A calzone is a folded pizza, made from pizza dough and stuffed with cheese, ham or vegetables. The dough is traditionally folded over, sealed on one edge and baked or deep-fried - however, we can add a little bit of a healthy twist to the original Italian recipe by removing the deep-fry part from the equation and replacing the ham with boneless, skinless chicken breast (which will cut most of the fat and sodium intake). This recipe will yield six smaller calzones, which are the ideal size to be packed away and enjoyed at work, along with a fresh vegetable salad. If you're vegetarian, simply replace the chicken with 1 pound of sliced mushrooms and 1/3 cup chopped onions, sautéd together in a teaspoon of olive oil.
What you need (for 6 servings)
1 frozen whole-wheat bread dough loaf (16 ounces, thawed, not risen)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10 ounces (1 standard package) frozen chopped spinach (thawed, drained)
8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
How you do it
First of all, preheat the oven to 350 F. In a nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chicken breasts whole, turning them when needed so that they turn a light golden brown. This shouldn't take longer than 10 - 15 minutes at most. Set aside and when cooled cut the chicken breasts into small cubes.
In a small bowl, blend together the spinach, Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, parsley, garlic and one of the egg whites. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the remaining egg white. Then, cut the dough into six pieces and on a floured surface, press each piece into an oval, about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide.
Take each dough oval, brush the edges with the beaten egg white then add the filling in the center: 1/6 of the chicken cubes and 1/6 of the spinach mixture on top. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together. Crimp with a fork, and place the calzones on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray or olive oil. Bake until brown and slightly crispy.
Nutritional information (per 1 calzone):
Calories - 359
Cholesterol - 60 mg
Protein - 33 g
Carbohydrate - 40 g
Fiber - 4 g
Total fat - 9 g (out of which saturated fat - 2 g)
Monounsaturated fat - 2 g
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