Calzones

Whenever I make bread, it's a 5-6 hour process to get all sixteen loaves, so I try to find ways to use some of the bread dough for dinner. This has been the most successful with my family.

bread dough equal to one loaf (or a little less)

ham or chicken

mozzarella cheese

basil

cornmeal

olive oil

garlic salt

Combine ham, cheese and basil in a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Separate bread dough into appropriate sized pieces for your family (8 large or 16 small).

Spread oil on your working surface and roll each piece into a circle. Place cheese mixture in the middle and fold over, press edges. Sprinkle cornmeal liberally on a cookie sheet and place calzones. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle tops with garlic salt. Cut 2-3 deep slits into each calzone.

I'm still trying to figure out EXACT cooking times, but it's around 375F for 20 min.

Dipping sauce (aka leftover pizza sauce):

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 t oregano

2 t basil

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t sugar

1 t paprika

Mix together and serve with calzones. This makes enough for 4 pizzas, so plan on having leftovers to freeze later for making pita pizzas.

Pitas and/or Flatbread

This is my mom's pita recipe. It is very easy but takes about an hour start to finish with a lot of vigilance. I hate buying pitas because they are expensive and don't last long so these are a great alternative. The first few times you make these you might get more flatbread then pitas, that's OK! If you want them to puff better use more white flour and less whole wheat. The wheat makes it more dense and therefore doesn't puff as well. I prefer flatbread anyway.

Preaheat oven AND pizza stone to 500

2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour (any combination of white and wheat including whole wheat)

2 Tbsp yeast

2-3 cups more flour

Mix thoroughly first 5 ingrdients. Add 2-3 cups more flour until dough doesn't stick to sides of bowl. Knead until smooth. Divide dough into 12-24 balls. Roll on floured surface in a circle. Any creases will not let the pita expand. Back in preheated oven for 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully, remove when pita puffs up and is slightly golden. Place in ziploc bag to soften and flatten.

For pizza: Top cooked pita with favorite pizza toppings and bake at 400 until cheese is melted.

Easy Cheese Crescent

These are so easy and cheesy. If I don't have ricotta I will substitute cottage cheese.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425º. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cheeses, egg, buttermilk and sour cream in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until dough leaves sides of bowl. Divide dough into halves. Turn each half onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat and shape into ball. Pat or roll each ball into a 9-inch circle.

Cut each circle into 6 wedges.

Roll up wedges, starting at wide end.

Place rolls, with points underneath, on cookie sheet; curve slightly.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack. Yield: 12

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

This is my favorite thing at the Greek Festival every year! Yes, I love all of the other yummy foods, but I look forward to this one every year. I found some phyllo dough at NPS/Market Square, and didn't think I had the patience for baklava, so I decided to try the spanakopita.

Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs spinach, rinsed & chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
*****
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
8 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 c. olive oil

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2.Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3.In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

I served the spanakopita with dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) and a marinated olive & cheese mixture (both purchased from a grocery store antipasto bar) served over salad. My dinner guests thought everything was fantastic!

Korean Beef Skewers

These are so quick and easy it is absurd. To maximize flavor, marinate over night.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup less-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp red chili paste (I use Thai Kitchen roasted red chili paste)
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 lb) top sirloin steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
8 oz wide rice sticks
3 Tbsp tinkly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a ziploc bag. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and place in the refridgerator. Add beef to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to overnight, turning once. Remove steak from bag; reserve marinade. Thread steak evenly onto 8 skewers. Grill over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and stir in reserved marinade. Top noodles with green onions. Serve with skewers.
Yield: 4 serving (2 skewers and 1/2 cup noodles).

Chicken Carne Asada Tacos

This recipe introduced me to Catija cheese which is a Mexican parmesan-style cheese. I now use it all the time, but then again I cook a LOT of Mexican food. Don't be afraid of the pickled onions, they add a nice sweetness to contrast the traditional taco flavor. You can substitute the chicken thighs with breasts, but the flavor won't be as meaty.

Pickled Onions:
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 medium red onion, thinly vertically sliced

Combine ingredients minus red onion in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place onion in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; drain and plunge onion in ice water. Drain onion; add to juice mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Tacos:
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled Cotija cheese
lime wedges

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned and done, stirring occasionally. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas. Drain onion; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each taco with avocado and cheese. Serve with lime wedges. Yield: 4 serving, serving size 2 tacos.

Tip: my favorite way to warm up tortillas is to grill them for 1 minute on each side.

Antipasto Picnic Salad

   I absolutely adore this pasta salad. The taste may be a little too refined for kids, but I love the vinegar flavors. Because of all the meat and cheese this can be a little expensive, so I don't make this as often as I would like to. 

   When you go to the deli counter to get the meats, ask them to slice the meat into a single slice for the entire 1/4 lb. That way your chunks will be closer to bite size instead of being too thin. Also, my grocery store sells pepperoni minis which cuts out the halving step. I also find the giardiniera pieces to be larger than bite-size, so I typically chop them a little. Double the recipe for a great potluck dish that you will be sure to get compliments over.

Ingredients

• 8 oz medium pasta shells, uncooked
• 1 jar (16 ounces) giardiniera
• 1/2 pound fresh broccoli florets
• 1/4 pound cubed part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 pound hard salami, cubed
• 1/4 pound deli ham, cubed
• 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced pepperoni, halved
• 1/2 large green pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 can (6 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained
• 
  DRESSING:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, drain giardiniera, reserving 3/4 cup liquid. In a large bowl, combine the giardiniera, broccoli, mozzarella, salami, ham, pepperoni, green pepper and olives. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into meat mixture.
• For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, pepper, salt and reserved giardiniera liquid. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 12 servings. 
  
  Note: Giardiniera, a pickled vegetable mixture, is available in mild and hot varieties and can be found in the Italian or pickle section of your grocery store.