Vegan Calzone: A big, stuffed perfect pouch of vegan goodness! The Tofu Ricotta mix was easy to whip up mixed with sauteed spinach, onions and garlic and your favorite Italian seasonings. So easy and very yummy!
You can kind of see the vegan mozzarella here on top--melty just like the non-vegan calzone cheese (only this one is better!).
I'm still spinning, but taking it slower and smaller. I plan to dye this yarn. I have a great new love of spinning.
I knew I was in for a rough blogging morning when, as I logged on, the "creepy, crawly" speed was engaged, and my patience for waiting for a cable person to free me from getting my ire up was to no avail. My ire was up and my recipe and post would have to wait. So, I went for a five mile run. I knew I'd find the culprit out on a telephone line with his cable truck parked near by. I just knew it. Sure enough--not one cable truck, but two. I also knew that come around three in the afternoon (when the shift ends), I'd then be able to get my blog mojo going. Yes, it is still cold (around 20 degrees when I headed out), yes, there are still mounds of snow here and there. Yes, I wanted to rap on their cable truck doors and thank them for getting me off my behind and out in the sun for a relaxing run (and maybe share some of my "ire" with them--but I withheld my urge to do so--it would have affected my pace). As far as the snow and cold, I rather like it this way--keeps us in check. Reminds us to rest up, store fuel for later, take our time, prepare for spring.
But after a snow, I have to be careful and time an outdoor run to coincide with the "melt" factor. Here's how that works: if the driving shoulder does not have at least three feet between me and a bumper, then I run indoors (no Stephen King moments for me, thank you very much)--uh, he was struck by a van once for those not in the know. So the snow melt plays a role in this.
Regarding fitness and being a vegan runner. (You can skip this if you want--the food is coming in a sec.) Sadly, this is about when most fitness resolutions begin to lose their steam. Folks just give up. I wish fitness for everyone--it can change your whole life (along with being vegan). I thought I might offer some ways of incorporating excercise into your day. Running works for me, so does a good walk, and other interval type workouts. Even cleaning my house I count as a good workout. I subscribe to a free itunes program from motiontraxx.com and "Deekron the Fitness DJ". His BPM (beats per minute) music mix for runners and walkers (or interval trainers) has a blend of "you-can-do-it-ness" that fully engages you whether you just want to walk in place, clean your house or run outside. I used him yesterday (when the roads were still not quite melted enough) along with one of my Leslie Sansone Walk At Home DVDs--I own several of these as well and love them! Although I re-upped my gym membership--only in the most desperate of "running need days" do I go--ask any runner: dreadmill or outside: a resounding "outside" yell will be heard. So this Deekron helps add an incredible amount of pizazz for me during my runs--challenging me, but also keeping my ability in check advising to only do what your body allows (and be sure to not listen to music too loud when wearing your headphones--at my tender age--my hearing is important to me, and keeping it is even more important, plus I can't hear cars unless my tunes are turned down)--but keep moving--that's the key to all of this. I love his podcasts, and feel, quite honestly, I may even run a half marathon this year as a result. Working out is a personal choice, and being a sort of, on-the-cusp-competitive-fitness-type, I could go on and on about the benefits of just moving your body. Eating a healthy diet AND working out--it's the best of both worlds, and I encourage you to try it if you are not already. Now for the vegan chow of the evening.
Last night we had calzones--and darn good vegan calzones at that. I again turned to a favorite cookbook, The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger for inspiration. I knew I wanted to make calzones after I watched Guy's Big Bite on Food Network yesterday afternoon--he and Anne Burrell were cooking together (or as he affectionately refers to her as: "the sister from another mister")--I just hooted at them cooking together with their wild blonde manes! Then had an overwhelming urge to have calzones after watching them whip 'em up for the show. Mmmm, stuffed pizza dough. What could be better, I ask? I have been making things of the "wrapped and tucked" nature of late. I really don't know why--this might be a "take cover" approach to life as I am facing aplenty right now. I like to make connections. But I have noticed.
The vegan calzone. Just stuff them and serve them. My dough recipe turned out to make three 8" circles of goodness--which, as you can see from the photo, nearly filled an entire pizza stone. So leftovers are in order if you do make these. Serve with a side of your fave red sauce. I used the jar kind, I was not really into making my own sauce last night. Your pick. Yes, for non-vegans the calzone is traditionally made with gobs of melted, chewy-stretchy cheese oozing out. Well, I packed mine with cheese--vegan ricotta and vegan mozzarella, and it was the kind that would not leave me ill (I am very lactose intolerant--so being vegan really works for me). So, whip up your own dough or godforbid, if you must, buy some. Either way, what counts is how yummy it is on the inside. I sauteed some frozen chopped spinach, onions, garlic and Italian seasonings. Then, I made a tofu ricotta--my recipe link for it is here. (Please note, I did add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and did not add vegan mayo for my calzone--that was a change to the main recipe you see on the link.) A big plus was using my potato ricer to run the tofu through--I got this idea from Tal Ronnen's cookbook: The Conscious Cook. But making vegan ricotta is fairly easy once you've done it a few times. Be sure you have nutrtional yeast on hand for any adventures into cheese making. Seriously--you can get this at Whole Foods in the bulk foods section--sort of a yellow powdery looking substance. But for vegans, it is like the perfect cheese-maker ingredient. I mixed my spinach with my ricotta and stuffed the dough. So easy. I made my dough by hand using the Bread Bible Calzone Recipe. I stuck to her dough recipe, so I will not publish it. These were good.
Those calzones look amazing.
ReplyDeleteI had these as left overs--just sliced them into "snack" size pieces and warmed them for about 15 seconds in the microwave--delish!
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