Vegetarian Calzone

Calzone is a pizza folded in half with the stuffing inside. I make calzones as a variation of pizza and bake them in my cast iron pan. My daughter loves them. In fact she was so hungry when I made these, I forgot to press the edges with the tines of the fork to give it a decorative edge. There was no difference in taste, though, and the calzone was gone pretty quickly.

I use the same wild yeast leavened dough as I use for my regular pizza. The taste is great and filling choices are endless.You can use any vegetables you like. Since the dough is folded in half you can vegetables that you might no use on regular pizza. It is a lot easier to use mozzarella cheese as you do not have to watch it as much as you do on a regular pizza. Just add a little shredded cheese and pizza sauce with the vegetables. I used my go to recipe for pizza sauce.

Calzones are very filling as they have close to twice the quantity of dough in each slice. Making thin crust helps in reducing the amount of dough.

You will need
200 gm ball of pizza dough (I used this recipe)
1 medium onion
12-15 leaves spinach
1 tomato
3 tbsp pizza sauce
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Slice the onion and saute on medium heat to caramelize it. Keep it aside. Cut the tomato in half and drain the seeds and juice. Slice and keep aside. Wash and dry the spinach leaves. Break them into pieces.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Get you cast iron pan out and keep it ready. Flour working surface and transfer the ball of dough to it. Using floured hands work the dough until you a flat disc. Follow instructions here. Place the pizza base in the cast iron pan. Add the caramelized onion, spinach, tomato and shredded cheese to one half leaving about an inch on all sides.

Add the tomato sauce over the top.

Fold the pizza base in half to form the calzone. Seal the edges.

Using a sharp blade make three cuts on the flap to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 10 minutes. If you like a brown crust rub a little butter over the top and bake for another 15 minutes.

The calzone is done. Cut it as needed.

Enjoy!

Italian Meal

My sister-in-law was to visit us for a day. When it comes to food she is not picky about the cuisine. So I cooked this Italian meal for lunch when she visited. I chose this Italian menu with dishes from different regions of Italy. Italian cuisine is very popular around the globe and our house is no exception. We all enjoyed this delicious meal.

I have made pizza at home for years but I really started loving the pizza I made only after I started making it with wild yeast leaven. The ingredients in the dough are flour, water, salt and wild yeast. The sauce is made up of fresh tomatoes. It was only natural to use this pizza as the foundation of my Italian meal. The remaining dishes come from different regions of Italy. There is the fresh handmade Gnocchi in tomato sauce, one of the easiest dumpling to make at home. Fagiolli All'uccelleto is an ancient Italian dish made up of beans in tomato sauce. Caprese salad was added to the menu because we all love it and there is fresh basil growing in my garden. For dessert I wanted something light and so I went with Gelo di Melone or watermelon jello. This jello is thickened with corn starch and is delicious.

I did not use any new ingredient in this meal but making fresh pasta was new to me. I enjoyed it so much that I am now trying my hand at different types of gnocchi and ravioli. Something I found very interesting was that all the dishes in this menu use tomato as the base and yet every sauce is different and tastes different.

As they say in Italy, Buon Appetito!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Sourdough Pizza 
• Pizza Sauce 
• Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce 
• Fagiolli All'uccelletto 
• Caprese Salad 

And for dessert

• Gello di Melone (Watermelon Jello)

Fagiolli All'uccelletto

Fagiolli All'uccelletto is an ancient Italian dish from the Tuscany region. As with most old world dishes it is a simple and delicious dish made with beans in tomato gravy.

This dish can be quite filling on its own. I served it with a large Italian meal but I could see myself serving this dish with bread or flat bread for a meal on its own.

Recipe adapted from here.

You will need
2 cans cannelloni beans or 1 1/2 cup dry white beans
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 medium tomatoes
1 spring fresh sage or 1 tbsp. dry sage
salt and black pepper to taste

If using dry beans rinse and soak the beans overnight. Pressure cook the next day for 10 minutes and keep aside. If using canned rinse and drain the beans and keep aside,

Crush the garlic, peel and mince. Separately, dice the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. A minute or two later add the tomatoes and sage. Let it cook down for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes sauce thickens. Add the beans and it to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Gelo di Melone (Vegetarian Mellon Jello)

This is a light dessert ideal for the hot months when watermelon is available. I really like the use of cornstarch to thicken the liquid instead of gelatin. Jiggly jelly without gelatin and a delicious watermelon flavor!

