Quickie Calzonie!

In my quest to make restaurant favorites at home, I have discovered the wonderful world of Pillsbury pizza crusts! I've been making lots of calzones (and probably should join a gym now...) - its just so fun to try different fillings.  Get two Classic Pizza Crusts (not the thin crust - it rips), and press one flat on a cookie sheet, and just top with whatever you like.  Then stretch the second one over it and squish all the edges together.  Bake according to the directions on the crust package.

Deli meats and cheeses lay nice and flat and are easy to work with.  I like veggies but they tend to wet all over the bottom crust - you can try microwaving them a little and then squeeze them in a paper towel to remove some of the wet.  I usually just serve fresh veggies on the side - try shredded lettuce and pickles.

Easy marinara dip:  get a can of chopped tomatoes and blend with oregano and garlic powder in food processor or chopper until smooth.  

Any combinations you like on a pizza or in a sub will work in a calzone.  Some combo suggestions:


- Perdue Short Cut chicken strips, alfredo sauce, frozen broccoli (heated & squeezed)
- sliced turkey, prepared stuffing, cranberry sauce mixed with mayo
- salami, cheese, sliced hot peppers or Wickles Red Pepper Relish
- diced ham, american cheese, mustard or ranch dressing
- roast beef, provolone, mustard & mayo
- cut-up meatballs, pasta sauce, mozzarella
- proscuitto, hot capicola, muenster cheese, sliced mushrooms (drained well)
- pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, pasta sauce or creamy italian dressing
- Perdue Italian chicken strips, feta cheese, crumbled bacon

Dessert Calzone can be made the same way - use a can of pie filling and serve with whipped cream.
My favorite so far: apple pie filling with blobs of sweet ricotta and chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey on the top crust.

Please share your combo suggestions!

Flaming Fish!

Cooking seafood on the grill is a new experience for me. Thanks to my mom for being a willing testing participant!

It turns out that the biggest problem with grilling shellfish is that the little buggers want to stick to everything.  Metal grill baskets are quite helpful when grilling small things, but they must be sprayed with non-stick spray or you can coat the food with olive oil. 

I marinated these with lemon juice, black and green pepper, and olive oil, and then just dumped them into the basket.

I prefer the solid metal basket for small pieces like the shrimp and scallops in these photos, and the wire griller for bigger flat things like fish fillets.  The wire ones work great for anything that is difficult to flip, or if you are cooking over an open fire. You can even do toast, or my camping favorite - Pop-Tarts :)


Bobby Flay Nonstick Grill Basket

You can also do shellfish on small wooden skewers, but I lack the patience to skewer 100 shrimp so I chose the basket instead. 

Both the shrimp and the scallops took about 15 minutes on high heat.

Mmmmmmm.... Luscious Lemon Bars!

Some knowledge is just too powerful for humans to handle.  This recipe can be a problem for those of us who absolutely love lemon bars - it makes it just too easy to eat a ton of them! You have been warned...

Great recipe for summer baking - it doesn't take very long to cook, and is simple to prepare.



The key to good lemon bars is the dynamic between the rich buttery shortbread crust and the tart shock of the lemon. This recipe does both quite well!  The only hard part is leaving any for others :)

CRUST:  1 c. all purpose flour**
               1/8 tsp salt
               1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
               8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted but not hot

Heat oven to 325. Spray 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray. Line with foil, leaving an overhang on two ends. Spray foil well.

Mix dry crust ingredients, then stir in butter until it forms soft dough.  Press into pan firmly.  Bake 20 minutes until pale golden.  (If making a double batch - use a 13x9 pan and bake crust extra 10 minutes)

FILLING: 2 large eggs
                3/4 c. white sugar
                1 1/2 tbsp flour**
                6 tbsp juice, & zest from two lemons

Whisk filling ingredients together. Pour over crust within a few minutes of taking baked crust out of oven.  Bake 20 minutes until just set in center.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Pull out with foil handles, cool on wire rack to room temperature.  Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.  Can be made a day prior to serving - keep cold.

Cut into bars and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar to serve.  I recommend cutting with a pizza cutter.

**This recipe can be made gluten free by directly replacing the flour quantity with GF baking mix. I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose baking mix, which is supposed to be used with special additives but I didn't use them and it still came out great.  Nobody believes that they are GF!

Marinate & Penetrate 2 - Chicken Skewers

Try coating the chicken pieces with olive oil before skewering - it keeps the juices in and the meat will char enough to give flavor without being burned.

Easiest Chicken Marinade - just cut up the chicken pieces into a covered container or zipper storage bag, and add olive oil, soy sauce, and crushed garlic. (I buy the pre-crushed kind in a jar)  Let marinade for 30 minutes before skewering.  Grill on medium heat for 20+ minutes depending on size.


My thoughtful cousin gifted us with this grill basket.  It is terrific for veggies or seafood that you would normally cook on foil to keep from dropping through the grill grids.

I stuffed these huge mushrooms with a mix of butter, italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and chives. Mushrooms work out quite well on the grill - the moisture is able to drain away, leaving a nice solid texture to the mushroom.

Shishkebab is Easy! Just Marinate and Penetrate!

Shishkebab really is simple to prepare, but there are a few handy tips that can help:

If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes  - this will make them burn less on the grill so the ends don't break off when you handle them. Also, try going for double penetration. (ha)

Using two skewers for each gives more strength, and the food won't spin around when you move them.


Beef shishkebab needs to be cooked on high heat for 20 minutes, flipping once. Some veggies will accomodate this timeframe - onions, tomatoes, mushrooms.  Denser veggies like peppers or eggplant should be briefly boiled before skewering. Try shaking veggies in a plastic bag with a splash of salad dressing or white wine to give them a little zest.

Side dish suggestion: cold Greek Pasta Salad.

1 box orzo
1 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted and drained.
1 bottle caesar salad dressing (not creamy)
feta, green olives, tomatoes to taste

Cook orzo, rinse with cold water and drain well. Add remaining ingredients. Let blend in fridge for a couple hours.