Calzone

The Dough:
1 cup wrist temperature water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 TBSP honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
olive oil

1. Place the water in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir in the honey or sugar until everything dissolves.

2. Use a whisk to stir in the salt and flour. When it gets too thick to whisk, mix with one floured hand. Knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes.

3. Brush a little olive oil over the dough, cover the bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).

4. Prepare filling. (my favorites follow below the assembly instructions)

(when I'm rushed, I'll use this dough for pizza)

Assembly:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking tray.
2. Punch down the risen dough. Divide it into 6 equal sections, and roll out on a floured surface into circles 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place 1/2 to 3/4 cup filling on one half of the circle, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. use your fingers or a brush to moisten the rim with a little water. Fold over the empty side and crimp the edges with a fork. With the fork, prick little holes in the top of the calzone.
4. Arrange completed calzones on the oiled tray, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned.

From The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

Filling #1
chopped tomato
prepared pesto
mozzarella

Filling #2 (the one the kids eat)
pizza sauce or marinara
mozzarella cheese
olives

Filling #3
Spinach-Cheese Filling
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 lb spinach, stemmed and minced
about 1/2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
4 or 5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP dried basil (or 3 TBSP minced fresh)
1 lb. ricotta
2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella
about 1/4 cup grated parmesan

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onion, and saute over medium heat until translucent - about 5 minutes. (I usually add the garlic here, and not in step 2)
2. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over high heat for several minutes - until the spinach wilts. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook for two minutes more.
3.Place the cheeses in a medium sized bowl. Add the spinach saute and mix very well. Taste to correct seasonings.

from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

Filling #4 (Variation on #3 - it's a little faster to prepare)
3 Cheese Filling
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and roughly chopped (5 cups)
I just bought some prepackaged stuff and tore it into small pieces.
I only used a handful or two - for sure not the 5 cups.
1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
from Real Simple Magazine, November 2008, p 314

Pita Bread

photo of pita and Mandarin and Romain Salad

Prep. time: about 2 hours (most of which is raising time)

Yield: 6 larger (or 12 smaller) pocket breads

1 Cup wrist-temp. water
1 1/2 teaspoons ( half of a 1/4-oz. packet) active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
about 3 1/2 cups of flour (1 cup of it can be whole wheat)
OPTIONAL: 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
a little oil for the dough extra flour for rolling out
oil or cornmeal, for the baking tray

1) Place the water in a medium-sized bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes-it will become foamy

2) Add sugar or honey and salt. Stir until everything dissolves.

3) Add three cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing enthusiastically with a whisk. As the dough thickens, switch to a wooden spoon and, eventually, your hand. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour, as needed, to combat stickiness. When the dough is smooth, oil both the bowl and the top surface of the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

4) Punch down the dough and transfer it to a clean, floured surface. Knead it for about five minutes, then divide it into either 6 or 12 equal pieces (depending on what size pita you want). Knead each little unit for a few minutes, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a very thin circle. (Make sure there is plenty of flour underneath!) The diameter of each circle is unimportant, as long as it is no thicker than 1/8 inch. Let the circles rest for 30 minutes.

5) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking tray in the oven for a minute or two, to heat it. Then brush it with oil - or dust it with corn meal. Place as many circles on the tray as will fit without touching, and bake for just 6-8 minutes, or until puffed up and very lightly browned.

6) Remove from the oven, and wrap the breads in a clean, slightly damp tea rowel, then place in a brown paper bag, close up, for 15 minutes. This will keep the breads supple. (if you'd prefer the pita bread crisp and cracker like, bake 10-12 minutes and simply cool on a rack.)

On page 113 of the new revised edition,1992 Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
I copied it from here because I was to lazy to to type it out myself.

My changes: 1/8 inch was too thin for my taste. They were more like crispy tortillas. Next time, I will roll them to 1/4 inch or a little more and bake them at 400 degrees instead of 500.

Samosas

Dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
extra flour, as needed

1. Place flour in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the salt.
2. Make a well in the center, and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix first with a spoon and then with your hand, to make a smooth dough.
3. Add extra flour, as needed, to keep dough from being sticky. Knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pastries.

Filling:
2 large potatoes
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP dried minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. dried coriander
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
2 TBSP lemon juice
cayenne, to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seed, coriander, and salt. Saute over medium heat for a minute or two. Add this to the mashed potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, but try not to smash the peas. Cool for at least 15 minutes before filling the pastries.

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Heat to boiling, then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. It will reduce slightly
3. Serve warm or at room temperature with hot Samosas.

To Assemble and Bake:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously oil a baking sheet.
2. Keep a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water, and a pastry brush close at hand. Flour a clean surface, and, one by one, roll 1-inch balls of dough into 5-inch circles, using a rolling pin.
3. Place approx. 1 1/2 TBSP filling in the center of each circle, and fold over, just like a turnover. Brush the inside edges of each circle with a little water, and fold the edges together to make a small hem. Crimp the edges firmly with the fork.
4. Place the Samosas on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking time.
5. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

1 1/2 hours to prepare, 25 minutes to bake.
Yield: 15 or 16 medium sized pastries
from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen