Football Calzones

Every year the boyfriend's parents throw a huuuuuuuuge Superbowl party.  So I decided to contribute some food this year instead of just showing up for the festivities! :)  I have been searching high and low for 2 months for just the right thing to bring.  I spend endless hours on pinterest, I did google searches, I looked at TON of blogs, and I just couldn't pick one!  (I picked 3 or 4 or 5.... you get the point)  So finally I stumble on some random post for food ideas on a party website and I'm browsing through the 15 or so ideas when I see..... football shaped calzones...!!!!! WHAT?!?! Mind blown.  Because who doesn't like bite size anything regarding pizza???  So I ventured forth to make a test run.  (The site didn't have any recipes, just the ideas themselves.  Even better!  I love to play with recipes!)

Now when it comes to pizza in my house, we love just about anything if it involves meat, cheese, and some yummy dough.  I've spent a ton of time researching doughs for various breads (because who doesn't like homemade bread??) and I now have two pizza dough recipes that I go for.  One is specifically made for a fast throw together pizza.  The dough doesn't need to rise.  The other, (my favorite of all time) is one that can be made with a mixer, a breadmaker, your hands, or whatever else you might want to try!  This is the dough used here in this recipe.

 I made cheesy bread with my leftover dough :)

Next I had to decide fillings!  You can't just have plain ol' pepperoni... That's just boring.  So after much thought and deliberation, I landed on pepperoni and buffalo chicken (since it IS the superbowl).  Time to get cookin!

Football Calzones

*Makes 18-24 depending on how thin you roll and what cutter you use

1 batch Soft, Chewy Pizza Dough

Pepperoni Filling:
1 Jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I as always use Classico and the Italian Sausage one is great to add to the pepperoni) **You'll use 1/4 C. for the filling and some more for dipping**
12-14 pepperoni sliced (cubed small!)
1/4 C. Mozzerella

Buffalo Chicken Filling:
1/3 C. Shredded Chicken (seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder)
3 Tbsp. Onion (minced)
1/4 C. Cheddar or bleu cheese
2-3 Tbsp. Favorite hot sauce (I get mine from a local pizza place but most people love Frank's Red Hot)

Egg Wash (1 Egg and 1 tsp. Water)

1.  Start out by making the dough.
2. Boil your chicken breast for 45 mins to shred for the filling.
3. Once the dough is done, put out on a floured surface and kneed for 3-4 mins.  Then put in a bowl and cover it for about 15-20 more mins.
4. Mix together the fillings.
5. Pull out the dough again and split into three balls.  Roll them out one at a time on a floured surface and make them as close to 1/8th of an inch as you can.  Use your chosen cookie cutter and start cutting.  Making sure you cut an even number for top and bottom.
6. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and put the bottoms on it.  Start adding the filling.  Try to stuff as full as possible by stacking it tall, not wide so you can still seal the edges.  Continue until you fill 2 sheets or until you run out of dough.
7. Once your 2 sheets are filled, take the tops and start pressing them around the edges.  You can use a fork to push the edges together for a nicer look.  *I tried to cut laces in the footballs but I didn't roll the dough thin enough so they just puffed up back together*
8. Set your oven to 400 degrees.  Just let the calzones sit uncovered during that time.
9. Mix up your egg wash.  When the oven is heated, generously slather the calzones with the egg wash and put them in the oven for 20 mins or until they're golden brown.
10. Serve with ranch, marinara, bleu cheese, more buffalo sauce, or whatever else your heart desires!

Full size calzones made with the extra fillings (I forgot the egg wash)

Protein Cookies!