Do not overcook the liquid or the end result will not be jiggly.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need for 2 servings
250 ml watermelon juice
20 gm corn starch
82 gm sugar
1 inch cinnamon (the one used for desserts)
1-2 drops vanilla extract

Cut the watermelon into pieces small enough to fit into the blender. Puree the watermelon and strain it through a fine sieve. You will need 250 ml of this juice.

To 50 ml of the juice add the corn starch and whisk until it dissolves. To a thick bottomed pan add the remaining watermelon juice, the corn starch mixtures, sugar, cardamon and vanilla. Bring it to a boil stirring frequently. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until it thickens. Whisk almost continuously to prevent burning. Turn off heat.

Rinse the molds. Pour the jello into the wet molds. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Invert mold on a plate and garnish with pistachios.

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

A simple salad made with slices salad tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It is supposed to have been created to represent the colors of the Italian flag.

There is really no recipe here. Just use the freshest ingredients that you can find. Use mozzarella cheese that is sold in brine. Do not use the dry packaged stuff. I used basil leaves from my garden. Just sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Then drizzle some olive oil over the top.

Buckwheat Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

Gnocchi is one of the easiest dumplings you can make. Gnocchi can be made with different flour, vegetables like pumpkin, beetroot and potato. This gnocchi is made up of all purpose and buckwheat flour. It is dense and filling so a little goes a long way.

The original recipe called for canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. I have cut out canned tomatoes so I used vine ripened fresh tomatoes and made my own tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce is flavored with basil. I used fresh basil from my garden. If you cannot find fresh basil you can used dried but it will affect the taste and the aroma.

You will need to serve as a side for 4
For the gnocchi
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
water as needed

For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic
1/4 cup white grape juice (the original recipe called for dry white wine)
5 large vine ripened tomatoes
4 leaves basil
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

To make the tomato sauce start with the thick sauce base. Chop 2 tomatoes and cook them for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat until they are mushy. At this time a lot of the liquid will have evaporated. Puree to make a thick sauce. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Peel and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil. Saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the white grape juice and cook it until the juice is all gone. Now add the tomatoes and the cooked thick sauce.

Make a basil chiffonade (place all the leaves on top of one another, roll tightly and cut into fine strips) and add it to the pan. Add the paprika and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Keep aside.

While the sauce is simmering make the gnocchi. Mix the flours together.

Using water a little at a time make a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 portions. Take one portion of dough and roll it into a long rope. Cut the rope into barely one inch pieces. Using a fork shape the gnocchi. Hold the fork right side down in your left hand. Place one piece of dough on it. Press down from the side closest to you to the side furthest away from you. The dough will roll up with the fork pattern on one side. Repeat for all the pieces and the two remaining portions of dough. Let the prepared gnocchi rest for 10 -15 minutes.

Boil water in a pan and add a teaspoon of salt to it. Add handfuls of gnocchi to it. After 2-3 minutes the gnocchi will rise to the surface.

Let it cook for a minute more as buckwheat takes longer to cook. With a slotted spoon remove the gnocchi and add it to the prepared sauce. Repeat for the rest of the gnocchi.

Gnocchi in tomato sauce is ready.

Gourmet Pizza with Caramalized onions and sundried tomatoes

This recipe is a family favorite. There is no sauce on this pizza, just a bunch of vegetables and a sprinkling of aged parmesan cheese. I first made it after we had something similar at a gourmet pizza joint and hence the name. I made it regularly as a Friday night special. We either had family Pizza and movie night or Pizza and game night. The crust is made of whole wheat flour.

What I really like about this recipe is that it is not loaded with cheese and sauce and yet it is delicious. Use sundried tomatoes that are not stored in oil. I get mine from Trader Joe's. You could also make your own. If you do not have sun-dried tomatoes you can use a regular tomato.

I use good quality parmesan cheese that I buy as a block from Costco when they have their annual imported cheese sale. Parmesan is aged cheese and stores well. Use in small amounts. A little goes a long way.

You will need
1 300-340 gm ball of pizza dough (recipe here)
1 onion
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes or 1 tomato
1 cup baby spinach
1 tsp. dried basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the pizza dough the night before as given in this recipe. The next day you are the ready to make pizza.

Chop the onions lengthwise. Place in a pan on low heat and allow it to be caramelized. It will take about 20-25 minutes. Keep aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 475 F. Chop the spinach. If you are using a regular tomato, chop lengthwise and drain on a paper towel. If you are using sun dried tomatoes, soak them in warm water for a few minutes and drain on a paper towel.

