Mini Spinach Feta Calzone Pockets No Phyllo Food

MINI CALZONES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle a baking sheet with the semolina and set aside.
• Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a round that is about 12 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut out 8 rounds with a 3 1/2- to 4-inch biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Dust with flour and cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
• Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Set aside.
• Combine the cheese blend, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, scallions and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place 3 slices of the pepperoni on one half of each round of dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Top each round with 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture.
• Brush the egg wash around the edges of one dough round using your finger or a pastry brush. Gently fold the dough over the filling to enclose and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
• Brush the tops of the calzones with the egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
• Place the calzones on the prepared baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking.
• While the calzones bake, heat the tomato sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Place the calzones on a platter with the sauce and serve immediately.

MINI SPINACH-FETA CALZONE POCKETS (NO PHYLLO!)

Steps:

• Run the spinach through a food chopper/processor until it has about the same consistency as tabouleh, then put into a mixing bowl.
• Finely grate the feta cheese with a grater or food chopper then mix with the spinach.
• Add all the other ingredients on the list except the dough to the bowl and mix thoroughly-- except the olive oil, make sure just 1 tablespoon of oil goes in the mix.
• Roll the pizza dough onto a floured surface and make cutouts, about 10-12.
• Spoon about 3-4 tablespoons of spinach mixture (approx, I just used a serving spoon) into the center of each cutout. Place each cutout on a cookie sheet greased with cooking spray.
• Fold the cutouts over so they resemble little calzones. Make sure that there are no pointy edges or tops because they'll burn easily.
• With the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, brush the tops of the calzones. About 1 tablespoon should be enough to lightly brush them all.
• Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

SPINACH AND FETA CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Heat olive oil in a large pan over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic, saute 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 the spinach and cook down until well wilted. Add the other half and cook down. Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Roll out crust on a sprayed baking sheet. Using a SLOTTED SPOON (very important!) transfer spinach mixture to bottom half of crust.
• Pull the top of crust over filling and pinch closed all the way around. Using a sharp knife cut a few slits in the top of the crust for steam.
• Bake 15 minutes.

SPINACH, FETA, AND PHYLLO PURSES

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet cook the onion in 1/4 cup of the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is golden, add the spinach, and cook the mixture, stirring, until it is combined well. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the Feta and the dill, and let the filling cool.
• Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo with a long side facing you on a work surface and brush it lightly with some of the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Lay another sheet and brush it lightly with some of the remaining oil. With a sharp knife cut the sheets lengthwise into thirds and cut each length crosswise into fifths, making 15 sections, each approximately 4 x 3 1/2 inches. Put a level teaspoon of the filling in the center of each phyllo section. Working with 1 section at a time gather the corners of th phyllo over the filling and twist the phyllo gently. Transfer the pastries to an oiled jelly-roll pan and make pastries with the remaining phyllo, oil, and filling, in the same manner. Bake the pastries in the lower third of a preheated 375°F. oven for 25 minutes, or until they are golden. The pastries may be baked 1 day in advance and kept covered loosely with plastic wrap and chilled. Reheat the pastries in a 375°F. oven for 10 minutes, or until they are heated through.