The Tortoise Makes Calzones

I am not a speedy cook.

I take my time chopping vegetables. I love to let things simmer, and allow flavors to marry. I rarely prepare ingredients ahead of time, which can drag a recipe's "prep time" well into the 1 hour mark. Did I mention that I frequently spill things (like 3 pounds of mashed sweet potatoes) and thus must take lengthy breaks to clean up my messes?

Rachael Ray would cringe to watch me move through the kitchen at the speed of tortoise.

Tonight, however, I've got a speedy little number that even I, somehow, managed to produce in less than 30 minutes.

The evening began with a desperate craving for some stellar cheese. I'm talking good quality, rich in flavor, melt-in-your mouth cheese--a splurge well worth eating, right? Fortunately, we had some gorgonzola on hand, and a full carton of ricotta. Sounds like the beginning of something beautiful.

The result was Broccoli and Cheese Calzones from The Big Book of Vegetarian. Move over Pizza Hut and your smug little P' Zones. You couldn't compete with these if you tried (disclaimer: I've never actually had a P' Zone, but I imagine they don't hold a candle to The Book's pockets of broc & cheese).

Perhaps one of the most attractive qualities of this recipe is its versatility as a crowd-pleaser. Some of the more zealous meat-eaters out there often claim that vegetarian food is too "mousy" or not filling enough. But this recipe--of epic cheesy and tasty proportions--will undoubtedly satisfy even the firmest carnivores among us. Plus, it's ready in a jiffy (Wow. Did I just use the word jiffy?).

Eat up, friends :)

Broccoli & Cheese Calzones

(adapted from a recipe in Kathy Farrell-Kingsley's The Big Book of Vegetarian)

You could also add 3 chopped green onions to this recipe if you'd like. We didn't have any on hand, so I just omitted them!

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. package of frozen broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue cheese)
• 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 10 oz. tube refrigerated pizza dough

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the broccoli, ricotta, Gorgonzola, Asiago, and garlic powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2) Using a flour-coated rolling pin, roll pizza dough onto a floured surface. Divide into 4 squares/rectangles. Place approximately 1/3 - 1/2 cup of filling on one side of a dough square. Fold the other side of the dough square over, and seal the edges together. Repeat with remaining three dough squares.

3) Cut a slit in the top of each dough square (to allow steam to escape).

4) Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.

5) Love the cheesy goodness...