Veggie/Pizza Calzones

Have you seen this website?
http://www.superhealthykids.com

Each day they share healthy recipes that your kids will love. I like to try their great ideas.
This is one I made recently- mini Calzones. I was intimidated at first but WOW is it easy!
I love tackling a new recipe and at first thinking it'll be so hard but then at the end of it realizing-I can DO that!!  That's one of the fun parts of baking-learnng you can do so much more than you thought.

Super Healthy Kids

This recipe creates Veggie Calzones but I made a few of them "pizza" for The Tot.. She ate them right up! I liked both versions-veggie and pizza!

Here's the recipe: Whole Wheat Veggie Calzones

From Super Heathly kids

Whole Wheat Veggie Calzones

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Instructions

• 1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tablespoon of yeast)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup white flour
• 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Filling:

• 1/2 zucchini
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup mushrooms

Place all veggies in a food processor and pulse until chopped finely.   Add

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine yeast, sugar and warm water and let set for 5 minutes. Mix remaining ingredients and then add yeast mixture. Let dough rise, in a warm place, for about 30-45 minutes.
2. Roll out a small portion of the dough at a time,  for mini calzones we use a golf ball size.  Roll or press out. Fill middle with filling, thin layer marinara sauce, and a scoop of veggies.  Fold calzone in half and then crimp edges with a fork. Set on baking tray.  
3. Whisk 1 egg white in a small bowl. With a pastry brush, brush the top of the calzone.
4. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Test to make sure dough is done baking by tapping on it. It should sound hollow.
5. Let cool slightly and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Yeast, sugar and warm water. Rest for five minutes

In a glass bowl (I just recently learned that when baking bread, you should use a glass bowl-not metal! I had no idea. Luckily, my husband had just bought me this Pyrex bowl so I was ready!)

Salt, olive oil, white and whole wheat flour

The above step after mixing in the olive oil

Add in the warm water, sugar mix
Set aside for to rise in a warm place for 35 to 40 minutes

The recipe calls for different veggies. These are what I had on hand. 

While the dough rises, get your veggies together. I had on hand carrots, onion, purple cabbage and a fresh zucchini from my garden.  Chop some veggies and then puree them in a food processor.

Mix veggies in a food processor

Pull out a golf ball sized ball of dough.  Roll out on some flour to prevent sticking.

Add some Marinara, shredded Mozarella and the veggies.

Fold over and crimp edges with a fork.

All lined up and ready for baking.

Some versions were just the Marinara and Mozarella Cheese for a pizza version.

Yum!!  The recipe calls to bake for 10 to 15 minutes. I guess my oven is slow because I had to bake for about 15 to 20.  Even these should have been baked a little longer. ALSO, I missed an important step.  Before baking coat with an egg wash. The egg wash takes down the flour on the outside.  Also, anohter improvment would be to add a lot more veggies. They can hold more filling than I used. 

I can't wait to try them again and to add different types of ingredients. 

I hope you try them too!

Lily Belle and Coco enjoying a Pizza Calzone in the garden.  (Well, Coco is busy monitoring for crumbs or an inattentive Tot….)