Showing posts with label Provolone Cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Provolone Cheese. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Classic Calzones

Serves 4
Recipe from Everyday Food
Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This will be more of a “how-to” than a recipe because there are so many ways to fill a calzone.  To make these even easier for a weeknight meal, prepare and then freeze the pizza dough in advance, then all you’ll need to do is thaw it, roll it out and fill it.  Then you’re good to go!  Below is the original recipe from Everyday Food, then after that you’ll see my adaptations and other options.

Everyday Food Recipe:
Olive oil, for brushing
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen (or whole-wheat pizza dough)
1/3 cup marinara
1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Salt

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 marinara on bottom half of dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Top marinara with salami 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.

Alice’s Recipe:
Since the calzones were just for my husband and me, I used ½ batch of homemade pizza dough or whole-wheat pizza dough.  It was in the freezer, so the night before I made the calzones; I thawed the dough in the fridge.  I then preheated my baking stone in the oven to 425 F.  While the oven heated up, I sprinkled my wooden pizza paddle with cornmeal so that the calzones would easily slip onto the baking stone. I also sautéed in a bit of olive oil, about 2 cups of chopped broccoli, ½ cup chopped red pepper, about 6 fresh chopped mushrooms and 1 clove of garlic, minced in a small non-stick skillet.  I divided the pizza dough into 2 balls.  Then I rolled out each ball of dough on a floured board so that each round was about 8 inches or so.  I spread a thin layer of jarred spaghetti sauce (about 2 Tablespoons) onto half of each round, leaving an inch around the edge.  Then I topped the sauce with the veggies, dividing the veggies evenly between the two rounds.  I placed 2 slices of provolone cheese on top of the veggies on each round.  Then I folded the uncovered half over the veggie-cheese mixture.  I crimped the edges to keep the filling from oozing out.  I brushed each calzone with a bit of olive oil and then sprinkled them with a bit of sea salt. Using two large spatulas, I transferred the calzones onto the pizza paddle.  I opened the hot oven door and then using a jerking motion, scooted the calzones onto the stone.  They baked for 25 minutes.  Then I used some tongs to grab the calzones and put them on a rack to cool a bit.  Fabulous!  I think you could use any kind of vegetable cheese combo you like.  It seems a great way to use up leftovers. If you use meat, you’ll need to cook it in advance before filling, just like you would if making a pizza.
Other ideas:  
1. mushrooms, artichokes and fontina
2. broccoli, ham, cheddar
3. spinach, ricotta, mozzerella
4. chicken sausage, pear, brie
5. chocolate, ricotta with confectioners sugar, walnuts
Leftover veggies never tasted so good!  YUM!




Thursday, April 12, 2012

Emeril's Kicked-Up Tuna Melts



Serves 4
Recipe from Everyday Food, May 2010
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I fixed this yummy lunch while on vacation.  The oven I used didn’t have a broiler, so I just baked these.  I will definitely make them again at home using my broiler, which should brown the cheese nicely.  The tuna salad itself tastes fabulous, so if you don’t wish to make the melts, you can serve it alone or on greens or even in a wrap.  Any mild melting cheese, like cheddar or Monterey Jack, will work here. This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.

                        4 cans (5 ounces each) solid white tuna packed in water, drained
                        1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more for spreading
                        ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
                        4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
                        1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
                        ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
                        1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
                        ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled between your fingers
                        4 slices crusty bread
                        8 thin slices tomato
                        4 slices provolone

            Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion, capers, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir until thoroughly combined.
Arrange bread on a baking sheet and spread a little mayonnaise on each slice. Divide tuna salad evenly among slices, and then top each with 2 slices tomato and 1 slice cheese. Broil until cheese is golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Deli-Style Pasta Salad

Recipe from Simply Perfect Pasta, a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I had the pleasure of helping out for a couple of hours in the deli at Lost River Market & Deli last week. Linda, one of the deli chicks, asked me to make two salads for the salad bar. I found this recipe in a magazine I’ve had around for along time. The photo of the salad made me hungry, so I thought I’d give it a try. Linda told me that the salad sold out, so I take that as a good sign. This salad would be perfect for a picnic on one of these lovely fall days we're having right now. Bring along some crusty bread to go with it. The recipe for the other salad I made for the deli that day, Broccoli Salad, is on this blog too. All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

Salad Ingredients
7 oz. pasta (I used the vegetable spirals in the bulk section of Lost River Mkt. & Deli.)
6 oz. provolone cheese, cut into cubes
6 oz. Genoa salami, cut into strips
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
½ cup red or green pepper, chopped
2 medium fresh tomatoes cut into wedges
2 ¼ oz. sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup snipped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Dressing Ingredients
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil or 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water and drain again. Combine pasta with the remaining salad ingredients.
Combine dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake the jar vigorously until the dressing ingredients are well combined. Pour over pasta salad.