Mini Sausage & Artichoke Calzone

Calzone is a very popular side or main dish, so I have adapted it for appetizer bite-sized portions. It's very flexible; you can dress it up or down. You can give the piggy in the blanket the night off this holiday.

Calzone comes from the Italian word meaning “trouser leg” (plural: calzoni) but it looks more like a turnover. Calzone is made from pizza dough and stuffed with many toppings you would use on a pizza. As one story goes, peasants found it messy to carry pizza into the fields for lunch, so some enterprising cook came up with the idea of folding the pizza in half and cooking it that way.

Mini Sausage & Artichoke Calzone

From George Hirsch Living it UP! TV series | chefgeorgehirsch.com

Makes four-six hors d'oeuvre servings

one recipe, George's Pizza Dough (or store bought), divided into two pieces
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded
8 ounces Italian sausage, cooked & chopped
1/4 cup artichoke hearts - canned or frozen, chopped
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper

1 cup Tomato Sauce
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Flatten out both pieces of dough into rectangle shapes.  Cut both pieces of dough into three to four pieces depending on how small you want to make your Calzone. A good rule to follow is to make them one bite size.  

Keeping filling off the edges, layer each piece of dough with a teaspoon of mozzarella, sausage, Parmesan cheese, artichokes, and black pepper. Brush inside edge of dough lightly with water.  Fold over the dough into a pocket and seal edges.  Pierce the dough with the point a small knife with three small holes to allow steam to escape.

Brush outside of Calzone with olive oil and place on a baking pan or pizza stone.  Calzones can also be baked on pre-heated bricks that are set in oven or on a medium temperature grill surface.  

The calzones will bake in about 10-12 minutes. 
To check doneness, the bottom of the calzone will have a hollow sound when tapped with your finger.

Serve tomato sauce on side.

Tip: Sausage and artichokes can be substituted with cooked spinach broccoli flowers, mushrooms, or ham and your imagination.

George’s Homemade kitchen Christmas Pick 5

inspirations are opportunities to try something new...

Taste-fully giving gifts and warming recipes for entertaining this holiday!

Enjoy my Bologna Inspired  Tortellini Basil Soup with warm Biscuits and a crisp Fennel & Green Bean Salad.

Charcoal and Cracker

That's right, charcoal and cracker, together. Hand baked and hand packed in the same English tradition from more than a half century ago by Artisan Biscuits, the sister company to The Fine Cheese Company; well know for their artisan traditional cheeses in the UK. 

Charcoal powder is a natural ingredient and is still used in making these delicious crackers today. Charcoal crackers or "biscuits" were created in the 1800s as a digestive biscuit. Today, these crackers with that hint of authentic charcoal flavor is considered a a bit of gourmet appetizer statement and complementary base with your favorite brie, goat cheese and fruit. Try something new. Available in the US, made in England.

Make & Bake Pizza

Everyone likes the thought of tossing pizza dough high up in the air. You must try it at least once. Today I have an easier method and you can still be creative while having fun tossing on your own toppings like grilled veggies, seafood, meats and nuts. The choices are endless, I encourage you to make your own designer pizza pie. 

Solution: When you just don't have the time for making a dough, Fabulous Flats makes an excellent substitution. Their Tandoori Naan and Stone-Baked Pizza Crusts are authentic and truly fabulous. The flatbreads are preservative-free and contain no hydrogenated oils and no trans fats. I really like making it with their whole wheat variety which has a made-from-scratch taste because of the hearth baked nutty flavor. I’ve mentioned before, I admit I'm a pizza snob who will travel 50 miles for a great pie, so I won't steer you wrong!

When the Gorgonzola melts, it becomes creamy and gives the pizza a nutty flavor. Top with pecans for additional nuttiness that is ideal with the creamy cheese. Ideal for luncheon entrée or dinner appetizer served a tossed green salad.

Grilled Three-Cheese Naan Pizza

(Adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch with Marie Bianco)

Makes four appetizer servings
 

1 pre-baked Naan Bread Crust
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/2 cup goat cheese or feta
6 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pre heat grill to medium or an oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush Naan on both sides with olive oil. Top Naan on one side with cheeses leaving a half-inch border around crust. Place Naan on grill top shelf or bake on a pizza pan for about five minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Remove top with fresh basil and pepper, serve immediately.

image, © Kristen Johansen | istock

KYFF, Grilling Italy

What to grill this weekend? How about some bread? Bruschetta is one of my most popular recipes and is so simple to prepare. It is an ideal snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the main dish on the grill to be finished. 

Ideally, use day old or very dense thickly-sliced bread. The addition of the smoke from the grill adds magical flavor to the crust and it’s toppings. There is no limit in toppings for your bruschetta, just let your imagination run free. Think of your bread crusts as an artist’s canvas. 

Join me for a bruschetta tour through Italy. Which, BTW, the variety in bruschetta toppings vary from region to region. 

When canal-side in Venice, I must have my bruschetta with Baccala' Mantecato, that is topped with whipped salted cod. This cod is making me thirsty! Vino prego!

While in Siena, I’ve enjoyed grilled toasts di fegato, that's made with garlicky chopped liver.

The southern part of Italy is the region to feast on the superior quality of fruits from Italy's fertile soil, particularly Naples. Ahh, delicioso pomodoro. This is the bruschetta most people envision - crowns of sweet ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   

Before you take your first bite, let me transport you to my favorite place in Positano; Trattoria La Tagliata where Bartolo is the family's grill chef. He will take really good care of you - while you nibble on his bruschetta, enjoying the priceless view of the Amalfi Coast and await his grilled specialties.

Something wonderful happens to country-style bread when it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled. It’s smoky flavor adds another layer to olive oil, fresh tomatoes with lots of caramelized garlic, parmesan cheese, and capers. Dry day-old bread makes the best bruschetta, so this is a good way to use up yesterday’s loaf of Italian, French, or sourdough bread. Serve bruschetta with salad or soup, or as a snack with a chunk of sopressatta.

This recipe is from my first book, and to pass along just how much everyone enjoys bruschetta from the grill it’s my very first recipe in the book, page 14.

Bruschetta

From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994

Makes 6 

3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes

24 cloves caramelized garlic

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil

6 basil leaves, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese 

To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.

When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.

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