Delicious and filling, these no-fuss calzones have a gooey filling healthified with protein-rich tofu and nutrient-dense frozen spinach. They are transportable, so consider bringing them to the office for lunches. Purchased pizza dough simplifies the process, but you can also use your favourite homemade pizza dough recipe.
1 cup (250 mL) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 block (about 150 g) extra-firm tofu, shredded
3/4 cup (180 mL) reduced-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup (250 mL) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 large free-range egg
2 Tbsp (30 mL) fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb (450 g) store-bought whole wheat pizza dough, room temperature
Cornmeal to cover work surface
Place spinach in colander and press out excess liquid.
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spinach; cook 1 minute.
In large bowl mix together tofu, mozzarella, ricotta, egg, thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir in spinach mixture.
Preheat oven to 475 F (240 C).
Slice pizza dough into 4 equally sized pieces. Sprinkle generous amount of cornmeal onto work surface and roll dough pieces into 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) discs.
Place an equal amount of spinach and cheese mixture on centre of each disc. Flatten gently to bring mixture toward one side of disc, making sure to leave about 1 1/2 in (4 cm) of uncovered dough. Fold dough back onto itself and press lightly on calzone to form half moon.
Fold edges to seal in filling.
Transfer to cookie sheet and cook for 15 minutes, or until crust turns crispy and golden brown. Let cool before serving.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains:
442 calories; 27 g protein; 16 g total fat (7 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 52 g carbohydrates; 9 g fibre; 554 mg sodium
source: "Frozen Fruits & Vegetables", alive #351, January 2012
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.