Calzones

Calzone is a pastry turnover, shaped in either a triangle or half-moon. Calzones originated in Italy and in the Middle East. They are perhaps another version of the traditional English pastry miners once had in their lunch boxes. The triangle shape is formed by taking a small square of pastry, adding a spoonful of filling to the centre, wetting the edges of the pastry, picking up a corner of the square and doubling it to meet the opposite corner. The half-moon shaped Calzone is shaped the same way but the pastry is cut in a circle rather than a square. After folding the pastry the edges are either pinched between the thumb and forefinger or marked with a fork to ensure edges are firmly closed. Calzones can be baked or fried. Calzones are more often served topped with a mix of olive oil, parsley and garlic, or with a spiced tomato sauce. Traditional salad to serve with Calzone is one based on Cucumber.

Calzones

Calzone Dough

  • 2 ½ teaspoons dry yeast

  • 400g 2 1/2 cups plain flour

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 dessert-spoon allspice

  • 250ml Warm water

Making dough by hand or machine:

  1. Add yeast to half warm water and leave in a warm place till frothy;

  2. Mix flour, salt, allspice and sugar;

  3. Add yeast water gradually followed by remaining water;

  4. Knead till elastic adding more water or flour if needed;

  5. Pop into an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place to rise almost doubled in size;

  6. Remove dough from machine or bowl;

  7. Lightly flour the kitchen bench, roll the dough out till thin and cut into 10 cm squares.

Calzone Filling

  • 450g frozen spinach or 700g fresh spinach

  • 3 tablespoons basil pesto

  • 1 ½ cups chopped mushrooms

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 medium onion finely chopped

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • 1 dessert spoon grated nutmeg

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons cornflour

Method:

  1. If using fresh spinach, steam till just tender, chop very small. If using frozen simmer over low heat till just tender, turn the heat high and let moisture evaporate;

  2. Cook onion in oil till transparent;

  3. Turn heat low, add mushrooms;

  4. When mushrooms are tender sprinkle cornflour on top, stir in immediately;

  5. Add other ingredients, stir well, put aside.

Construct Calzones:

  1. Roll out dough thinly, cut into squares or circles Wet edges of squares with water, put 1 tablespoon filling in the centre of each square, fold square to form a triangle;

  2. Gently press edges with fork or twist edges between thumb and forefinger forming a scalloped effect. Then one can either bake or fry this delicious dish.

Bake Calzones:

  1. Preheat moderate oven;

  2. Arrange Calzones on oiled tray/baking paper, brush lightly with an equal part mix of soy milk and olive oil;

  3. Bake till golden, remove from oven eat hot or cold.

Fry Calzones:

  1. Using a lidded pan, heat a liberal amount of olive oil;

  2. When hot, add Calzones, turn low and lid;

  3. When the underside is golden, turn Calzones to cook golden on the other side;

Alternate fillings for Calzone

  1. Diced potato with spicy sauce;

  2. Left-overs;

  3. Tomato and Vegan sausages;

  4. Curried lentils;

  5. Anything your heart desires.

Link to Cucumber Salads

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a Vegetarian"

- Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942)English singer-songwriter, poet, composer of popular music.