Making the best of it. Today that is.

Well.... Halloween is over. Thanksgiving still has quite a bit of time before its here....

Life is back to normal... Chad goes to work every morning. I go to the gym, clean and make dinner.... Same ole, same ole.... not that I'm complaining, just saying....

So how about a recipe, for a change. Here is a glimpse into my life. This is one of my tried and true recipes. I've made every element separately and together - and each one more than once.

Pesto Calzone

Ingredients:

Pizza dough/crust:
    * 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
    * 3/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
    * 2 cups bread flour (or All-Purpose)
    * 2 tablespoons olive oil
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 2 teaspoons white sugar
    (or you can just use store bought...)

Pesto:
    * 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (or up to
       half flat leaf parsley)
    * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    * 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
    * 1/3 cup pine nuts
    * 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced (can be
        roasted)
    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
       (or, again, you can just use store bought...)

Calzone:
    * 1 egg
    * 2 cups Mozzarella (+/- depending on your taste)
    * Whatever veggies and meats you like - we used
      basil, tomato, artichoke hearts and broccoli

1. Make pizza dough. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, olive oil, salt, white sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed (can use dough hook). Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

2. Make pesto - you'll only need about half this recipe for one calzone. In a food processor (or blender) combine the basil (and parsley) in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Then slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3. Preheat oven to 350 with a pan or pizza stone in it. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Once rolled out, to about 13 inches, only put toppings on half the dough - to an inch from the edge. Start with pesto, then pile the rest on (putting the cheese in the middle of everything works best). Beat an egg in a bowl. Brush egg onto that inch of crust. Fold other half over and fold/pinch/smoosh to seal the top to the bottom. Brush egg over top. Cut 3-4 inch long slits in top. Bake at 350, on hot pan, for 25ish minutes.

4. Once golden brown, slice it up and eat it. Delicious.

You could probably do a normal ole pizza sauce with this recipe too. That's what we always use to make pizza, using this same crust recipe (without the egg wash). Just make sure its not super liquid-y. And cooking these things on hot pans is the key to nicely cooked crust. Its all trial and error.

So there you have it. One of my recipes. Maybe I'll put one up here once in a while.