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Calzones are so great for those times when you have a lot of random ingredients that you need to use up.
For instance, we bought some chicken and apple sausages from Costco. I really liked them, but Nick didn’t care too much for them.
When you buy something at Costco, you don’t just end up with one package. So, the other package of sausages have been sitting in our refrigerator long enough that I was worried we’d have to throw them away if I didn’t come up with something.
Our broccoli was the same deal. We had a lot of it, and although we’d been slowly nibbling on it for awhile, (and adding it to a few dinners) I knew that if I didn’t use up a big portion of it, a big portion of it was going to go in the trash.
Unacceptable!
And cheese! How did we end up with four different kinds of cheese? There’s no possible way we can eat that much cheese!
Ok, so we totally can, but we needed to use it up faster than nibbling would allow.
The solution? Roast the sausages and vegetables, add two kinds of cheese…
Make pizza dough ***and then play with the perfect pillows***…
***I mean*** Roll out the individual portions of dough and then package everything up like so…
And voila! You’ve just used up a ton of ingredients and made something far fancier than pizza.
And if you’re going to go, why not go all out and make a lot?
You can freeze what you don’t need right away, thereby not wasting any food, and you have back up dinner or lunches when you’re pressed for time.
And Nick thought the sausage taste was disguised enough that he didn’t even realize it was the same sausage. Win one for me 
Chicken Sausage Calzones
Serves 8
1 pre-made pizza dough (I used my bread machine, but lots of stores have ready made stuff in the freezer aisle)
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup sliced onion
3 sausage links (3 oz each) sliced into rounds. I used these
2/3 cup cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup grated mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste
cornmeal to sprinkle on the baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 350F
On a cookie sheet, spread the sausage out to create one layer. Roast on the bottom shelf of the oven for 30 minutes (or until done), making sure to move the sausage around on the pan several times to prevent burning.
On a separate cookie sheet, spread the broccoli and the onion out to create one layer. Roast on the top shelf of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, moving everything around on the pan several times to prevent burning.
Set the vegetables and sausage aside to cool slightly before adding the cheeses, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until fully combined.
Increase the oven heat to 400F
Prepare a stone baking pan or cookie sheet by sprinkling cornmeal onto it.
Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal portions, and roll or spread the dough to create little circles. Add a few spoonfuls of the filling onto one side, leaving about 3/4 of an inch edge. Fold the other side of the dough over to create a pocket, and use a fork to seal the edges. Cut a slit or two in the top, and bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
We’ve had a long spring this year. A long wet spring.
Great for the grass and my water bill, not so great for morale.
So I’m overjoyed about 80+ degree weather. It’s seriously my favorite time of year. I may have mentioned it once or twice. (Or everyday of my life.)
But even though I’m seriously a happy camper, turning on the oven when it’s 85F in my kitchen is just asking for trouble. And melted popsicles.
So what’s a Jo to do? Make a giant salad! With chicken! And vegetables! And no oven!
Summer Survival Salad
Serves 4-6
4 unfrozen chicken breasts (I like boneless and skinless, but use what you’ve got)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cucumber, sliced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1-2 cups sugar snap peas (you can leave them whole, but I cut them in half for easier eating)
your favorite mix of lettuce
Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes, up to a day, in your favorite Italian salad dressing or vinaigrette (I’ll give you my favorite recipe at the bottom).
Grill the chicken (outside! not in your kitchen!) until fully cooked, adding more marinade each time you turn the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest covered in tin foil before you slice it into strips.
In the meantime, assemble your salad. I like to do it in layers, ’cause it’s more fun that way. Then plate and serve.
See? No melted popsicles.
Start with lettuce.
Add bell peppers.
Another layer of lettuce and then cucumbers.
Another layer of lettuce and then tomatoes and sugar snap peas.
All plated and ready to eat!
My favorite salad dressing/chicken marinade
from Emeril Lagasse
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1 clove pressed garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
Add all ingredients into a lidded container. Shake or whisk until everything is combined. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
What are your favorite summer survival foods?
It’s no secret that I read a lot of blogs.
Like, a lot.
Like, opening Google Reader after a vacation is pretty scary.
I just like to learn! And I’m fascinated with other peoples’ lives. And people take extraordinary pictures.
One of my favorite blogs is dig this chick. And some of my favorite posts of Nici’s are Hump Day Nuggets. Little nuggets from the past week. A lovely collection of photos and snippets of stories.
I’ve always wanted to copy this style, but never felt like it would be right for me to do so. It’s so uniquely Nici’s voice! Recently, though, she began encouraging other bloggers to adopt her crazy awesome Nuggets, and I may have squealed a little bit. No big deal.
So, here are my nuggets from the past week or so…
Our garden is finally–finally–blooming!
