Mini Veggie Calzone Bento
We are trying to cut down on the amount of meat we eat. So today's lunch and snack bento consists of mini veggie calzones with marinara sauce for dipping, salad with homemade honey and red wine vinaigrette, fruit salad (mango, kiwi, and grapefruit), and pumpkin pancakes (cut into flowers) left over from breakfast.
Mini Veggie Calzones
Mini Calzones stuffed with red and green bell peppers, onions, tomato, and cheese made using the Basic Pizza Dough Recipe. Faces are made out of red and green peppers. The dough uses white flour. I know, I know. White flour bad. I am working on a whole wheat recipe I can feel good about.
Basic Pizza/Calzone Dough Recipe
1 1/2 Cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp coarse salt
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Proof until foamy (about 5 minutes). Mix flours and salt in seperate bowl. Add oil to proofed yeast mixture. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and knead for 10 minutes. Dough should be elastic and slightly sticky. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl (I use non-stick spray), turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
Punch down dough and refrigerate until needed (this dough can keep in the fridge for up to four days, but it is best the next day) or use immediately. Divide into three pieces for three 10-14" pizzas or smaller pieces (4-5 oz) for mini pizzas or calzones. Shape into balls and place on floured work surface. Let dough rise another 45 minutes covered loosely with a piece of saran wrap sprayed with non-stick spray. While dough is resting, preheat oven to 550 degrees with baking stone on lowest rack.
Brush crust with garlic butter, butter, or olive oil and bake until golden brown (about 5 minutes for mini pizzas and 10-15 minutes for larger pizzas).
Pumpkin Pancake Recipe
1 Cup sifted flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree
2 Slightly beaten egg yolks
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 tiffly beated egg whites
Preheat large shallow pan to meduim. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a seperate bown, combine milk, egg yolks, pumpkin, and butter. Add dry ingredients to wet stirring just until moistened (over stirring will result in tough pancakes). Fold in beaten egg whites. Tada!
1/3 Cup batter = 1 pancake.
