Spinach And Feta Calzone Food

SPINACH AND RICOTTA CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lightly dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out into an 8 by 11-inch oval.
• In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place all the filling on 1 half of the dough leaving a 3/4-inch border along the edge.
• Fold the remaining dough over the filling until the edges line up and pinch the edges together to seal. Gently roll the pinched edges under to form a decorative rim.
• Place the calzone on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and brush the top with olive oil.
• Bake until golden brown and the center is hot and melted, 25 minutes, rotating midway through cooking.
• Basic Pizza Dough:
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water, about 110 degrees F
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• 1 teaspoon salt
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil. Let sit for about 3 minutes to fully dissolve and activate the yeast.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
• With a rubber spatula, gradually mix the yeast mixture into the flour until just combined and dough barely holds together. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface dusted with flour.
• Knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until the dough has become smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The surface should be tight and silky and bounce back slightly when pressed. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Once doubled, punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Knead each 1 slightly to form a uniform ball. Set aside and cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes.
• Cook's Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight once it is divided. Keep covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a sealed food storage bag.
• Yield: 2 dough balls

SPINACH-CHEESE CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. Spread ricotta on bottom half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top ricotta with spinach and mozzarella. Fold top half over and roll and pinch edges to seal. Brush off excess flour.
• Carefully transfer calzone to baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil, season with salt, and bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes.

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 THREE CHEESE CALZONE

Steps:

• For Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, bloom the yeast by combining it with warm water and sugar. Stir gently to dissolve, then let stand 5 minutes until foam appears. Turn mixer on low and slowly add the flour, 1 cup at a time. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil and add salt. When the dough starts to come together, increase the speed to medium. Stop the machine periodically to scrape the dough off the hook. Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold over itself a few times. Form dough into a round and place in an oiled bowl, turn to coat the entire ball with oil so it doesn't form a skin. Cover with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Test the dough by pressing 2 fingers into it. If indents remain, the dough is adequately risen. When ready, knead the dough gently and divide in 4 balls. Sprinkle the rounds lightly with flour, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes. This will relax the dough, making it easier to stretch. In the meantime prepare filling.
• For Calzones: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. If you don't have a stone, simply grease a baking pan. Roll or spread the dough discs into 10-inch circles, leave the dough slightly thick so that the filling will not ooze out. Spoon a quarter of the filling onto 1 side of the dough round and brush the outer edge with egg wash to help form a seal. Fold dough over to enclose the filling and form a large turnover. Roll up the edges with your fingers to close tightly and prevent leaking. Cut a few slashes in the top to allow steam to escape during baking and brush with egg wash. Repeat with remaining rounds. Sprinkle a pizza peel (or prepared baking pan) with cornmeal and carefully transfer the calzones. Bake directly on pizza stone for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Let the calzones rest 10 minutes before cutting to allow the cheese to set. Serve with basic tomato sauce if desired.
• For Filling: In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add the spinach, season, and continue to cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and squeeze out the excess liquid. If necessary, drain the ricotta in a sieve to remove excess moisture also. Calzone filling should be fairly dry, because it may leak out or make the dough mushy. Combine spinach, cheeses, egg, and pepper in a large bowl.

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, MUSHROOM, AND TOMATO CALZONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
• Warm the water and oil on low until just warm to the touch and not hot. Add to the flour mixture and beat with a spoon until almost smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup white flour.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gradually add white flour, 1/2 teaspoons at a time, until smooth and it no longer sticks to your hands or feels tacky. Then knead for several minutes.
• Oil the mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place in the bowl, rolling it around until it is coated with oil. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 25 minutes.
• After the dough rises, place it on a lightly floured surface and either roll with a rolling pin or press and push the dough into a circle. Cut the dough in two.
• Repeat the above step, rolling the dough out into two circles. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then place 1/2 the tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, spinach, and mozzarella in the center. Fold the dough over and press closed around edge. You may need to use a little water around the edge to get the dough to stick, or even fold the top over the bottom around the edge to close the calzone.
• Place calzones onto baking sheet that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. Lightly oil each side of calzone with olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.

SPINACH AND RICOTTA CALZONE

Steps:

• DOUGH.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together yeast, warm water, sugar and olive oil. Let sit for about 3 minutes to fully dissolve and activate the yeast.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
• With a rubber spatula, gradually mix the yeast mixture into the flour until just combined and dough barely holds together. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter surface dusted with flour.
• Knead the dough with flour-dusted hands until the dough has become smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. The surface should be tight and silky and bounce back slightly when pressed. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Once doubled, punch the dough down and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Knead each 1 slightly to form a uniform ball. Set aside and cover them with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes.
• Cook's Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight once it is divided. Keep covered tightly in plastic wrap or in a sealed food storage bag.
• Yield: 2 dough balls
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lightly dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough out into an 8 by 11-inch oval.
• In a medium bowl, mix the spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Place all the filling on 1 half of the dough leaving a 3/4-inch border along the edge.
• Fold the remaining dough over the filling until the edges line up and pinch the edges together to seal. Gently roll the pinched edges under to form a decorative rim.
• Place the calzone on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal and brush the top with olive oil.
• Bake until golden brown and the center is hot and melted, 25 minutes, rotating midway through cooking.

SPINACH & CHEESE CALZONES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• If making Pizza Dough start the dough first so it can rise while you make the filling.
• Heat oil in a large skillet and cook onion, covered, over medium-low for about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, uncovered, for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to a mixing bowl and stir in the ricotta, nutmeg, salt and cayenne. Then stir in egg yolk and feta until mixed.
• Sprinkle a large baking sheet with the cornmeal (you may need 2 baking sheets for all 4 calzones). On a flat surface, roll or pat the pizza dough to a rough 12- or 14-inch square. Use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut the dough into 4 equal squares. Divide the filling among the dough squares, spooning it onto one diagonal half of each square and leaving about a 1/2-inch margin all around.
• Fold the top over to make a triangle and seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Use a knife to make 3 slashes on the top of each calzone (Don't forget this step - unless you like the exploding kind of calzone).
• Place calzones on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with heated marinara sauce for dipping.