Sausage & Red Pepper Calzones

I went to the Leesburg outlets this past weekend and while in Williams-Sonoma, I found a calzone mold that I had seen on their website. It was only $8 at the outlets, so I bought it and tested it out last night. I used a calzone recipe from Williams-Sonoma's website as a guide for the amounts of ingredients and how to use the mold. Of course, you can do this without the mold, but I thought it was a nice inexpensive little gadget. I've always made calzone the way my grandma does - by making it like a pizza and then rolling it up and tucking the sides under so nothing spills out when it's baking. I love the calzone, but making it that way, it is difficult to add ricotta, which I also love! If you make it by folding the dough in half instead of rolling, it's a completely different calzone which opens up other possibilities for filling!

I made two recipes (separately) of the dough and covered them with a towel so they could rise. The dough was a little sticky, so on the second batch I mixed it with a spoon first before using the dough hook on the mixer. That helped it a little. You just have to work with the dough until it's right!

I used ground sage sausage and yellow and orange peppers in my calzone. I would have used red peppers but the ones at my local grocery store didn't look so great. I also chopped an onion and 1 clove of garlic. I sauteed all of the veggies with a little bit of olive oil and added salt, pepper, and Italian Seasonings to them. I browned the sausage, and when both the sausage and peppers cooled, I mixed in some shredded mozzarella cheese and ricotta. I didn't measure the cheeses, just added what I thought looked right. I also cooked a can of tomato sauce with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning to dip the calzone in.

Once the dough was risen, I divided each batch into 6 parts and kneaded them into rounds. I used a rolling pin and plenty of flour to stretch each before putting the dough into the calzone mold. Then I added a little over 1/3 cup filling into one side of the mold, and sealed them. I set 3 calzones on each of my 4 baking sheets (which had olive oil and semolina flour on them). I put a little olive oil and grated Romano cheese on each calzone before baking, and then baked them at 425° for about 12-14 minutes. I served them with a little marinara sauce on the side - delicious! I made 12 calzone with the intention of freezing a few. After serving my family and my sister and her husband, I was only left with 2, but I froze them for work day lunches. I'll definitely be using the calzone mold again soon, and trying out some different fillings as well!

Sausage & Red Pepper Calzones

Recipe Courtesy Williams-Sonoma

Filled with a variety of meats, vegetables and cheeses, calzones are a centuries-old tradition in southern Italy. These savory pies are easy to prepare using our specially designed mold.

Dough

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup warm water (110°F)

2 cups bread flour, plus more as needed

1½ teaspoons salt

6 Tablespoons olive oil

Filling

7 ounces mild Italian sausage or sage sausage

¼ yellow onion, sliced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

3 ounces ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

6 Tablespoons tomato sauce

Semolina flour for dusting

6 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a small bowl, stir together the yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the 2 cups bread flour, salt, and the yeast mixture. Slowly drizzle in 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil and process for about 3 minutes. The dough should come together into a large ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl; it should be moist but not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a towel. Let stand at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of an oven and preheat the oven to 500º. If you are not using a pizza stone, preheat your oven to 425º.

In a 10-inch fry pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into small chunks, and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Wipe out the pan, set over medium heat and warm 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl; add the sausage, oregano, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce and stir to combine.

Punch down the dough, divide it into 6 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Using extra bread flour if the dough is too sticky, roll out 1 ball of dough into an 8-inch round; use the open calzone mold as a guide (the dough round should be about ½ inch wider than the mold). Place the dough on the mold. Place 1/3 cup filling on one side of the dough, then close the mold, pressing the dough down firmly. Gently remove the calzone from the mold, place on a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour and refrigerate. Repeat to make 5 more calzones. Brush the top of each calzone with ½ Tablespoon olive oil, then dust each with 1 Tablespoon Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Transfer 3 calzones to a pizza peel dusted with semolina flour, then carefully slide them onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are cooked. Remove the calzones from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining calzones.

Makes 6 calzones.

Williams-Sonoma Calzone Mold

Dough ingredients before mixing

Dough before rising

Sauteed peppers, onions, and garlic with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasonings

Ground sage sausage, browned

Shredded Mozzarella

Dough after rising

6 dough rounds before shaping into calzone

Sausage, pepper, onion, ricotta & mozzarella filling

Stretch the dough to fit the mold

Fill one side with 1/3 cup filling

Seal the mold and carefully remove the calzone

1 down, 11 more to go!

I fit 3 calzone on each greased & floured baking sheet

Don't forget to brush olive oil & sprinkle grated cheese on each before baking!

Finally ready for the oven

Right out of the oven!

Ready for dinner - serve with marinara dipping sauce!

Delicious!

