Spinach Calzone and Easy Fried Rice

You know you're a blogger when you're husband asks, "Aren't you going to take a picture of this for the blog?" :D

I've got two great recipes I want to share with you today, but before we get there.. watch this:

"Wait a second, why should you care what they think of you? When you're all alone, by yourself, do you like you? You don't have to try so hard, you don't have to give it all away. You just have to get up, you don't have to change a single thing." "Take your make up off, let your hair down. Take a breath, look in the mirror at yourself. Do you like you? 'Cause I like you"

Can I just say that I LOVE the movement taking place right now for women to empower themselves. :)

Now on to the food!

Mmm... spinach calzones! These were actually quite delicious and I hadn't planned on sharing them, but Judah told me I had to.

Spinach Calzones
     15 oz ricotta cheese
     2 eggs
     2 tbsp italian seasoning
     3 cups mozzarella cheese
     1 cup parmesan cheese
     10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
     salt and pepper to taste
     32 oz pizza dough (you can make your own with this recipe)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients (minus the dough) in a large bowl. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll out into circles. Fill each one with about a half cup of the filling, fold over and seal the dough edges. (I used a fork to press together the dough edges). Place on a cookie sheet or pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes. To avoid cheese gushing out, poke a hole in the top of each calzone.

I swear that is pizza sauce and not ketchup! haha But seriously, these were delicious. Not too cheesy, not too spinach-y. It was a perfect combination and definitely not greasy like pizza place calzones. 

We had a total of six calzones because Judah wanted to make a pizza too. I froze three of them to eat later in the week. I will let you all know how well they come out after thawing. Judah ate one the following day, after being refridgerated and said it still tasted great.


Want a quick, easy, healthy weeknight meal with endless possibilities? Here ya go:

Easy Fried Rice
     2-3 tsp sesame seed oil (available in the Chinese food section of Walmart)
     2-3 tbsp soy sauce
     1-3 cups day old rice
     1/2 cup - 2 cups vegetables - green onion and any other veggies you want
     1-2 eggs
     1/2-1 pound of meat of choice

So this recipe isn't very specific because it is entirely up to you how you want to make it!

First, pick your vegetables. I have tried green beans (about 1.5 cups), summer squash (2 small sized), and frozen peas (1/2 cup) and they all have worked great. Start with those in a large frying pan/wok and 1-2 tsp of sesame oil. Dice two-three stalks of green onion and mix those in with the vegetables. If your vegetables won't cook in 3-4 minutes, I recommend cooking them via a different method first (I had to boil the green beans for five minutes before putting them in the pan).

Next, pick your meat of choice, if using meat. You can use only one or two eggs for protein if you would like. Chicken is a popular option. I have only tried shrimp so far. You can cook them separately, or start them in the pan before the vegetables. When I used shrimp, I boiled them in water first for four minutes (I bought uncooked shrimp).

Add one or two eggs. If using meat, I would add only one egg, if using no meat, add two-three depending on how many people this meal is for. Mix the eggs with 1 tsp of sesame seed oil first for added flavor. Divide into small pieces as it cooks in the pan.

Add the leftover rice. You want to use day old rice because it tends to be drier, which benefits this dish. I have used freshly made rice - it just makes a mushier stir fry. For the two of us, I typically use 1.5-2 cups of cooked rice and we tend to have leftovers. Add 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce to the rice and mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined and heated through. Serve and enjoy!

This meal is meant to come together in literally 15-20 minutes from start to finish. Be sure to have all your ingredients out and ready before putting anything in the pan because it all cooks FAST. But it is extremely versatile and tastes great!

If you're someone who needs more exact instructions, this is the recipe I first used to make my first attempt at this recipe. But it really is so simple that I don't even need to look at it anymore!

The picture above and this one features white rice, shrimp, and peas:

Readers: what are your favorite fried rice ingredients?