Friday, April 17, 2009

quick calzones

My carnivore loves anything and everything Italian. But, as he says, vegetarians can't live on cheese pizza alone. I came across a version of these calzones in an issue of Real Simple awhile ago and I knew instantly it would be great for us. He can stuff his with meat and I can get veggies he would never touch (like spinach). Plus, there is all the cheese - who doesn't love that? And, it can be made from start to finish in about 30 minutes. This is a simple meal that anyone can adjust to their own tastes - pretty much anything goes.

For this recipe you will need a little flour, a Pillsbury ready make pizza crust (next to the crescent rolls in most grocery stores), a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, 1 cup of ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. You will also need to pick the toppings of your choosing (meat or veggies).

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Then simply dust a pastry mat (I love the King Arthur's one pictured above and available at my amazon store) with flour. Take out the crust and cover with flour. Roll it a little. Cut in half or fourths (depending on size and number of calzones you wish to make). Combine cheeses and salt and pepper. Divide the mixture evenly among each calzone crust. Add in your favorite topping. The carnivore likes real pepperoni (the kind you have to slice yourself) and I like mushrooms and spinach (that I have sauteed for a minute or two in a bit of oil). Fold the crust over and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Baste with olive oil. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve while pipping hot!

menu ideas:
These calzones can be a meal on their own, but you can also add a salad. You can also try them with a side of fried eggplant or even sauteed zucchini. If you are serving them at a party they go well with mozzarella sticks as an appetizer.

10 comments:

  1. Looks fabulous girl!! I have lots of veggie dishes on my blog, I love eating veggies...but sad to say, I still eat meat :0)

    I love how easy these calzones are to make, bravo!!!

    Jenifer

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  2. I've found that the better the ingredients in this dish, the better it tastes. We tried it with cheap pepperoni once and the result was rather bland. Once we had some leftover fresh mozzarella and you could really tell the difference when compared to the pre-shredded cheese.

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  3. Stumbled upon your site and it's brilliant! I have an avid meat eater around as well and meal times can be a bit of a struggle. Definately giving this one a shot!

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  4. This does look yummy! My kids would love it too!

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  5. Good idea and nice to have a pizza dough ready! Thanks from Santa Barbara, best, s

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  6. Mmm - Calzones are like the perfect take along food! Looks delicious!

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  7. they look super yummy! i just found your blog and am thrilled about it - i too am a vegetarian who also married a carnivore...its great to know im not alone. :)

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  8. glad to have you CW. you are definitely not alone! check in often for more menu ideas. i know it can be tough making it work, but it is possible!

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  9. Perfect article, can't wait to use it this weekend. Hey, if you want to post your article on a cool website or check out some similar articles you should go to Wacanai.com(http://www.wacanai.com/intro). People post their articles on “how to.” It tells you how to make gifts, food, drinks, how to fix things, get stains out and a whole lot more. I love it! You have to check it out yourself!!!!!!!!!!! They will promote your article for you and everything, plus they have graphs you can put on your page to track how many people read and use your info.

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  10. Hi, thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting on the Pizza Margherita. My hubby os a big carnivore too!

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