Three Cheese Calzones

A bit of a twist on regular ol' pizza, these calzones are pretty simple to make. Just like pizza, you could fill them with anything that strikes your fancy. I didn't have any spinach on hand when I first made these, and it wasn't a problem at all. As long as you have the cheese filling, everything else is secondary! I personally think that 5 cups, even loosely packed, would be pretty spinach-y! Chicken and spinach is always a good combo--substitute chopped cooked chicken breast (maybe left over from a rotisserie chicken?) for the salami, perhaps. Other ingredient options might include carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, pepperoni, Italian sausage, ...


Three Cheese Calzones
Real Simple, November 2008

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozarella (4 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed, roughly chopped (about 5 cups, loosely packed)
Black pepper
1/4 pound thinly sliced salami
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup jarred marinara sauce

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll and stretch them into 8-inch rounds. Tip: if the dough is too elastic and shrinks back when you roll it flat into full rounds, let it rest for 15 minutes before trying again.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Layer the salami on one side of each round of dough and top with the cheese mixture. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal.

Brush the tops of the calzones with the oil. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Soup-er Sunday: Cheddar Beer Soup

Messing around with recipes is just something I do. But I don't mess around with this recipe too much. Other than maybe adding in half-n-half or using the Penzey's chicken soup base instead boxed chicken broth, this recipe is fine just the way it is! While it would probably be a perfect venue to do so, I haven't even experimented with any other types of cheese, other than using extra sharp cheddar instead of just sharp cheddar.

Speaking of cheese, if you've got the time, grate your own. I came across that tidbit of advice while reading another cooking blog. I've been grating ever since. The problem with pre-grated cheese: it contains more than just cheese. It's true. Read the ingredients. Corn starch added to prevent clumping (makes total sense). Some other weird ingredient (probably a preservative). So, if you want to amp up the quality of whatever masterpiece you have going in the kitchen, buy the block cheese. Grate it.


Cheddar and Beer Soup
Real Simple, November 2005

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped (or 10-15 baby carrots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
12 ounces beer (not dark)
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar, plus more for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stirring constantly, add the flour and cook for 3 minutes; the mixture will clump. Still stirring constantly, add the broth slowly and cook until a thick, smooth paste forms, 3 minutes. Still stirring, slowly add the milk, then the beer. Cook until the foam subsides and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce (if using) and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 5 minutes. Ladel the soup into bowls and top with grated cheese.

• I have used a hand-blender (not hand-mixer) to make the soup more smooth. I like a "rustic" soup and all, but I don't like little chunks of carrot and celery in my cheese soup. Maybe that's just me. I have also dumped it into a real blender in 2-3 cup increments to make it really smooth--loved it that way.
• If entertaining, after cooking on the stove, transfer to a crock pot and turn it on the "keep warm" setting.
• Great to serve croutons on top.
• Real Simple suggests serving with toasted slices of a bagette.
• One of my favorite restaurants serves their "Magical Cheese Soup" with popcorn on top. This soup is pretty magical. It's popcorn worthy!

HAPPY SOUP-ER SUNDAY!

Soup-er Sunday: Zuppa Toscana

I love autumn. Falling leaves, crisp air, warm soup. Today was the first day I felt like eating warm soup, and the first day that the weather felt appropriate to have a simmering pot of soup on the stove. I got this recipe from a friend after I begged for it (following a taste she gave me one day at work). You can "google" for various versions of this Olive Garden recipe, but I think this one is just right. It is SO easy. It will become a regular in our household during the cooler (and freezing) months.

Zuppa Tuscana

2 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 medium russett potato
2 cups chopped kale
1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions:
1. Brown sausage. If using bulk, be careful not to crumble into tiny pieces. Try to maintain bite-sized pieces. I removed the casings from some links, then while cooking, I used my spatula to "cut" into pieces. Drain fat. **For even more fat removal--place sausage "bites" into a strainer and rinse after cooking. Yes--rinse the cooked meat. It will not remove much of the flavor, and it will remove a significant amount of fat.
2. Combine the stock and cream in a stockpot over medium heat.
3. Cut unpeeled potato into bite-sized chunks (about 1/2" thick).
3. Add chopped kale.
4. Add spices and let simmer on medium low. Simmer...NOT boil! Stir occasionally.
5. Soup is ready to eat when the potatoes are fork-tender--about 30ish minutes :)


MY NOTES:

• I bought Swanson's chicken stock (NOT broth). I didn't have any Penzey's Chicken Soup Base, which would have been my first choice. The chicken stock container had about 3 cups, so I used the whole thing. I just added a little more cream, too, to compensate, and because I love adding cream to soups--makes it so delicious and rich.
• This soup is on the spicy side, which I like. But you could make it milder by using SWEET Italian sausage, instead of spicy, and/or reducing or eliminating the red pepper flakes.
• If you want to make this lower fat, use turkey sausage and half-n-half.
• I double the recipe above and would estimate that total, there were about 6-8 decent-sized bowls of soup. My friend says she makes it TIMES FOUR and freezes half. Good idea, huh?