Use a little all purpose flour on your hands. Now using gravity work the pizza dough into a flat disk. Place it on a pizza pan. Sprinkle the basil over the pizza. Now place the caramelized onions and tomatoes on the pizza.

Add the spinach and grate parmesan cheese over the top.

Place the pizza in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Sicilian Splash

A long time ago, close to 20 years, Olive Garden used to serve a mocktail called Sicilian Splash that my husband and I liked a lot. When it was pulled off the menu we looked for a copycat recipe. Back then it was hard to find the Torani brand syrups in our town. The syrup was the primary ingredient of this mocktail. We found it after a massive search and were able to recreate the drink in the house. It has never failed me till date whether it was served for a girls night out or a dinner party.

Now my daughter loves it and every summer insists we buy the syrup and make this mocktail. In fact it is part of our 4th of July tradition.

I don't really follow a recipe but go by proportions depending upon the size of the glass.

You will need
Ice cubes
Torani orange syrup
White grape juice
Sparkling water

Add ice cubes to the glass a little over half way. Add the ingredients in this order. First the orange syrup, then white grape juice and finally sparkling water in equal proportions. Pour the liquid along the side of the glass to prevent the layers from mixing together. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Sourdough Focaccia with Parmesan Cheese and Basil

Ever since I heard about and researched sourdough starter I wanted to bake bread using my own starter. For the last month and a half I have been baking bread using my starter. I baked soda bread, baguettes, hot cross buns and artisan loaf. Now I wanted to try pizza using my starter. The plan was to have pizza for dinner. But then I remembered I had baked focaccia caprese using commercial yeast a few months back and my family loved it. So I decided to make enough dough for four small pizzas and one focaccia.

My weekly baking cycle begins on Friday morning when I remove the starter from refrigerator and feed it. On Saturday morning I discard most of the starter and feed the remaining. I make sourdough pancakes for breakfast out of the discarded starter. On Saturday evening I mix the dough. For more on the process of maintaining your starter look here. Now that I use my starter I have become very conscious of the bread crumb and flavor. High hydration and long fermentation weaken the gluten strands giving bread the desired open crumb (lots of holes) and great flavor.

I used whole white wheat and all purpose for this recipe. My ultimate goal is to eliminate the all purpose flour in the dough and substitute it with other flours. I put the mixed dough in a covered mixing bowl on my kitchen counter to allow the starter to do its magic. After 7 hours I divided the dough into 5 portions, covered them and placed them in the refrigerator to proof. This was done at night so the light is not great in the picture.

The next day morning I took the portion I needed for the focaccia out of the refrigerator. I allowed it to continue to proof at room temperature for a couple hours.

I transferred the dough to a floured work surface and patted it into shape. I placed it on an oiled baking sheet and dug holes on the surface.

I then sprinkled fresh grated Parmesan cheese and some dried basil over the top.

I baked it for about 15-20 minutes in a hot oven set at 500 F.

The taste was amazing and I was really happy with the open crumb.

For the exact list of ingredients refer to the book Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish.

Pistachio Biscotti

I do not drink tea or coffee so I never miss the hard crunchy biscuits that go with these beverages. My husband on the other hand has to have his two cups of tea, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. He enjoys biscotti and other similar snacks.

I made these biscotti with all purpose flour and used flax meal in place of eggs. I used very little sugar and substituted some of the butter with oil. The end result is a crunchy biscotti.

You will need

1/2 cup pistachio
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 sugar
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

For the Flax meal
2 tbsp. flax seeds
6 tbsp. water

Prepare the flax meal by mixing the flax seed and water together until the flax seed is stringy.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a baking sheet by placing parchment paper on it. Place the pistachios on another baking sheet and roast for about 3-4 minutes. Cut them coarsely and keep aside. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the flax meal and vanilla extract.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add it to the wet ingredients. Add the roasted pistachios. The mixture will be crumbly.

Knead well until it comes together and you can form a dough. It will take a few minutes.

Prepare two logs about 3 inches wide and an inch thick and place them on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the bottom is brown and the top begins to brown. Let them cool on a cooling rack. Bring down the oven temperature to 375 F.

When the logs are cool enough to handle cut one inch thick slices at a slight angle using a serrated knife. 

Put these slices back on the baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. Turn them over and bake another 5 minutes. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack before storing in an air tight container.

Enjoy with your favorite beverage or on its own.