Spinach & Ricotta Calzone

While unable to sleep one night, yet again, I did what I usually do, turn on the TV to my local PBS station. If I'm lucky, I catch an episode of Nature. Watching whales or sharks gliding through water or a pack of wolves roaming the tundra is the perfect remedy for insomnia and I quickly go back to sleep. But, as often happens, I get an episode of Frontline or their new series, America Revealed, both thought provoking series that keep me wide eyed for a couple of hours. But, this night it was Lidia Bastianich that kept me both awake and hungry.  It was an episode from her series Lidia's Italy in America. On this particular show she was honoring the art of making pizza. As part of the show she prepared a delicious looking Pizza Margherita, a simply decadent ricotta cheesecake, plus some mouth-watering calzones. Ooh, calzones. I have never made them before and these looked wonderful. They also looked surprisingly easy to make, well that is, if you buy the pizza dough instead of making it. Since then I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. So off I went to the local Italian specialty market a few blocks from my house, where I purchased a fresh pizza dough.

Now that the hard part was done, it was time to make the filling. Lidia's was simple and familiar-- some ricotta, sausage, spinach, seasoning and a little grated cheese. A mixture I've made a hundred time for dishes such as lasagna, manicotta or a savory tart.  I chose to eliminate the sausage this time (still trying to reduce our consumption of animal meats) but added a few other ingredients to help punch up the flavor. In addition to the spinach I added some turnip greens that were waiting to get used, some green onions because I can't resist that oniony flavor, and some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, for the little bits of red color they add, completing an homage to the Italian flag.

Yes, they were fairly easy to make. Yes, quite delicious, but I must admit the turnip greens added their characteristic bitter taste. A flavor you either like or dislike. I happen to like it. Next on my list is that yummy looking cheesecake she made. Can't wait! 

Spinach & Ricotta Calzones
recipe adapted from Lidia Bastianich

1 purchased pizza dough 
1 bunch spinach
1/2 bunch turnip greens or any type of greens
3-4 green onions, chopped
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, small dice
1 lb. fresh ricotta
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper 

Place a sieve over a bowl. Line with cheesecloth or several layers of paper towel. Add the ricotta, cover with plastic wrap and weight down to release liquid. Place in refrigerator and let drain for several hours. 

When ready to prepare calzones, start by heating a saute pan. When hot add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and then saute the green onions for a few minutes.  Add the spinach and turnip greens. Season with some salt and mix until wilted and the turnip greens are tender.  Remove from heat and let cool. 

Place well drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add the grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese the sun-dried tomatoes. Season with some salt and pepper. Mix well to combine all ingredients. 

When the cooked greens have sufficiently cooled, squeeze as much liquid as you can from them and add to the ricotta mixture. 

Cut the pizza dough in half. Roll out half of the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thickness.  Using a bowl or plate, cut out 4 circles.

Place approximately 1-2 T. of the mixture on each round. Fold the dough over and seal with a fork. Place on a baking sheet. Brush with some egg wash and sprinkle with some grated Parmesan cheese.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 30-40 minutes.
 

 

Cherry Swirl Coffeecake

When I was growing up, we always had coffeecakes in the house. My stay-at-home, Italian immigrant mother didn't drive, so weekly grocery runs to pick up staples, like milk and bread, weren't an option. Instead, she had a milkman who delivered fresh milk, butter, eggs and cottage cheese to the house a couple times a week. She also had a delivery service from a local baking company, called Awrey, that would deliver bread and assorted bakery products to our house. Mom was a sucker for their coffeecakes, longjohns and almond tea rings especially. If us kids were around when the delivery man came, we could guilt her into also purchasing donuts, cookies or cakes.

As a result, I too, am a sucker for coffeecakes.  These days I am more likely to purchase an Entenmanns brand cake rather than Awrey, but for special holiday mornings, like Easter, I prefer to have a homemade coffeecake as part of our Easter morning breakfast.

Sour cream streusel cakes or fruit enhanced crumb topped cakes are typical of the kinds I usually make. This time I am trying a yeast based, sweet bread coffeecake with cherry preserves and almonds.  The recipe comes from the instruction and recipe booklet that came with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

The cake uses a batter-type bread base rather than a regular bread dough that requires kneading. The whole bread batter can be made in the mixer, but like all breads, requires the usual two rising periods.

