FitDay Discussion Boards - Recipe - Spinach and Cheese Calzones

Here’s an awesome recipe from "Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking" by Sandra Woodruff. This one is pure comfort food....well at least it is to me ;) These freeze and reheat very well, so they make a great make ahead lunch or dinner for busy days. Better than any premade frozen stuff you’ll find! To cut prep time, I make the dough in my bread maker! Directions are below.

Spinach and Cheese Calzones
Makes 6 Servings

CRUST
2 1/4 cups bread flour, divided
2/3 cup oat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons Rapid Rise Yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 cup water
1 teaspoon whole grain cornmeal

FILLING
1¼ cups chopped fresh spinach
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1¼cups nonfat ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated nonfat or reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

SAUCE (OPTIONAL)
3 cups bottled fat-free marinara sauce

1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine 1¼ cups of the flour with all of the oat bran, yeast, sugar, salt and celery seed, and stir to mix well. Place the water in a saucepan, and heat until very warm (125ºF to 130ºF). Add the water to the flour mixture and stir for 1 minute. Stir in enough of the remaining flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, to form a stiff dough.
2. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the remaining flour over a flat surface, and turn the dough onto the surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, gradually adding enough of the remaining flour to form a smooth, satiny ball. Coat a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray, and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes, or until doubled in size.
3. When the dough has risen, punch it down, divide it into 6 portions, and shape each portion into a ball, Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 7-inch circle.
4. To make the filling, combine all of the filling ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and stir to mix well. Spread 1/6 of the filling on the bottom half of each circle of dough, extending the filling to within ½ inch of the edges, Brush a little water around the outer edges of each circle, fold the top half over the bottom half, and firmly press the edges together to seal.
5. Sprinkle the cornmeal over a large baking sheet, and arrange the calzones on the sheet. (This step can be skipped if you bake the calzones on parchment paper. The paper will prevent them from sticking to the baking sheet.) Bake at 450ºF for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown. If desired, place the marinara sauce in a small saucepan, and cook over medium hear just until heated through. Serve the calzones hot, accompanying each serving with a small dish of the warm sauce.

Per serving (1 calzone): 264 Calories, 1 g Fat, 13 mg Cholesterol, 336 mg Sodium, 3.5 g Fibre, 19.4 g Protein, 50 mg Calcium

Time Saving Tip
To make the dough in a bread machine, place all of the dough ingredients in the machines bread pan. (Do not heat the water). Turn the machine to the ”rise”, ”dough” or ”manual” setting so that the machine will mix, knead and let the dough rise once. Check the dough 5 minutes after the machine has started. If it seems too sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time. If it seems too stiff, add more water. When the dough is ready, remove it from the machine and proceed to shape, top and bake it as directed in the recipe.