Basil–used in homemade tomato sauce just last night
Garlic, curing in the sun before I will eventually roast some in the oven
Baby eggplant and zucchini peeking through the leaves
I didn’t get pictures of the red tomatoes, because we eat them as fast as they ripen. Oh mama, they’re good!
Have you ever eaten broccoli flowers? I hadn’t either, and now I’m contemplating letting all the broccoli go to bloom. Eating flowers is fun.
Beer can chicken getting smoky and juicy next to corn on the grill.
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that turned into ice cream sandwiches
Don’t worry, that post is coming soon
I fell in love with my friend Jayann’s earrings. Fortunately, she sells them at the Farmers Market
Did you catch the Oula Flash Mob on Saturday?! It’s one of my life’s goals to be part of a flash mob someday.
Lovely little nuggets. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep up with them every Wednesday, but I am pleased I get to share them with you today.
What are your favorite moments/memories from the past week?
Spring in Montana is a volatile thing.
In the same week, we’ve gone from beautiful, sunny, 50F, to cloudy, windy and snowy. C’est la vie in ol’ MT.
When we were in the throes of sunny rapture, we got together with our friends and had a dinner of summer-ish foods. Namely, bbq pizza and grilled asparagus. Nothing groundbreaking or original, I know, but it made us all think of warm weather and back yard bbq’s.
Plus, is there anything better than grilled asparagus?
All you have to do is throw your asparagus in a bag with some olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt. Let that marinate while you assemble your pizza.
Sliced Pineapple
Cooked chicken, smothered in Frank’s Hot Sauce
Toss them both together until everything’s covered.
We used two different sauces for the base–Frank’s and Stubb’s. Frank’s is hot and spicy, while Stubb’s is smoky and sweet. It makes a delicious combination.
We spread out the sauce, added some freshly grated mozzarella, then topped it with the chicken, pineapple and some sliced onion.
When you bake your pizza, put the asparagus on the grill. They’ll get done about the same time, depending on how big the asparagus stalks are. Don’t forget to check on the stalks often, and roll them a few times so that they cook completely through.
Oh mama. This meal made me think of this:
And this:
We’re getting closer. Maybe I’ll break out my Chaco’s and speed things along…
Think it will work? Here’s hoping
So, Valentine’s Day doesn’t exactly conjure up images of Cupid and a plate of wings, but since when have I done anything the traditional way?
Plus, my valentine appreciates these kinds of foods way more than heart shaped sugar cookies. Probably because I never make this kind of food. Like, ever.
My husband made these wings for a super bowl party, based on this recipe and the adaptations of said recipe by a good friend. After these wings though, I think he became a “great” friend.
I was sent to the store for celery and blue cheese dressing during part of the magic making, but Nick was kind enough to take photos for me. I guess you could say that this is his unofficial wing post.
He started with plain chicken wings:
Which were then steamed (crazy!):
Once the wings were done in the sauna, they received a nice towel service:
Next, they were placed on cookie racks and allowed to cool off in the refrigerator for about an hour:
Once the wings were nice and relaxed, they were baked in the oven:
Up until this point, these wings were prepared in a “Jo approved” manner. Here’s where things changed a little:
Dude, that’s a lot of butter. Just saying.
Garlic and hot sauce were added to the melted butter, and then everything was tossed together in a bowl:
These were spicy! My tolerance for spicy foods has greatly improved over the last few years, but I could only eat about 3 of these suckers before my lips were burning and my nose was running out the door. You can modify the spice level based on the hot sauce you use, but in our humble opinion, wings should have some kick. It kind of makes up for the absurd amount of butter, because you definitely can’t gorge yourself on something so spicy. Checks and balances are a good thing in the world of wings.
Make these for someone you love. Just be sure to wipe your face before kissing. Happy Valentine’s!
I got this idea while running on the treadmill. No joke. Something similar was happening on 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray–similar in that she was wrapping meat in puff pastry sheets, but totally different meat and filling–and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. You know how songs get stuck in your head sometimes? Yeah, that happens to me too, but with recipes. Sometimes they are awesome, and sometimes they totally bomb. My track record is pretty 50-50 whether or not these recipes actually work.
The elements of this recipe were spectacular.
Chicken baked in a balsamic glaze. (This one worked really well, and I found a small bottle in Safeway)
Avocado, basil, tomato, mozzarella and green onion.
Layered inside puff pastry (which was surprisingly hard to find at Safeway).
And baked.
There are only two things I’ll do differently next time: no tomato and more basil. The tomato made the pastry dough very soggy and hard to completely bake, and the basil got lost amidst everything else.