A sweet bread with a light fruit topping, a sprinkle of almonds and a sugar glaze, this coffeecake is not overly sweet or too rich.  Unlike many coffeecakes that can also pass as a dessert, this one is clearly a bread more than a cake. It is delicious served warm, with a fresh cup of coffee, and will be great served next to the spinach and mushroom frittata I plan to make Easter morning. 

Cherry Swirl Coffeecake

1 1/4 c. milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 package (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast

3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. orange zest

1 c. cherry preserves

1 c. powdered sugar

additional milk for glaze

1/3 c. sliced almonds

Heat the milk, salt, sugar and butter in a small saucepan just to boiling and butter is fully melted. 

Pour into the mixer bowl and let cool to lukewarm (105-115 degrees). Add yeast. Stir at first speed, mixing until the yeast is fully dissolved, about 15 seconds.  

Add 1 c. flour and turn to speed 4 mixing until combined, about 1 minute. 

Stop and scrape bowl.  Add eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Turn to speed 6 and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.  

Reduce to speed 1 and enough of the remaining flour, 1/4 c. at a time, to form a thick batter.  Stop and scrape bowl.  Turn to speed 6 and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. 

Place batter in lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise in warm place free from drafts until double in bulk, about 1 hour. I turn my oven on to the lowest temperature setting. Before it gets to that temp, but can feel the warmth inside, I turn off the oven.  Let it cool a bit then allow the dough to proof in the warm oven.  

Stir batter down, then divide between two 9-in round baking pans. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 

Using a sharp small knife, lightly cut a shallow swirl design into each cake.  Fill the grooves in each cake with a quarter cup of the preserves. 

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks. 

Re-fill the grooves with the remaining preserves. Mix powdered sugar with enough milk to make a thin glaze.  Drizzle the glaze over the warm cakes and sprinkle with almonds. Let glaze set before serving.  Makes 2 coffeecakes

 

 

 

Parsleyed Fish Gratin

Good Friday is this week. Aside from its religious significance, it is the last meatless Friday of the lenten season and another fish based dinner to plan. As I have indicated in a  previous post, my husband and I are not terribly adventurous when it comes to eating fish, so I am constantly looking for appealing ways to dress up basic seafood varieties such as salmon, cod or shrimp.  I came across this recipe in Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook titled, Nigella Christmas. Not only did it use the kinds of fish varieties we like, it was relatively simple and a bit different from what we are used to.

I must confess, though I find Nigella's more free-spirited and less conventional approach to cooking inspiring, and her mix of Italian, English and Indian recipes refreshing, many of her recipes I've tried have been disappointing. So, though a bit skeptical about trying this recipe, it featured ingredients we like, but more importantly, it is a "gratin" and I like just about anything "gratin".

Just think of bite sized pieces of fish nestled in a flavorful cream sauce topped with thin slices of garlic flavored potatoes. Sound somewhat familiar?  Think seafood thermidor, but with lots more flavor, and topped with potatoes instead of the usual breadcrumb finish. This is a great dinner entree or wonderful as part of a brunch buffet.

This dish was quite delicious and I would definitely make it again.  The cream sauce, though loaded with parsley and scallions was extremely flavorful, but without the parsley or onion flavors too overwhelming. The fish I used included fresh salmon, cod and shrimp, the fresher the better. All were simply scrumptious with every bite, but any combination of fish could be used - lobster, scrod, scallops, come to mind. I didn't want the dish to be soupy so I made sure to blot the fish well with paper towels before adding it to the sauce. The only thing I would do different next time, would be to use more potatoes for the topping, by either arranging the slices much closer together or adding a second circle of slices. Of course, a great bread crumb topping laced well with lemon zest and lots of parsley would also, be quite great as well. 

