Broccoli Calzones

Poor misunderstood broccoli gets star treatment in this calzone recipe.

Every time I announce I am making calzones for dinner, NH responds with an enthusiastic "cal-a-zon-ay!!" He loves that word!

When I say I'm making broccoli calzones, I receive this response:
"Oh......ok." (insert worried tone)

And every time we sit down to eat them, he says this:
"These are really good!....even with the broccoli."

Triumph! Perfect for a Friday night dinner al fresco- and it continues to cool down after our heat wave. Add a glass of chilled white wine and you have a meal.

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I like a whole wheat semolina dough for this recipe. It uses a combination of all-purpose, whole wheat, and semolina flour (used for pasta making). Semolina adds wonderful crunch as well as a slight cornmeal flavor.
You can use any cheese you like but I recommend using a mixture of different kinds. I always use feta because I believe it's essential; our favorite pizza cheese is a pre-shredded mixture from Trader Joe's called Quattro Formaggi. It's a combination of parmesan, provolone, asiago, and fontina. It packs a lot of flavor with the broccoli.

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Note: I made a half-batch of the posted recipe last night (2 cups cheese, 8 oz broccoli, half recipe pizza dough), to feed the two of us. I found it very easy to cut in half.

Broccoli Calzones

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups shredded cheese (recommended: Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggi, but mozzarella works too)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 lb pizza dough (2 balls)

Simmer the broccoli in boiling water until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and finely chop. Add to a bowl along with the roasted red pepper. In a dry skillet, add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic. Saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the cheeses in a bowl.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12 inch round. Mound half the cheese on one side of the round, and top with half of the broccoli, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Moisten the edge with water and fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges to seal, and place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Cut 5 slits in the top of the calzone. Repeat with the second ball of dough and the remaining cheese and broccoli.

On the grill: Place a pizza stone in your outdoor grill and heat to 475 degrees. Turn off the direct heat beneath the stone and place the calzones on the grill. Close, and bake for 10-12 minutes. It's ok to check and see how they are doing, but note that the temperature will drop in the oven. You may need to turn the heat on again to low to maintain the temperature.

In the oven: Heat to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the calzones on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Each calzone will feed 2-3 people.

Or, half the recipe and you have a delicious meal for two!

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