5 healthy recipes you can make in a pizza oven

AS WE EMERGE from the cooler months, backyards across the country are receiving makeovers and new additions as we’re faced with the rapid approach of summer. Maybe an above ground swimming pool would complete the layout, you think to yourself. Or perhaps the old shed could make way for some fresh landscaping. Or, just maybe, the final piece your backyard needs is much simpler. In fact, it could be a top-class pizza oven.

The beauty of a good pizza oven is that it’s much more than a means of churning out delicious food in mere minutes – which they most certainly can do, because unlike traditional ovens, pizza ovens harness intense heat and wood smoke to impart a rich depth of flavour. But the true advantage of owning a pizza oven is its ability to bring people together, while also allowing you to prove yourself to be a solid chef with minimal effort. Our pick of the best pizza oven you can buy? The freshly launched Koda 2 Max from Ooni – which we recently put to the test.

Our experience with the Ooni Koda 2 Max began fairly similarly to how it does with many other pieces of high-tech equipment – with a few quick YouTube tutorials, of course. With setup swiftly sorted, the first of the Koda 2 Max’s standout features made itself apparent. The oven is big. Very big, in fact, with a supersized 24-inch cooking area.

All that room is more than enough to fit a pizza – or two – which got us thinking. The Koda 2 Max is more of an outdoor oven than it is an oven, and there’s no reason why you can’t cook something other than pizza in it. The Koda 2 Max’s dual-zone cooking feature, which allows you to set different halves of the oven at different temperatures for side-by-side cooking, drove this thought home.

So, over the last few weeks, we’ve been firing up the Koda 2 Max with a focus on testing its versatility with a variety of healthy recipes that aren’t pizzas. The result? Everything from a ribeye steak to a whole branzino, cooked to perfection. See for yourself below.

Whole roasted branzino with a herby salad

Ingredients

For the roasted fish:

• 1 whole branzino
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 lemons
• 1 bunch tender herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon, fresh oregano)
• 20 grams olive oil, plus more for seasoning
• 1 yellow squash
• 2 sweet red and yellow capsicums
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 1 spring onion, shaved
• 1 bulb fennel, shaved
• 1 small radish, shaved
• 20 grams olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch of mixed fresh herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon)
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon

Preparation

For the roasted fish:

1. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees. The temperature can be easily monitored by using the digital temperature hub on the underside of the oven.
2. Season your fish with salt, making sure to get the inside of the fish as well.
3. Stuff the inside of the fish with lemon rings and herbs.
4. Tie up the fish to secure the stuffing.
5. Rub the whole fish with olive oil, then place in a roasting pan.
6. Season the squash and peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper, then place around the fish in the roasting pan.
7. Let the oven come down to roughly 288 degrees then place the pan in the oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through.
8. Remove the pan from the oven.

For the salad:

1. Carefully remove the squash and peppers from the pan and place them on a chopping board. Slice them into smaller pieces, then place them in a bowl. Add the shaved veggies.
2. Toss with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and herbs. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
3. Place your fish on a plate, top it with salad and serve

Umami Ribeye with Asparagus

Ingredients

For the steak:

• 2 ribeye steaks
• Olive oil, to taste

For the umami butter

• 250g unsalted butter
• 4 anchovies finely chopped
• 6 black olives pitted and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 20g parmesan, finely grated
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp white miso
• 1 dried konbu sheet ground to powder

For the asparagus:

• 75g melted unsalted butter
• 1 tsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Handful asparagus stems
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Lemon wedge, to serve

Preparation

1. For the umami butter, start by allowing the butter to soften. Once softened, place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands until fully combined. Lay a long sheet of cling wrap down, then tip the butter on top. Wrap and shape the butter into a sausage and seal the ends by twisting the cling film with your fingers. Leave in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Fire up the oven. Aim for 315 degrees.
3. While the oven is heating, place your cooking plate in the oven to warm up.
4. Prepare your ribeye steaks by seasoning with olive oil and salt.
5. Prepare your asparagus by mixing the melted butter, lemon juice, and honey in a bowl. Toss the asparagus stems in the mix to coat well.
6. Remove the hot plate and add the steaks. Fill the remaining space with your coated asparagus.
7. Return the plate to the oven. After 2 minutes, pull the plate out and flip the steaks over. Add a knob of your umami butter to each steak and return to the oven. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the steaks are cooked to your liking. Remove the steaks and cook the asparagus for a few additional minutes until charred and soft.
8. Add another generous knob of your Umami butter to the steaks while they rest. Remove the cooked asparagus, top with a wedge of lemon and serve.

Verdure vegetarian pizza

Ingredients

• 1 250 gram pizza dough ball or pre-made pizza base.
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 bunch cheery tomatoes, diced
• 100 grams pumpkin
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 red onion
• 50 grams spinach
• 100 grams mushrooms, sliced
• 100 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tbsp tomato-based pizza sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Add toppings and sauce to your pizza base over a lightly floured surface.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees before placing pizza inside
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until edges are golden-brown and toppings are soft, turning every 30 seconds to ensure even spread of heat.
5. Remove pizza from oven, slice and serve.

Roasted vegetables with feta

Ingredients

• 1 yellow squash
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 red onion
• 1 bunch cherry tomatoes
• 2 capsicums
• 120 grams feta
• 40 grams olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 1 lemon

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 230 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix all of the cut vegetables together, then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Layer the vegetables evenly in your roasting pan and put it in the oven.
4. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll know your vegetables are done when they’re cooked through, softened and lightly charred.
5. Remove the pan from the oven. Season vegetables with lemon juice, then top with the feta and fresh herbs.

Garlic chicken skewers

Ingredients

• 450g chicken, diced
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1tsp dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• Salt & pepper, to season

Preparation

1. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Place the seasoned chicken in the refrigerator, ideally overnight for optimum flavour, or for 30 minutes to marinate.
2. Fire up the oven. Aim for a temp of 500 degrees. the stone baking board inside.
3. With a drizzle of olive oil, preheat your pan in the oven for 1 minute.
4. Thread the chicken pieces onto a skewer (roughly 4-5 pieces of chicken per skewer), and lay each skewer on the warmed pan. Put the pan back in the oven and cook for 6 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and serve with your choice of veg and sauce.

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