Parsleyed Fish Gratin

3 T. butter

1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 T. dry white vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 c. whole milk

1 1/2 T. chopped chives or scallions

1 c. finely chopped parsley

2 medium-sized potatoes, unpeeled & very thinly sliced

3/4 lb. skinless salmon

3/4 lb. cod or similar white fish

3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled

1 tsp. garlic oil

2 T. butter

good grinding of pepper

Make the garlic oil by heating a few crushed cloves of garlic in a few tablespoons of olive oil. 

Begin by making the cream sauce:  Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and stir together for a minute or two to cook the flour.  

Take off the heat and whisk in the vermouth (or wine - I used the vermouth), mace (or nutmeg- I used the mace), salt and mustard. 

Next, add the milk (I used skim milk instead of whole and sauce was still very rich and creamy), and mix well together. Put back on heat and cook till the mixture comes to a boil and get quite thick. 

Take off the heat and stir in the parsley and scallions (or chives - I used the scallions). Pour sauce into a well greased casserole/baking vessel.  Set aside to cool slightly. 

Cut up the salmon and cod into bite sized pieces (about 2" x 1 1/2" pieces) and blot well with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.  Shell the shrimp and blot as well.  

Nestle the fish into the slightly cooled cream mixture.

Very thinly slice the unpeeled potatoes using a mandoline.  Arrange the slices in a concentric circle over the fish mixture, overlapping halfway across each potato as you go around the dish. 

Melt the 2 T. of butter into the hot garlic oil (garlic cloves removed), and generously brush over the top of the potatoes. 

Grind black pepper over the top and place in a preheated, 400 degree oven. Bake for 50 -60 minutes until bubbly and potatoes are tender.  Serves four.

  

Leek Tart

I still have a few ingredients I have yet to use from my holiday cooking. A sheet of puff pastry and a bunch of leeks were of particular concern. Since my husband and I couldn't stomach the thought of another dessert, my options for the puff pastry leaned towards something savory  The leeks were originally intended for a potato-leek soup I never got around to making, so I needed to put them to good use now as well. With my sister, her husband and my dad coming for dinner this seemed like a good opportunity to finally incorporate them into our meal. A leek tart came to mind perhaps as a nice appetizer.  

There are plenty of recipes out there for leek tarts that range from simple to quiche-like creations. The one I like best is more quiche-like, meaning the leeks are encased in a creamy, cheesy custard. My preference would have been to use a savory pie/tart crust, but I wanted to get rid of that puff pastry, so I made do with that.  A good custard base for a tart or quiche usually calls for some real cream, either half n' half, or the heavy stuff. Since I didn't have either, I added some leftover cream cheese to the milk which gave it just enough tang and a nice creamy texture. Gruyere cheese would have also been preferred, but, here again, I settled for what I had on hand. This time it was a small amount of an Italian cheese blend, you know, one of those packages of pre-grated cheeses you find in the dairy section that I used for the stuffed shells I made for New Years Day. This one included finely grated mozzarella, Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheeses.  I didn't have quite enough so I added a bit more freshly grated Parmesan.

The resulting tart was delicious. But in all honesty, I wish I had made the savory pie crust instead. One sheet of puff pastry wasn't big enough for the amount of filling I made. So, in addition to the tart made with the puff pastry, I lined a pie plate with a few slices of multi-grain bread that I rolled out flat and buttered.  I filled it with the remaining filling and baked. An easy fix that was equally delicious. 

Savory Leek Tart

2 large or 3 small leeks 

3 T. butter

2 sheets of puff pastry, or savory pie crust

2 eggs

1 green onion, chopped

3 T. cream cheese, softened

3/4 milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 c. grated medium to sharp cheese - any variety

Prepare crust:

Roll 1 sheet puff pasty on lightly floured sheet pan into a 12" x 12" square or any shape you prefer. Trim 1 " strips from all four sides. Using an egg wash or milk, brush all four edges. Place the 1" strips around all four edges and press lightly to adhere.  With a small, sharp knife, score around the inside of the 1" strips being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Repeat with 2nd pastry sheet. Blind bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. 

Remove the dough from the oven. Remove the blind baking beans and set aside. 

Make filling:

Prepare leeks by removing the stem and hard stalks and discard both. Now slice the white portion in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2" slices. Put in a cold water bath to clean. Strain and repeat one or two times to be sure grit and sand is thoroughly removed.