But truly, it’s hard to go wrong with flaky pastry, moist chicken and melted mozzarella cheese! I liked it very much, but Nick hates–and I mean hates–soggy, doughy things. He gave it a valiant effort, and was very nice about it, but I could tell that he wouldn’t eat this version again happily. No worries! The cool thing about my recipes is that they’re just general guidelines. I can add or subtract whatever I like. Next time, everyone will be happy.
Pastry Wrapped Chicken
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 400F
2 chicken breasts, brushed with balsamic glaze and baked
8 fresh basil leaves (if you don’t like the stem, go ahead and cut it out of the middle of the leaf)
4 slices of mozzarella cheese (or 1/2 cup grated)
half of an avocado, sliced
1-2 green onions, sliced
1 sheet of puff pastry (Like this)
1 egg white mixed with 2 tsps of water
After thawing the puff pastry, cut into 4 squares. On each square, layer: basil leaf, half of a chicken breast, basil leaf, mozarella and avocado. Begin pulling the corners of the pastry over top of the fillings. Brush the corners with the egg wash, and gently press to seal. Don’t worry if the packets aren’t totally sealed. Flip the completed packet over and brush with the egg wash, then top with green onion. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Do you ever get crazy ideas stuck in your head? Do you ever act on them?
I made chicken pot pie quite often a million years ago. We got these beautiful, oven-safe bowls for our wedding, and I was super excited to make individual servings for everyone. They were so delicious, and fun to make, and easy! I would just put a ready made pie crust into each bowl, fill it with stuff, and then fold the dough over to seal it up.
And then came that dark day. The day that I turned over one of those boxes of ready made pie crust and actually read the nutritional information.
800 CALORIES!!! PER CRUST?!?!?
My jaw hit the ground so hard I’m honestly surprised I have teeth. I’d never made pie crust on my own before, so I had no idea they consist of butter and flour. My mind swam as I thought of those 800 calories of crust plus everything else that went into said crust! We’d always joked about how filling they were, but it was never a problem to put two-thirds of it away in a single sitting.
I cried a little as I put the boxed pie crust back in the store refrigerator. I love chicken pot pie! I’d started making them at home after I saw how full of sodium the Marie Calendar’s versions were. And the individual bowls were so fun and creative!
Later I attempted to make my own pie crusts, but all the recipes I found were equally unhealthy, and many contained shortening, which I just can’t do. Even vegetable shortening. I know that shortening is a perfectly acceptable ingredient, but something about it just gives me a mental block. If I don’t know it’s in there, please don’t tell me.
Anyway, after many, many, many Frankenstein creations, I finally came up with something delicious. It’s not served in individual bowls, or even a pie dish, but it’s pretty, pot-pie like, and husband and son approved. I don’t want to know the caloric content, so I’ve purposely not tried to guess. What I do know for sure is that it has nutritional benefits from the whole wheat flour and vegetables, and it’s quite filling–therefore easy to eat in moderation. It also makes a lot, so it would be great to serve for a crowd. (The three of us ate less than half in one meal.)
What’s in it:
The crust
The filling
The process:
Preheat the oven to 450F Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cumin 
Add the apple sauce, followed by the milk 
Mix only until combined! Try really hard not to overwork the dough. 
In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients and give them a good stir. 
Next, flour a rolling surface and rolling pin. And I mean flour baby. This dough starts out sticky. Place half of the dough onto the floured surface. 
Roll the dough into a roughly circular shape and carefully move it onto a pan. I prefer stoneware, but use what you’ve got.
(Confession: I really suck at working with dough. For realsies. I usually start crying until Nick comes to my rescue and fixes the world. And by that I mean rolling out the dough until it’s perfect and then gently placing onto whatever pan/plate it needs to end up on. He’s my hero. This was the first time I’ve had a little success, and I did it all by myself! I had to use lots and lots of flour. And it took a bit of finesse getting the dough to not stick to the counter) 
Spread the filling over the dough, leaving some space on the edges. Then repeat the rolling process with the other half of the dough. Gently drape the top crust over the filling. 
Roll the bottom crust over the top crust, and then press with a fork for good measure. You don’t want this popping open during baking. 
Then cut a few slits to let the steam escape. If you’re artistic, you could do something really pretty here. I’ve known from a very early age that all my artistry is in my feet. No big deal. 
I used a pastry brush to remove the excess flour that gets on the crust during rolling. It never occurred to me to then brush the crust with butter or an egg wash, and really, I don’t think it needs it. However, if you want to try it, let me know how it goes. It might make it that much prettier. This took about 15 minutes to bake the biscuit crust all the way through, and if I would have spread the filling out just a tiny bit more, it would have been hotter in the middle (it was definitely warm, but there was no steam going on). Whatever! It tasted so good! I paired it with a giant salad, and we had an excellent meal. I’ll leave you with the final shots.
Happy eating! 
