Pizza Pocket (aka Calzone)

Adam loves calzones. So, whenever I want to make a simple meal that I know he'll love, I go right for them. Calzones are great because there is a never-ending list of stuffers. I made the dough with the usual recipe (you can find it in any number of my previous posts), but you could certainly use a pre-made dough, such as the one Trader Joe sells. This time the dough was half whole wheat to make them a little healthier. I filled the lucious pockets with slightly steamed broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. After folding them over and tightly sealing them, I topped them with cooking spray and a bit of Garlic and Wine seasoning from the Melting Pot. Garlic salt would be a great substitute. I baked them at 450 for 15 minutes until they were golden brown. I served them with tomato sauce for dunking. Next, Adam and I devoured them!

More Grilled Pizzas

One of the many things I have to thank my parents for is introducing me to grilled pizzas. So, while they were here, we HAD to have grilled pizza. I know I have written about these fabulous concoctions several times, so I am just going to give a few other topping options. We, of course, had a grilled pineapple and jalapeno pizza, but we expanded our repertoire by having a Greek pizza and a mashed white bean, sauteed mushroom, and caramelized onion pizza. Each of these pizzas has a completely different taste than the others, which makes it really hard to choose a favorite.


Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, and Feta (Moosewood Restaurant: New Classics)

We added Kalamata olives into the mix, which I think made it even better.

2 cups thinly sliced onions
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
10 oz. spinach, stemmed, rinsed, and chopped
5 artichoke hearts, quartered (14-oz. can, drained)
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1. In a large pot, saute the onions, garlic, dill, and salt in the oil on medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the rinsed spinach and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until mostly wilted. Add the artichoke heart quarters and pepper. Allow to cool for a few minutes before spreading onto the pizza crust. Top with the feta cheese, if using, and bake according to the pizza crust instructions [or grill it!].

The Best Pizza Ever, Really

Last night, we literally had the best pizza we've ever made--and we've made some pretty good pizza. We, of course, made a grilled pineapple pizza, which I've posted before. We switched it up to accommodate our hot pepper supply. We didn't have any jalapenos, so we (Adam) finely diced a habanero. Beware! Everything you touch for the rest of the night will burn! Trust me. We also made a grilled butternut squash pizza topped with blue cheese and arugula and drizzled with olive oil. Fantastic!


Grilled Butternut Squash Pizza with Blue Cheese and Arugula

1/2 recipe pizza dough, made with 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour)

1 small butternut squash, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated (or crushed)
2 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup arugula
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat the butternut squash with olive oil and place on a medium heat grill. Grill until tender. Slice into half-moons.
2. Meanwhile, grill the pizza dough on one side. It is ready when it can easily be lifted off the grill. Flip the dough and beginning topping.
3. Spread garlic over the dough (don't be shy with the amount of garlic you use). Drizzle with olive oil and top with a bit of salt and pepper. Arrange squash, crumble blue cheese, and sprinkle mozzarella on pizza. Place back on grill until cheese has fully melted. Top with fresh arugula, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Eat whole pizza.

Grilled Pizza

One of my favorite meals has always been grilled pizza. I have even asked for grilled pineapple pizza for my birthday meal. Surprisingly enough, we have recently made an improvement to this glorious pizza--grilled jalapenos. We really like experimenting with pizzas and making them on the grill only makes our concoctions that much better. Last night, we had a Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Pizza and a Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Blue Cheese Pizza. Really, I don't think I've had two better pizzas.


Pizza Dough (My mama)

We generally use the same dough recipe for whatever bread product we make, so I may have posted this before. Adam kindly made the recipe two-thirds whole wheat for me, and it worked really well for the pizzas. (He is usually not a fan of whole wheat.) Why not add a healthy component to your pizza?

1 1/4 cups water
1 big Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour (any combination of whole wheat and all-purpose)

1. Place the ingredients in a bread maker in order listed, or as your machine instructs. Set to dough setting, and allow for it to go through the process.


Grilled Pineapple and Jalapeno Pizza

1 pineapple, cored and sliced into rings or cubes
3 jalapenos
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, or amount for preferred sauciness
1 cup quattro formaggio cheese (or mozzarella), or amount for preferred cheesiness

1/2 pizza dough recipe

1. Grill the pineapple and jalapenos on medium-high heat until charred slightly. Cut the jalapeno into rings.
2. Carefully place the dough on the grill, trying to have it not bunch up. Grill the dough until can be easily lifted off the grill, without sticking. Flip it to the other side and repeat process.
3. After you have flipped the dough, top with tomato sauce, pineapple, jalapeno, and cheese. Allow to cook until the dough is done and the cheese is melted. (You probably won't use all of the pineapple, but the extras are delicious too.)


Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Blue Cheese Pizza

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, sliced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp. garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 oz. blue cheese
1 cup quattro formaggio or mozzarella cheese

1/2 pizza dough recipe

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Once the oil has heated sufficiently, add onion and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 40 minutes, or until a deep mahogany color.
2. Saute the mushrooms in the remaining oil in skillet.
3. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
4. Grill pizza dough as in previous recipe.
5. Top with olive oil mixture, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. Allow the dough to complete cooking and the cheese to melt to a gooey oblivion.