Whenever I make pizza I tend to go on a bit of a pizza spree. Maybe it’s because the dough is already made and I already have the ingredients, maybe it’s because I’ve just been reminded of how delicious pizza is, or maybe it’s that one delicious pizza begets another (and another… and another). Anyhow, suffice it to say that if I make pizza once in a week, that will quickly balloon to three or four times (I’m ok with it).
On my last pizza spree I decided to branch out into calzones, the grown up pizza pop (my favourite lunch treat when I was 7… they were notorious for exploding in the lunch room microwave/scalding the roof of your mouth). You’ll be happy to hear I didn’t fill it with cubes of probably-not-ham and sugar laden tomato paste—I opted for sun dried tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, herbed ricotta, and smoked mozzarella cheese. Yum.
Calzones are really quite easy to make. Roll out the dough into two rounds, and fill one half with all your tasty fillings. Fold, seal, and bake. They’re like giant empanadas.
Artichoke & Sun Dried Tomato Calzones
1 canteloupe sized lump of pizza dough, divided in two
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup cooked, chopped spinach
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil leaves
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg10 marinated artichokes, sliced
½ cup sliced sun dried tomatoes¾ cup grated smoked mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to Roll out each ball of dough into two rounds that are about ¼” thick. Cover half with tomato sauce, leaving a ½” border around the edge.
Mix together the ricotta cheese, spinach, and herbs. Divide the mixture between the two calzones. Top with sliced marinated artichokes, the sun dried tomatoes, and the grated mozzarella.
Fold the empty half over the filled half. Pinch to seal with damp fingers. Slice a few vents into the top and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
That looks fantastic!
Thanks, Michelle! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Mmmm….Artichokes. There’s this spinach and artichoke dip I used to have. It was extremely delicious!
Hope you are doing well,
XX
Ruth
Mmm… spinach & artichoke dip 😀 So little of either ingredient, and SO good!
Hahaha, I have the same mass production tendencies as well… when I make a mess, I like to make that mess worthwhile! Yes, the result is an even bigger mess, but at least I’m only cleaning it once? I don’t like to prolong my tortures 😛
Also, calzones (we also call them “ponzos” here) are amazing! I find that lightly oiling the outside of the dough before baking makes them taste a bit more authentic (read: reminiscent of the deep-fried varieties minus the heart attack risk) and crisps them up a bit more. This is helpful if you plan a big batch to freeze–you know I do 😉 This has reminded me that I’m due for a calzone-a-thon! I foresee a weekend of baking since we’re under a rainfall warning… MMM!
OOh, I love the oiling the outside idea! MMM. I made another pizza for dinner tonight 😀 So very good! You absolutely must try Spirit of Africa seasoning if you ever find it—it’s made with heaps of roasted sweet peppers and is just divine in all kinds of veggie food. I put it in my avocado/sprout/hummus/chevre sandwich for lunch today and it was great!
Spirit of Africa seasoning, eh? Is this a spice blend that could somehow be replicated? I usually make my own spice blends when I can. I don’t see anything about this one after a quick Google search, though. Where did you find it? It sounds delicious, whatever it is! Your sandwich sounds so fresh and tasty! Speaking of sprouts, have you ever tried sprouting your own seeds? I’ve been sprouting anything I can (lentils, beans, seeds, grains) since the fall, and I’m pretty addicted to sprouts now. I almost always have a batch on the go. So far I’ve loved all my attempts except sprouted sesame seeds, which turned bitter and tasted nothing like sesame or sprouts. I got into it at first because I’d only ever seen bagged bean sprouts or slimy looking alfalfa shipped from Halifax around here, and I was seeing a lot of recipes with sprouts since going vegan. It’s very rewarding and fun to watch your seemingly mundane, lifeless foods grow adorable tails and turn into delicious would-be plants.
Hmm… I’m not sure about replicating. I wouldn’t have bought it if I knew I could replicate it, that’s for sure! The ingredients are “smoked sweet peppers 47%, sea salt, garlic pieces, basil”, so I think you would need lots of sweet bell peppers, a smoker, and a dehydrator to make your own. I’m sure it can be done, I just think that might be a bit further than I have the time to go right now 😛 I bought mine at a new little shop we have in Calgary called Oil & Vinegar. Google just told me that it’s actually a chain (though the Calgary one is the only one in Canada, which makes me feel special), and I just noticed that their logo is squirreled away right on the Spirit of Africa bottle, so perhaps it is a proprietary thing. This is it.
Homegrown sprouts are definitely on my list! My loooooooong list. Someday I will be growing my own… tails… to eat 😛
Yum, that does look good! You’re right though, probably a little too complicated to bother replicating, haha.
Do try growing little tails on your food! It’s super easy (especially bigger things like lentils/beans that you don’t have to loosen the hulls from at the end). I just throw some in a mason jar to soak overnight with netting/cheesecloth and a rubber band. The next morning, rinse, drain, and and prop at an angle to keep them draining (x-shaped dish racks work great!). Rinse again at night, then keep at it twice a day until the tails are… however long. I don’t think it matters much. 3 days max for lentils though! Try it this weekend. FOR HOMEWORK. Since I’m a teacher, you obviously have to listen 😛 And no “but the dog ate me lentils/homework!” Though that would probably be a pretty believable excuse given the circumstances…
So… I haven’t done the sprouting yet. I will blame it on the floods and the fact that the weather is entirely too lovely to be inside looking at lentils 😛 I’ve been BBQing lots of veggies as of late, though, and I just invented another delicious smokey veggie burger with buckwheat and chipotles! I imagine things will sprout pretty quickly here these days, given how warm it is. Maybe it’ll be a today project… after I finish all of my other today projects 😛
Hi, just have a new Oil & Vinegar franchise open not far from me in Florida. Called them to see about sending of the Spirit of Africa seasoning and was told they would be happy to mail it out. Only problem I see is “Spirit of Africa” is a line of products they carry so now am anxious to visit the store itself. Would assume that any store near where you may live would be happy to drop in mail for you. Love your postings and always so much information, can not thank you enough for all!
Thanks for the info, Jan! I definitely find my Oil & Vinegar store to be a dangerous place to be with a new paycheque 😉 I don’t mind, though, at least I can eat it all!
Normally I’d have to fail you… but since the flood is a pretty legit excuse, I will instead grant you an extension 😛 Fair?
Sounds good to me! I just need to find a suitable drainage rack thingy now… or make one 😉