Meatless Calzones Food

MEATLESS CALZONE FROM SOUTHERN ITALY

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, add yeast and pour in 3/4 cup lukewarm water. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes until slightly foamy.
• Add the flour and salt and mix well (by hand or with a dough hook). Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for 5 minutes until you have a soft and smooth dough. If the dough gets sticky while kneading, add just a bit of flour at a time.
• Place in a clean bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Escarole and radicchio are bitter greens, which is a huge health benefit, but we want to tone down the bitter flavor for this calzone. First, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil, add 2 tsp. salt and add the whole escarole and radicchio leaves. Blanch for 1 minute and remove. Cool and finely chop.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and add the garlic cloves. Heat slowly for 2 minutes to infuse the flavor into the oil. Next, add the pine nuts and, again, slowly heat to toast for a minute or two (careful not to burn the nuts). Lastly, add chopped escarole/radicchio blend, raisins, olives, and a pinch of salt. Continue heating and stirring for 3 minutes to heat through and marry all the flavors. Take out the whole garlic cloves and either discard or use in a salad or soup. Remove filling from heat and let cool while rolling out the dough.
• When the dough has risen, turn out onto a floured board. To make 8 individual calzones, divide the dough into eight equal balls. With a rolling pin, roll into 4-inch circles. Add a spoonful of filling into the center of each calzone.
• Fold over to form a half-moon and pinch the edges to seal. Using the end of a fork, press around the edge to make sure the seal is tight.
• In a large skillet, heat ⅓ cup olive oil. Frying four at a time, fry each calzone for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Stack a few paper towels on a plate and place the cooked calzone on top to absorb some of the olive oil.
• Serve hot with a sprig of fresh parsley. These calzones may be served for supper or as an appetizer. Buon appetito!

EASY CALZONES

Steps:

• Place the frozen rolls (or frozen bread loaves) on a baking sheet to thaw. Cover with a tea towel and let thaw and rise for 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the sausage and cook until brown, crumbling the sausage as you stir. Add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool on a plate.
• In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, some pepper, parsley and 2 eggs.
• When the sausage is cool, stir it into the cheese mixture and set aside.
• When the rolls are thawed and risen, roll them out on a lightly floured surface until paper thin. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling onto half of the dough circle. Fold half of the dough over itself, and then press the edges to seal.
• Brush the surface of each calzone with the beaten egg, and then bake until nice and golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Serve with warm Marinara Sauce.
• Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a hot pan over medium-high heat and throw in the garlic and chopped onions and give them a stir.
• Now add the wine (or chicken broth), whisking to deglaze the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the liquid reduces by half.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Toward the end of the cooking process, chop up your fresh parsley and basil and add it to the sauce to taste, stirring to combine.

VEGGIE CALZONES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add tomatoes; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; set aside. Combine cheeses and set aside. , On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a 7-in. circle. Spoon a scant 1/2 cup of vegetable mixture and 1/4 cup of cheese mixture over one side of each circle. Brush edges of dough with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal. Place calzones 3 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk egg and water; brush over calzones. Bake 33-37 minutes or until golden brown. Freeze option: Bake calzones 15 minutes and cool. Place in resealable freezer bags; seal and freeze up to 3 months. To use, preheat oven to 350°. Place frozen calzones 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

REAL ITALIAN CALZONES

Steps:

• To Make Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, or until almost doubled.
• To Make Filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve hot.