Tomato, Spinach and Pesto Calzone

Healthy Lunch Box

In a bid to add more fruit and veg into kid's diets, Cancer Council NSW recently launched Healthy Lunch Box, an interactive website for parents to use with their children to plan and pack a healthy lunch box – it also features meal plans and healthy snack alternatives that all the family can enjoy.

Tomato, Spinach and Pesto Calzone

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

Dough:

8g sachet instant yeast

Pinch salt

1 tsp. caster sugar

¾ cup warm water

2 cups plain flour

2 tbsp. olive oil

Filling:

4 large handfuls baby spinach

1 cup ricotta

1 egg yolk

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water

2 tomatoes, diced

4 tbsp. basil pesto (see recipe)

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Combine the yeast, salt, sugar and warm water in a jug. Stir with a fork. Cover and set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the yeast mixture along with the olive oil. Mix to form dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic (approx. 8 minutes). Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover and set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Pre-heat oven to 220^oC. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Punch the dough with your fist and gently knead on a floured surface again. Divide into either 4 large balls or 8 small balls for kid sized calzones. Roll out on a floured surface with a rolling pin and shape into rounds.

Combine the spinach, ricotta and egg yolk in a large bowl. Mix well and then fold through the diced tomato.

Spread each calzone with a thin layer of pesto. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over one half of the round, leaving a 2.5cm border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold the other half of the dough over the spinach mixture, leaving the bottom 2cm border uncovered.

Pinch the edges of the dough together. Cut 3 steam vents in the top of the calzones, brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 8 minutes. Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Variation: Add ½ a medium eggplant, sliced and grilled and 100g sliced mushrooms for a vegie filled calzone.

Note: You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Simply divide into portions in freezer bags. When ready to use thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature on the bench top for approximately 30 minutes before shaping into your calzone.

1½ serves of vegies in each serve of this recipe.

Healthy Lunch Box, an initiative from Cancer Council NSW, is an interactive tool for parents to use with their children to plan and pack a healthy lunch box.

For more recipes please visit healthylunchbox.com.au.