Mushroom Aubergine Pizza Pie Recipes

MUSHROOM & AUBERGINE PIZZA PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough following pack instructions, reserving a few tbsp of the mix for dusting. Heat 2 tsp of the garlic butter in a large frying pan, then cook the aubergine rounds, in batches, for 1-2 mins each side, until golden. Remove and season, then set aside. Add a little more butter and fry the mushrooms until soft, then remove and set aside.
• Lightly butter an 18cm round cake tin, about 4cm deep. Dust a flat surface with the reserved bread mix and roll out two-thirds of the dough to come over the sides of the tin. Line the tin and press the dough into the corners. Leave the sides hanging over.
• Layer up the ingredients, starting with half the aubergine, basil, pasta sauce, mozzarella and mushrooms. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, pushing down well. Roll out the remaining dough to form a lid and put it on top. Pinch together the lid and the sides, twisting them together to form a crusty edge. Wrap well and freeze. Defrost at room temperature for about 8 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cook pie for 30 mins. Remove from the tin and place on a baking sheet. Brush with garlic butter, then cook for 20 mins more, brushing again with butter before serving.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

Steps:

• Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let sit in a colander for 30 minutes.
• Rinse and pat dry.
• Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned.
• Let cool.
• Divide pizza dough in half to form two pizzas, or just make one large pizza. Follow directions for dough.
• Spread tomato sauce over each pizza round and sprinkle cheese over the top, dividing if necessary for two smaller pizzas.
• Arrange mushrooms and several eggplant slices over the cheese and sprinkle with fresh or dried oregano.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Follow baking directions for pizza dough.

EXOTIC MUSHROOM PIZZA

Steps:

• Put pizza stone in oven and heat to 425 degrees. While stone is heating, brush olive oil evenly over shell and bake 5 to 7 minutes or until oil bubbles. (If using thin crust pizza, you can eliminate pre-baking of the pizza crust.)
• While shell bakes begin cooking the mushrooms. Heat saute or fry pan on high heat, add the oil, garlic and shallots and quickly saute for approximately 30 seconds. Do not allow the garlic/shallot mixture to burn.
• Add mushrooms to hot pan, saute quickly until most of the mushroom juices have evaporated (3 to 5 minutes), then add wine. Continue to saute until wine completely evaporates and mushrooms have turned a darker shade or brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from heat.
• Remove shell from oven (leave stone in oven to keep it hot) and allow to cool slightly. Spread the gorgonzola cheese evenly over the warm crust so that it melts slightly. You can dip your fingers in olive oil to spread the gorgonzola. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the crust. Add the Fontina cheese, distributing it as evenly as possible. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place on hot stone in oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Cool and cut into small rectangles for hors d'oeuvres or into pie-shaped pieces for first course or main course portions. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• This recipe can be adjusted to suit personal taste such as adding dried, red hot pepper or use different cheeses; however you should not eliminate the gorgonzola. It can be served with champagne as an hors d'oeuvre and with dry red wine as an appetizer or main course with a tossed salad.

AUBERGINE, TOMATO & HALLOUMI PIE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in your largest frying pan. Cook the aubergine slices for about 5 mins on each side until golden brown and soft - you'll need to add more oil between batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Fry the onion in the remaining oil until soft, about 8 mins. Add the garlic and cook for another min or 2. Stir in the coriander, chopped tomatoes, molasses and some seasoning. Simmer for 15 mins until you have a thick, rich sauce. Stir in the mint leaves.
• Heat a drizzle more oil in a pan and fry the halloumi slices for 2 mins on each side until golden brown. Set aside with the aubergine. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Roll out the pastry to a rectangle, 50 x 25cm, and cut into two squares (don't worry about all the edges being neat at this stage). Place one on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Layer the tomato sauce, aubergine, halloumi and a scattering of pine nuts (in that order) onto the middle of the pastry, leaving a border around the edge, about 1.5cm. Keep layering until the ingredients have all been used up. Brush the edges with a little egg.
• Roll the second sheet a little larger, then lift over the pie and press down the edges to seal. Neaten the edges with a knife, then brush the whole pie with more egg. Score fine lines over the top with your knife to decorate, making sure you don't pierce the pastry. Cut a small cross in the centre of the pie and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30-35 mins until golden brown.