Photos by JoJo

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie is one of my favorite types of pie. It is especially good in the summer, and last weekend I realized I hadn't made it yet this year. My brother ordered a boxing fight and had a few people over to watch it, which gave me a good opportunity to make it (and not eat it all myself!). This recipe is from a family friend and has been in my family for many years. It is the best banana cream pie I've ever had.

This pie is so easy to make. I had an extra store-bought pie crust, so I baked that and let it cool. While it was baking, I made the pudding/sour cream mixture and the whipped topping. I refrigerated them until the crust was cool and everything was ready to put together. I used 3 bananas (luckily I bought these a day ahead so they were ripe by the time I made the pie). The pie dish I used is a 10½-inch dish, so the 9-inch pie crust did not fill out the sides. With this pie, that did not really matter. It actually worked better to use a larger dish because everything fit in it much easier. You could use cool whip on the top, but I prefer to make the whipped topping myself. It is easiest to use a whisk attachment on your mixer if you have one for the pudding and whipped cream topping mixtures.

This pie is simple and delicious and it was a huge hit. One of my friends who usually just makes fun of my cooking loved it and said to keep this recipe around. I surely will, and you should too!

Banana Cream Pie

1 baked pie crust

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk (milk can be increased to 1½ cups)

1 small package INSTANT vanilla pudding (you can use chocolate pudding if you prefer)

2-3 bananas

TOPPING:

½ pint whipping cream

1/8-1/4 cup confectionary sugar

Bake pie crust. Cool completely.

Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat milk and sour cream. Add pudding mix. Beat until thickened.

Place slices of bananas on pie crust. Cover bottom with bananas slices (at least 2 deep). Pour filling over bananas.

Using the whisk attachment, beat whipping cream with 1/8-¼ cup confectionary sugar. Beat until fluffy and firm. Spread over cream filling.

Refrigerate and serve anytime after one hour in refrigerator.

Emile Henry Artisan Pie Dish (Nougat)

Poke holes in pie crust before baking

My crust flopped a little

Add 2-3 sliced bananas

Pudding/sour cream mixture

Whipped cream mixture

Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Photos by JoJo

 

Sausage, Pepper & Onion Quiche

A few weeks ago I made a quiche recipe that I had found online earlier in the summer. I bought a Le Creuset tart pan, and when I looked up the pan online, this recipe came up. I used peppers instead of broccoli, milk instead of heavy cream, and a cheddar/mozzarella cheese mix instead of Swiss. I thought the crust came out a little soggy on the bottom, but other than that, this quiche was really good. The only thing I might do differently next time is add the cheese halfway through baking so it does not brown the top as much. This is an easy recipe for either breakfast or dinner!

Sausage, Pepper & Onion Quiche

6 large eggs, beaten

1½ cups heavy cream or milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups vegetables (1¾ cups broccoli or peppers and about ¼ cup of chopped onion)

1 pound ground sage sausage, cooked

1½ cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, fitted to a 9-inch pie plate or tart pan

Preheat oven to 375°. Put pie crust in pie plate or tart pan.

Whisk together eggs, cream or milk, salt and pepper.

Cook sausage and chopped onions.

When the sausage is browned, add the rest of the vegetables (cook the vegetables first so they do not make the quiche runny).

Pour egg mixture into pie pan and then add sausage and vegetables. Top the dish with cheese (or you can add the cheese halfway through baking).

Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese is golden brown and egg mixture is set.

Chop onions

Chop peppers (or other veggie of choice)

Add egg mixture to pie crust

Brown sausage and pepper/onion mixture

Add sausage, peppers & onions

Top with shredded cheese

Bake until golden brown

Photos by JoJo

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

I happened to stop by my sister Maria's house earlier this week when she was making Chicken Stew with Dumplings. I had already eaten but I had a small bowl of it and it was delicious! It is a very hearty soup, and the addition of dumplings makes it even better! Using chicken thighs works best, as they don't dry out as much as chicken breasts would. I use about 4 chicken thighs and make this in a 4.5-quart pot. This is a great fall or winter recipe!

Chicken Stew with Dumplings

Recipe Courtesy Williams-Sonoma

To add extra flavor to the stew, you can make cheese or herb dumplings. Simply stir 1 cup grated cheddar or Asiago cheese or 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives, basil or parsley into the dry ingredients and proceed with the recipe.

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus 2 Tablespoons butter

3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

½ cup baby peas

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk

2 Tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Cook the chicken and vegetables
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the 2 Tablespoons butter. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables begin to soften and the chicken is opaque, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the 2 Tablespoons flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the broth, add the peas and bring to a boil.

Make the dumpling dough
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the 2 cups flour, the baking powder and the 1 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the 8 Tablespoons butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs the size of peas. Add the milk and stir, then knead a few times until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Finish the stew
Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough over the top of the boiling stew. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook until the dumplings have nearly doubled in size, 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Photo from Williams-Sonoma