Recipe: Calzone with Home Made Turkey Sausage

For a picnic lunch on the boat I made a traditional Italian sandwich.  It was full of savory flavours from the cheese, oregano, white wine, fresh basil, and a plethora of spices from the home made turkey sausage.  The kids loved it (I told them it was a pizza sandwich).

It's heartwarming to serve a sandwich like this knowing everything that's in it.  No "mystery meats" or added sodium.  The basil came from our garden and I made a quick pesto with it prior to adding it into the sauce.

For easy serving on the boat, I wrapped individual sandwiches in foil.

BASIL PESTO
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded

Blend together with a food processor.  Add more oil if needed.

HOME MADE TURKEY SAUSAGE
from Heavenly Homemakers
1 lb ground turkey
3 Tbsp. minced onion
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. marjoram
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. sage
2 tsp. sea salt
1 egg

Mix all ingredients. Chill for about an hour. (If you forget to chill this ahead of time…it cooks up okay anyway!) Form into patties. Saute in butter.

CALZONE
from Southern Living 30 Years of Our Best Recipes
 
Dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
 
Combine yeast and warm water in a 1 cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.  Combine yeast mixture, salt, oil, and 1 cup flour in a large bowl; beat a medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.  Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to made a soft dough.
 
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).  This is where I added much of the extra flour.  Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.  Punch dough down; roll into a 14 x 10" rectangle.
 
Sauce
1/2 pound ground pork sausage (or home made turkey sausage - I had this already in the freezer)
1 6-ounce can tomatoe paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or home made pesto)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon seasame seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
 
Brown sausage in a large skillet 5 minutes, stirring until it crumbles.  (I added in my already cooked home made turkey sausage patties and broke them up).  Drain well; return to skillet.  Add tomatoe paste and wine; simmer 5 to 6 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in basil, 1 Table spoon fresh oregano, and 1 cup cheese.
 

Spread mixture in a 12 x 14" strip lengthwise down center of dough.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
 

Fold long sides of dough over filling, overlapping edges.  Pinch ends together to seal.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down.  Cover and let rise in a warm place.
 

Score top of loaf to allow steam to escape.  Combine egg and milk; beat with a wire whisk.  Brush loaf with egg mixture.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, dried oregano, and pepper.  Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until golden.
 
Printable Recipes
 
Enjoy!

from the book "The Children's Story Hour - Best Loved Poems"

1953 Spencer Press, Inc.

Recipe: Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

When you want to stay cool in the kitchen and have a day full of errands, the slow cooker is your best tool for a sucessful supper.  If I know I have a busy day ahead of me, I scan my slow cooker cook books for recipes based on the ingredients I have on hand. 

The sauce on these chicken sandwhiches came out sweet, even though I skipped adding the brown sugar called for in the recipe. The combination of ketchup, Worcestershire, red wine vinegar, celery seed, chili powder and hot pepper sauce was delicious and flavourful. Some slow cooked dishes can be very bland but the flavour in these stands up to long hours of heat.

I made these delicious sandwiches with some bone-in chicken breasts and leftover cooked turkey I had in the freezer.  I boiled them from frozen until the meat was cooked and ready to shred, which took about 45 minutes.  After you boil them, drain and run cold water over them until they are cool enough to handle for shredding.

BARBECUED CHICKEN SANDWICHES
from "Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups" cook book

2 broiler/fryer chickens (3 to 3-1/2 pounds each), cooked and shredded
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups water
1-1/4 cups ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I skipped this)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon each salt, celery seed and chili powder
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Hamburger Buns (see my home made version here)

In a 3-qt. slow cooker or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients except buns.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker (I made mine 3 hours on high), or simmer for 1-1/2 hours on the stovetop.  Serve on buns.  Yield: 8-10 servings.

Printable Recipe

Enjoy!

from the book "Children's Guide to Knowledge"
"Trees and Shrubs" by Marjorie Hartwell
and Charles Bradford
1971, Parents' Magazine Enterprises, Inc.