Calzones: The new house specialty.

Recently, I made calzones for some dear little people (and the dear little peoples dear daddies). As I watched them devour the lovely golden pillows stuffed with cheese and green veg I decided to make them more often.

I took this pic from TheArdentSparrow I hope she doesn't mind...:)

Jim and I always used to get calzones for lunch while I was pregnant with Clara. I used to make them too. For some reason I stopped making them for a while but am back in full swing and loving them again. I have been searching for the perfect calzone dough and this is currently the winner.

It is from the original Moosewood cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I usually put in the classic pizza toppings like mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, turkey sausage, mozz and sauce. Mollie has a few delicious sounding suggestions such as spinach-cheese and asparagus-mushroom that I am planning on trying soon. Here's my new favourite dough; stretchy and soft.

Calzones

1C wrist-temp water

1 1/2 tsp active yeast

1T honey

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2- 3 C Flour

olive oil

**the starred parts are for using a kitchenaid mixer

1. Place the water in a med size bowl. **(I used my kitchenaid mixer) Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir in the honey until everything is dissolved.

2. Add salt and flour and whisk until it's too thick to whisk. Then stir with a floured hand. Knead in bowl for 5 mins. **(I added salt and flour to the kitchenaid and kneaded it with the dough hook for about 3 mins.

3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the dough and roll it around in the bowl to coat.

4. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or doubled in size.

5. Cut dough into 6 pieces and roll them out on a floured surface until around 1/4inch thick and slightly oblong.

6. Fill one side of the dough with toppings. Run a little water around the edge with filling on it with your finger, stretch the empty side over the top and press edges closed with a fork and prick the top a couple of times.

7. Brush with an egg wash of 1 egg beaten with 1Tbsp of water.

8. Bake at 450* for 15-20 mins.

**Filling is lethally hot...be careful!

A very springy chicken dish

This is an easy chicken recipe that looks beautiful and everyone in our house loves. I found it in my good old "Not Your Mother's" cookbook. The ingredients are things that most people have hanging around in the pantry and it took around 15 minutes to prepare. (Plus baking time) I served it with Ina's Buttermilk Potatoes, Peas and a Green Salad with Avocado-Citrus dressing.

Lemon Chicken with Mint

4 chicken breasts cut in half (length-wise)
Zest and Juice of 1 lemon

1/3C flour

1/1/2 t salt

1/2 paprika

2 T Olive oil or a little more...

2T Brown sugar

1 Sliced lemon

1C broth (chicken or veg)

a few sprigs mint

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Butter a baking dish large enough for the chicken to be in a single layer.

2. Drizzle chicken with lemon juice. Place flour, salt and paprika in a ziplock bag and add the chicken pieces shaking to coat.

3. In a skillet over med-high heat, heat the oil. Add chicken pieces and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 10 mins total.

4. Place browned chicken in the baking dish and sprinkle the top with zest and sugar.

5. Place lemon slices and mint over chicken, tip broth in and around the chicken and bake for 30 mins or until juices run clear.

(Discard mint sprigs before serving)