Preheat oven to 240 c. Bake pizzas for 10-15 minutes until crisp and the cheese is melted. Cool on wire racks and serve warm.
Enjoy; we cleaned the dishes to the last bite!

60 comments:

  1. The bread and pastry pizzas look too good!....they r such a life saver! Kids will have a blast!
    Smitha

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  2. Those pizzas looks absolutely marvellous,am drooling..

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  3. gorgeous pizzas and lovely pics....thanks for sharing

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  4. I make quick pizza with puff pastry and bread the children love it looks delicious

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  5. Gorgeous and pretty pizzas, simply delicious..... awesome clicks dear...

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  6. Wow... thats gorgeous and beautiful :) yum :)

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  7. lovely; not a pizza fan but don mind gumming them down when someone gives me something like this...and babe you have your pizzaz with the Scotch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  8. Thanks for another kid friendly entry.

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  9. They look too good. Cute little mouthfuls...

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  10. Hi all, thanks very much for your charming words. You are too generous!

    Thoma, that's just apple juice :)

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  11. ohoh...thank you for the pizza and apple juice!!

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  12. Your pictures leave me craving for these yummies.. I think I'll make these after I reach home from work today.

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  13. My those look awesome!..great entry, I am sure my kids will love this..

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  14. Lovely pizzas and Lovely photography. You've just got me drooling :)

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  15. good one..will try this sometime..

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  16. Such an easy and yummy pizza!

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  17. Hi, First time here.... U have a lovely collection of recipes... absolutely enjoyed browsing through your beautiful blog... Glad to follow u... great going.. do visit my space sometime...
    Reva

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  18. I love this...looks so yumm!!
    great clicks too Dear!!

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  19. Thank y'all, once again, for stopping by to say hello!

    Hey Thoma, no worries, you can fancy anything in your mind's eye. Isn't that beautiful..?!!

    Sarah and Soumya: I'm glad you are inspired by the pizzas. I hope you enjoy making it.

    Kalpana, Soumya, Srivalli and Reva: I'm really pleased to meet you!

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  20. Puff pastry is such a versatile ingredient , I always have a pack handy in my freezer..loved the pizza..the flaky crust tastes so good with all the yummy cheesy topping!
    You pics are very crisp n bright..loved them all :)


    US Masala

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  21. Wow..Awesome click dear...Luv those mini pizza idea and the olives on top,truly mind blowing

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  22. First visit here...pizza looks so yummy and great clicks...

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  23. First time over here, this pizza loks too beautiful! happy to follow you, having a great collections of recipes,keep going!
    http://entepachakalokam.blogspot.com

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  24. your pizzas looks yummy.........ill try it sure........

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  25. The pizzas looks divine, I love both the bases. Absolutely delicious looking pizzas.

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  26. Thank you for linking this delicious pizza with Any One Can Cook :)

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  27. Wowww Nash, yummy pizzas. Hmmm my kid will love this for sure.

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  28. Aipi, Priya, Ria, Ayeesha and Zareena: I really appreciate your kind messages.

    Hema and Soumya: Thanks so much for your visit and lovely comments!

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  29. Lovely.. beautiful pics.. thnks fr the comment on mine.. can't stop gazing at the pics.. fab...awesome.. glad to follow you
    ammaandbaby.blogspot.com/

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  30. Tried racking my brains for a better word than Awesome. :) Lovely...am gonna try them today.

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  31. Hey Rachu, thanks for the kindness!

    Judy, dear, you are one sweet person! Glad you are inspired by the pizza, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

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  32. AMAZING! You're so right- these would be lovely for Ramadan.

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  33. Hey spontaneous-euphoria, your visits and thoughts are most welcome! Cheers!

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  34. Great...very inviting pizza. Tomorrow morning I m going to bake these. Glad to follow you.
    showandtell-vatsala.blogspot.com

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  35. Hey Vatsala, good to hear from you and much thanks for subscribing! I will check your blog for more food adventures :)

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  36. Wow this looks absolutely tempting.. awesome !!!

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  37. Loved its variation of puff pastry sheets. Nice recipe. Following you.

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  38. Pavithra and Suvidha: Thanks very much for your kind words!

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  39. I'm loving this. Absolutely falling in love at first sight :) yummmmmmmmm and simple too :)

    I'm bookmarking this and will make it asap :)

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  40. Yummy looking pizzas and ur clicks compliment them..lovely

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  41. Nits, thanks for the nice note, I hope you get a chance to make it soon. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

    Thanks a lot, Sharmilee!

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  42. This is so excellent! You blew my mind away .. and now I want to make those :) Thanks so much dear for sharing this with hearth and soul hop !

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  43. The pleasure is all mine, Kankana! I hope you give them a try!

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  44. Oh my! All those pictures are amazing. Those little pizzas look delectable, especially with the puff pastries. Sorry to hear of your internet issues. Hope they get better soon. We've had troubles too and it is so frustrating! I wanted to invite you to come over and share your recipe at These Chicks Cooked Recipe Spotlight today. Have a great day :)
    Katie

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  45. Hi Nashi, I really like these mini pizzas, but there is still one type of pizza I like better - giant pizzas (or 10 mini pizzas would be fine too)...

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  46. Hey Katie, thanks so much for your kind words! I'm more than happy to bring over the pizza to your table. Hopping over to your site now :)

    Hi Mark, guess what?!! You have company for the giant pizza...! :)

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  47. These pizza look so terrific! I want one right now...yummy! :-D

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  48. Trust me - it tastes terrific too. You should try them! :))

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  49. Such gorgeous pics. Makes me so hungry !!

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  50. Pizza looks amazing.following this blog for sure.http://cheriesstolenrecipes.blogspot.com

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  51. You have a very beautiful space here. What clicks!!... I m ur fan follower!

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  52. This looks delightful, fun for kids to help with!

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  53. These are so tempting! I've tried this with bread, but using puff pastry sounds like a great idea :)

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  54. Those look so scrumptious! A great idea.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  55. oh lovely work and this looks super

    The whiskey glass is a delight.

    Nash I want your feedback on Feta as a cheese topping on pizzas..

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  56. That looks appetizing, to say the least. Would love to try it once I get some pastry sheets.

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  57. This is really something new, I'll definitely try this at home for my children who's going to school everyday. Thank you for sharing this unique recipe!

    XX
    cakes bakery in Brooklyn

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A million thank you's for stopping by, taking the time to connect, and coming back to visit again. I genuinely appreciate each of your kind thoughts, lovely words, love and support. Happy, happy to hear from you, and hope to see you again!

♥ Nashi