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?

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Who said a cake has to have flour? Not me! I brought home this recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake last September from a cooking class I attended in Grand Haven at the Artisan Cooking School. For obvious reasons I couldn't wait to take the class (titled "Chocolate"), and I would be glad to pay to go to the very same class again. On the menu for the evening were Chocolate Souffle, Warm Chocolate Volcano Cake, Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Flourless Chocolate Cake, Creme Anglaise, and Chocolate Mousse. See? You're jealous you weren't there, and you should be. The cooking class participants received GENEROUS samples of each recipe featured during the class. I had to get a "to-go" box by the second or third sample. And then I had plenty of dessert for myself and my husband the next day. Wow.

Almost a year later I am finally getting around to making the recipes myself. This is the first recipe that I have tried from that class. It was incredibly easy and sinful to eat. The end product is a very smooth, dense cake. My husband thought it's texture was similar to a brownie. I can see where he's coming from, but the texture is much classier and more refined than a brownie. It's not chewy in any way. A brownie says, "Serve me up at a BBQ next to some fried chicken." This flourless chocolate cake, which is not nearly as sweet as a brownie, says, "Cover me with raspberry coulis (raspberry sauce) and make designs on the plate like you're a big time chef!"

In addition to being decadent, this recipe is super simple. It took maybe 15 minutes of prep time (which included a bit of a search for the cake pan), and then about 25 minutes of cook time. Yay!

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Makes one 8-inch cake.

4 oz. fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of 8-inch round baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Spray paper again.
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Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler (or metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water), melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl of chocolate from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in the middle of oven for 25 minutes or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
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Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve. Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container for 1 week.

Some notes:

• I used Ghiradelli bittersweet baking chocolate and Penzey's "dutch process" cocoa.


• If you have a microwave with a "soften/melt" setting, you're in luck. I programmed mine for melting chocolate, stirred a few times and POOF! no need for a double-boiler!


• I thought I was going to have to "temper" the eggs, so I wouldn't end up with a scrambled mess, but I was surprised that the chocolate melted, but still felt cool to the touch. If your chocolate/butter mixture feels more than lukewarm, be careful when adding the eggs, or wait a bit if you don't know the tempering process.


• I only own 9-inch cake pans, so I watched the cake closely and ended up removing it from the oven with about six minutes left on the timer (I had set it at 25 minutes).

Blue Cheese Dip

I am a huge blue cheese fan, so when I came across this recipe in the Food Network Magazine, I couldn't wait to try it. The magazine suggests serving the dip with vegetable chips (also known as root chips). One of my favorite restaurants serves a very tasty appetizer called "Root Chips" --vegetable chips made from beets, sweet potatoes, radishes, etc--with a hot chevre dip. So I already knew I would like the combination.

While the Food Network Magazine gives the recipe for making the chips, I prefer to go the easier route and just purchase root chips at my local supermarket. If you can't find them in the chip aisle, try the specialty foods or organic section.


BLUE-CHEESE DIP
Food Network Magazine, (not sure what month) 2010

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 8 oz. container sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


Blend the heavy cream in a blender until slightly thickened (I used a hand-mixer because it's easier to clean up). Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper. Pulse to combine (or beat on low speed with your hand-mixer). Season with salt and pepper.

A bit of advice: Always add salt and pepper in small amounts and taste as you go. You can always add, but never take back. The one thing that I would advise is that your freshly ground pepper is FINELY ground. I came across some larger pieces of pepper while eating the dip and they really bit my tongue.

A couple more notes: I didn't have scallions, so I used Penzey's Chives. This dip could be served in other ways: a topping to a grilled steak, blue cheese dressing for a wedge of lettuce, vegetable dip, baked potato topping, buffalo chicken wing dip, etc. You get the picture.

Yum.

Fruit Pizza

An easy and beautiful dessert to bring to any party that takes place during the berry season--4th of July, for example!

FRUIT PIZZA

Crust:

1 package sugar cookie mix -- prepare as directed, but shape dough into disc and roll out into one giant circular cookie about 1/4 inch thick. I use my pizza stone as a guide (here I have parchment paper under the cookie so that it is easy to serve) for size. Watch carefully during baking. When edges look golden brown and middle looks set, it's probably time to remove and cool completely.

Topping:

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat Neufchatel)

1 cup powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cream together and spread over the COMPLETELY cooled cookie. You may have some topping left over. Use it as fruit dip over the next few days.

Fruit: Any that you like!

The pizza above has strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. I slice the strawberries with an egg-slicer to get same-thickness pieces, then I try to choose the same-sized pieces to make the design. Left over slices can be used to top strawberry shortcake or ice cream over the next few days. Leave the raspberries and blueberries whole and experiment with your design!

Pesto

Mmmmmmmmm classic pesto. I stocked up on some basil at the farmers market today so that I could make this recipe. Just so happens I picked up this recipe at one of the vendors earlier this summer.

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BASIL PESTO

From the Earthkeeper Farm stand (and they credit Simply in Season)

http://www.earthkeeperfarm.com/

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1 cup packed fresh basil

1-3 cloves garlic (I always go big on the garlic)

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3-6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

2 sprigs parsley

1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil

***

Blend in food processor until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Tip: Freeze leftover pesto in ice cube trays. Store cubes in ziplock bag in the freezer and you can have fresh pesto all summer long.

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The first time I made this recipe, I didn't have any parsley on hand. No big deal--not a necessity to make good pesto. It still tasted excellent. Here are 10 things you could do with a simple batch of pesto:

1. Mix with freshly cooked hot pasta. Eat immediately!

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2. Spread on inside of bread (touching the cheese) to make Italian grilled cheese. Use a nice white melting cheese like mozzarella, fontina, or provolone as your cheese.

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3. Mix with cold cooked pasta for a pesto pasta salad. Add some diced tomatoes, peppers, hard salami or pepperoni (whatever you normally put in a pasta salad).

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4. Use as your sauce for making pizza instead of (or layered with) the red or white sauce you normally use. Especially delicious when making a chicken/alfredo/spinach pizza.

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5. Jacked-up bruschetta: spread some pesto on small slices of crusty bread, top with ricotta, then add diced tomatoes that have been swimming in balsalmic vinegar for a while.

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6. Stir into cooked rice for a burst of flavor to an otherwise bland starch.

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7. Marinade: My husband marinated some chicken breasts in left over pesto, then grilled them.

After grilling the first side, he added a couple more tablespoons to the top of each piece. Holy cow--some of the best grilled chicken I've ever had. It would be fabulous on fish or shrimp, too!

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8. Soup: Add a tablespoon to a bowl of tomato soup in the winter? Yum.

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9. Alfredo sauce: For a twist on your normal alfredo sauce (either jarred) or homemade, add some pesto. Remember to go slowly and taste often. You can always add more, but you can't take it back!

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10. Go Dr. Seuss: Make some green eggs and ham. Add a bit of pesto to your uncooked eggs before you scramble, or garnish your Italian omelet.