The Recipes Requested

Here are the recipes that were requested from my "Kitchen Frenzy" post last week. Just copy and paste the recipes to a word doc and then you can print them out for your cook book

(or transfer to a card, whatever is your style).

Calzones

 (Makes 6-10 depending on how big you make them.  Takes about 1 hour)  

Bread Dough (also good for quick breadsticks)
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbsp. yeast
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c.  white flour, 3 c. wheat flour (Should total 6-7 cups total)


We have put many different things inside of our calzones. Here are the ingredients for the pizza calzone...
3 c. part skim Ricotta cheese
12 oz. Mozzarella cheese,shredded
12 oz. finely chopped cooked ham (we like italian turkey sausage)
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves (tastes fine without these if you don't have them)
2 green peppers, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 c. spaghetti sauce for dipping

Directions
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Add sugar, salt, and 6 c. flour
3. Mix to form dough. If more flour is needed, add enough until dough no longer sticks to bowl. Mix about 3 min. Let dough rest for 10 min. (It should raise a bit)
4. Meawhile, mix cheeses, ham, and oregano in a bowl.
5. Heat olive oil in skillet over Med heat. Add pepper and onion and saute until soft.
6. form dough into 10 balls. Roll each ball into a flattened circle.
7. Place a portion of the cheese filling and vegetable mixture in center of circle.
8. Fold circle and seal with water and fork. (Dip your finger in water and press lightly on the rim rim of the calzone to moisten it.  Then, then fold the dough over the pizza mixture and seal it by pressing the fork tips over the moistened edge.)
9. Place on a baking sheet. Continue to form remaining calzones.
10. Let rest another 10 min.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes
12. Remove calzones from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack if not eating right away (the bottom will get soggy if not)
13. Heat spaghetti sauce and serve with warm calzones.


For the Chicken & Broccoli Calzone, make up the bread portion the same and then fill them using these instructions:  
Grill 3 chicken breasts. Slice up the chicken and then transfer it into a pot on the stove. Add one can of cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 c. of steamed broccoli, and mozarella cheese. Stir until warm through. You can add whatever spices you like to this mix. I reccommend onion powder and/or lemon pepper. We made alfredo sauce for dipping.  There's typically recipes for alfredo sauce in most recipe books.  We used the one from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

(Relatively low fat) Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

2 Bananas

1/2-1 c. coconut

1 baked pie shell

5 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups skim milk

3/4 c. fat free half-and-half cream

3 egg yolks, beaten slightly (I used 3 egg whites- takes out the cholesterol)

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 tub of fat free cool whip

Directions:

1. Bake pie crust as directed on package (or from scratch.. and then you're on your own!).  Let crust cool and then line the bottom of it with one sliced banana.

2. Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a 3 quart saucepan.

3. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick; stirring constantly.  (This takes about 5-8 minutes).

4. Pour small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks; blend thoroughly.

5.  Pour back into hot mixture in pan.

6. Cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add coconut and coconut extract.

7.  Pour warm filling into pie and cover with a aluminum foil in a dome shape.

8. Chill 3 to 4 hours.

9 When ready to serve, spread cool whip over the top and then add sliced bananas in whatever creative way you like. Sprinkle with coconut.

(The amount of cream made for this recipe would fill about a pie in a half. It may be enough for 2 pies if you didn't fill the pie to the brim.)

Granola Bars

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. instant oats
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. what germ
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. olive oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. corn syrup (if not using peanut butter)

Some variations of the granola bars are as follows:
Omit the raisins, cinnamon, and corn syrup and instead use 1 c. peanut butter and 1 c. chocolate chips. (This is our favorite... and the only one we've tried.)
OR
Omit the raisins and cinnamon and instead use any combination of coconut, craisins, nuts, marshmallows, or M&Ms.


Directions:

1. Set oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all dry ingredients together.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
4. Press into a well greased 9"x13" pan.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes
6. Cool for 5 minutes and then cut into bars.