I've been looking for something quick to grab and eat because I don't want to put any thought into my snacks during the day.  This treat is amaaaaaazing and chock full of protein so they're great for after a workout.  I played with a recipe off pinterest and made it my own!  :) They're not for those who don't like bananas though!  Fair warning!!! Another note would be that these don't have ANY flour or sugar!!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Protein Cookies! (Wow mouthful)

*Makes 20 cookies (depending on the size)

2 Ripe Bananas (mashed)
2/3 C. Peanut Butter
1/3 C. Apple Sauce
1 Scoop Protein Powder (vanilla or chocolate work great)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 C. Oats (quick or old fashioned and uncooked)
1/4 C. Favorite Nuts (chopped)
1/4 C. Dark Chocolate Chips
3 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

1. Mash the banana and mix in the peanut butter.  Fun fact, it's super easy with a pastry cutter!!!
2. Add the apple sauce, protein powder and vanilla extract and mix well again.
3. Add oatmeal, nuts, and chocolate chips.
4. Let this sit for 10 mins.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Add the chia seeds right before you pop them in the oven.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and put spoonfuls of mixture and mash down into cookie shapes.  I dumped spoonfuls into a cookie cutter for fun shapes!  Hearts and stars.
6. Cook for 25-30 mins.
7. Pull them out and cool on sheet for 5 mins and then move to a cooling rack.

These last about a week but they freeze!  So keep a few out and freeze the rest!  Just pull em out early in the morning if you think you'll need a protein boost after a workout!

Beef Jerky, What What!

My mother used to make beef jerky whenever a cut of london broil was on sale (which in my hometown is like once a year).  I would dream about it all the time and now that I'm all grown up, I can make my own!  While I don't have a dehydrator, I make use of the most basic thing in my kitchen, the oven!

Beef Jerky

 I made too much and it didn't all fit! O.o

*Marinades 2-3 lbs of meat

Allergen Tips:
Choose a gluten free soy sauce made by Kikkoman or Tamari.
Stay away from the liquid smoke to keep it g-free!

2-3 lbs of Meat (I use flank or london broil because of the low fat content)
1/2 C. Soy Sauce
1/3 C. Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Pepper
Here is where you can play with it a bit.
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke or 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar or once you finish a layer, sprinkle it heavy with more pepper for that extra spicy kick!
*You'll need a lot of paper towels for this*

1. Slice your meat against the grain in very small slices and put them in a container or a ziploc gallon size bag. (you might consider splitting this into two bags and either freezing one after you add the marinade because there's not enough room for all the meat in one batch.\

 2. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and pour into or over the meat.
3. Make sure the meat gets covered well by the marinade and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
4. Once it's done marinating, dump the bag into a bowl or just pull out the container.
5. Doing small batches at a time, spread the meat out on paper towels and dab to get the loose marinade off of it.  *Set the oven to the lowest setting, as close to 140 degrees as you can get it!)
6. I use stackable cooling racks and lay the meat out as close together as I can get it.  Other ways to do it would be to use a skewer and thread the top of the meat and hang these from the oven rack on the highest slot in the oven.  Either way, I have a cookie sheet underneath to catch anything that drips.
7. As you get the jerky ready for the oven, you might consider adding seasonings to give it that extra pop (i.e. peppered jerky, or red pepper flakes).
8. Once all the meat is ready to go, put it in the oven and prop the oven open with a wooden spoon for just a little circulation.
9. Depending on how thick your meat was sliced, cook for 5-9 hours.  To tell if it's ready, it should crack a bit when you fold it in half but not snap.
10. Pull the jerky out and let it fully cool before you package it up.  You can freeze it in jars for up to 4 months or keep it in the fridge for 1-2 months depending on how fatty your cut of meat was.
11. ENJOY and don't eat it all in one sitting!!!

(These facts are using london broil not flank!!)

(Serving size is 4-6 pieces depending on how thick or long you cut them)

Gotta Use Them Pumpkin Seeds

It's that time again, Halloween is actually tomorrow and everyone is carving pumpkins.  I have had at least 3 people ask me recently if I have a recipe to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.  So here's for all you carvers looking to not waste those seeds!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 1/2 C. Pumpkin Seeds
1 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
1 1/2 tsp. Salt or Garlic Salt
Any other seasonings if you're feeling adventurous (Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Cajun Seasoning, etc)

1. Boil seeds in pretty salty water for 20 mins.  Drain and lay out on a sheet for 24 hours to dry out.
2. Set oven to 300 degrees.
3. Melt butter, add to seeds and seasonings in a bowl, mix well.
4. Spread on 1-2 cookie sheets making SURE that it's flat layer with no overlaps to ensure the baking.
5. Cook for 45 mins stirring occasionally.
6. Let them cool and TADA! Snack time!