eat your veggies: zucchini calzones

 

{see the yummy cheese oozing out of that calzone on the right?  YUM. }


Don't you love it when some odds and ends from your fridge turn into something pretty good?  I whipped these up for lunch today and while they looked pretty scary when I first put them in the oven, they came out looking much more inviting.  And you can't beat getting a serving of veggies hidden within a yummy pocket of bread and cheese and pizza sauce!

These would work with any combination of meats, cheeses, and veggies.  I just used what I had on hand.  Next time I might try to make a whole-wheat pizza dough, bake a big batch of these, and freeze them.  Especially if my toddler ends up liking these too!

The Ingredients.

1 roll of refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
One small zucchini, thinly sliced

The Method.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute the sliced zucchini in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Add any other spices you want (garlic powder or oregano would be good!). 

Once the zucchini is a little brown, soft, and starting to fall apart, transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel to get some of the oil out.

Unroll the dough out and use your hands to gently press it down until it's about a quarter-inch thick.  Use a knife to divide it into six rectangles.

{Yes, that's how gimpy my dough looked.  For some reason, pizza dough does not like to cooperate with me.  Not to mention I have a small heart attack every time the stupid tube pops open.  Anyway, if there's any tears or holes, just repair them the best you can.  No biggie.}

Start loading your toppings.  I decided to do a layer of sauce, then the zucchini, the the cheese.

Then roll them up.  I tried it a couple of different ways; I think the easiest way is to fold one short side over the filling, then the other short side on top of that, and then pinch the open sides shut.  If that makes any sense at all.  Guess it depends on how stretchy your dough is and how much patience you have.  I was hungry and just wanted them done, so mine ended up like this:

Yikes.  Be sure to cut a slit in each calzone to help the steam escape, but if yours end up like mine you probably won't have to!  Put them on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  I sprayed mine with nonstick spray before I put them in the oven to help the browning process.  And they came out like this:

Not too shabby.  Let them cool down for at least five minutes before eating.  I really liked these a lot; the zucchini had a good texture since I sauteed it first, and it kind of just melted into the cheese and the bread so it wasn't too overpowering.  Next time I might try spinach.  Or sliced tomatoes.  I think just about anything would work here.  

Now go eat some veggies.  :o)