 
In a medium sized saute pan melt the butter. Add the well drained leeks and saute on medium to med-hi heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and all liquid has evaporated.  Set aside to cool.

 In a medium bowl beat eggs, add softened cream cheese, milk. green onions (white and green parts), salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix till ingredients are well incorporated. Add grated cheese.

Spread cooled leeks inside pastry shell.  Carefully pour the filling over all the leeks. Don't overfill, as filling will puff up slightly when cooked. 

Put in a 400 degree oven and bake another 20 minutes till custard is cooked - knife inserted in center should come out clean. Slice and serve warm. 

Ham Pithiviers - Ham & Hard Cooked Egg Leftovers Put to Good Use

Easter dinner was delicious but, as usual, there is lots of ham and hard cooked eggs left over to use throughout the week.  I came across this recipe for "ham pithiviers" that I thought looked quite appetizing and coincidentally incorporates both ingredients. The recipe comes from an old cookbook of mine titled Pies & Pasties by Janet Pittman. Though featured as an appetizer, it is substantial enough to serve as an entree for either lunch or dinner. In fact, its attractive presentation makes it a worthy consideration as an entree for a party, brunch or bridal shower 

A traditional "pithivier" (pronounced pee-tee-VYAY) is a round puff pastry dessert, with scalloped edges that typically contains a sweet almond frangipane or fruit filling and is served with coffee. The dessert is believed to have originated from Pithiviers, France, however I was unable to conclusively determine the veracity of this claim.

Though primarily made as dessert or coffee cake, a pithivier is also often filled with a savory filling, as is the case here. The hallmarks of a traditional pithivier is its puff pastry crust, scalloped edges carved around the pie, a shiny top crust achieved via a generous egg glaze and a decorative design of curved lines radiating from the center carved on the top crust.

I made the pie to the recipe's specifications but added some chopped spinach and parsley to give it a bit more color and substance. I personally think this savory pie is better suited as an entree instead of an appetizer, because once you cut the pie into small wedges you lose its decorative features. The pie is quite delicious, not too rich or dry, and a great use of those Easter leftovers.

Ham Pithiviers

1 store bought package of puff pastry, well thawed
3/4 c. finely chopped cooked ham
1 T. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (3/4 oz.)
2 T. thinly sliced green onions
1 hard cooked egg, chopped
1 T. chopped parsley
1/4 c. chopped raw baby spinach
Egg glaze:  1 egg plus 1/4 tsp. salt

Prepare filling and set aside:
In a medium bowl combine the ham, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper.
Add the Parmesan cheese, green onions, parsley, and spinach. Mix well and then add the egg making sure not to smash the eggs. Set aside.

Prepare puff pastry:
Unfold puff pastry sheets (2).  Make sure they are fully thawed and somewhat soft and pliable.
On a lightly floured surface or sheet of parchment paper, roll out 1 portion to a 9-inch square. Using a 8-inch round pan or dish, cut an 8-inch circle from the center of the square. Place the circle (with the parchment paper) on an ungreased baking sheet.

Prepare egg glaze by lightly beating the egg with the salt. Lightly brush glaze around edge of circle, making a 1 1/2-inch border and being careful not to let the glaze drip over the edge.

Place ham mixture in center of circle and spread to inside edge of glazed border. Mound mixture slightly in center.  Roll out remaining dough to a 9-inch square. Cut another 8-inch circle. Place on top of ham-topped circle, stretching as necessary to match edges and deflating any air pockets. Press edges firmly with your fingers to seal.  Use the point of a knife to cut a small hole in center of top pastry. Brush top with egg glaze, being careful not to drip over edge. With a small sharp knife, make a design on the pastry using 1/16-inch deep cuts.  Do not cut all the way through dough.  Long curved lines radiating from the center are traditional, but any pattern may be used.  Now scallop the edges with the back of the knife at 1/4-inch intervals.

Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer.  Preheat oven to 450F degrees.  Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 400F degrees and bake another 20 to 30 minutes (watch closely) until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm. Makes 8-10 appetizer servings or 4-5 generous lunch/entree servings.