Calzones

For 4

Dough:
1 T dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
1 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T olive oil
2.5 - 3 cups flour

Dissolve yeast mixture in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Mix well. Gradually add flour to from a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Separate dough into 4 or 6 even balls. Roll out balls into flat circles. Place calzone fillers on one half of the rolled out circles. Fold over and seal up the edges. Put on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until nicely brown. Serve with tomato sauce spooned on top of each calzone.

Filling ideas: mozzarella cheese, broccoli, fresh spinach, pepperoni, ham

What I learned while making this recipe: You'd think calzones would be hard to make, not true! One of the keys to making successful dough is the temperature of your house. When I made dough during the winter, it was about 68 degrees in our house and the dough was having a hard time rising. When I went to make the dough this summer, it was over 78 degrees in the house and that yeast went to town. My suggestion: if you're making this in cold temps (and your keeping the heat bill low), put the dough bowl on the stove while it preheats.

Recipe from Janice

The Chicken Wrap

For 2:
4 Tortillas
12 Frozen, pre-cooked chicken tenders
4 leafs o' lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Toppings can range from salad dressing to barbecue sauce

Warm chicken tenders. Assemble wraps as if you worked for a fast eatery cafe.

What I learned while making this recipe: Three things make this dish a good dinner: It has a satisfying mix of flavor, it's filling, and it's fast to make. Plus, I think you can buy something like unto it at McDonald's for a dollar, and make 4 at home for about the same price with better ingredients. At first I wasn't thinking the chicken tenders would be a good purchase, but once I got creative, I was able to come up with a meal containing all food groups. (Tortilla = grain, chicken = meat, cheese = dairy, tomato = fruit, vegetable = lettuce, dressing = oils/fats).

Recipe from the starting-to-think-of-semi-original-dishes Ashley

Apricot Chicken

For 4-6:
4 chicken breasts
1 bottle (8oz) Russian Salad Dressing
1 cup apricot jam
1 package (1 and 1/8oz) dry onion soup mix

Mix dressing, jam, and onion soup mix. Put chicken in 9X11 baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes.

What I learned while making this recipe: You can also use peach jam, which tends to be on sale a bit more than apricot. You can serve this with rice and peas for a delicious meal.

Recipe from a recipe card I have and thus remains a mystery

German Pancakes

For 2:
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
pinch salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Mix all together really well. Put it in a baking dish with 1/4 cup already melted butter. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

What I learned while making this dish: You can melt the butter in the oven while your mixing together the ingredients. Also, for lower calorie intake, you can cut the butter in half, or use even less, as long as it covers the bottom of the baking dish. I've gotten other German pancake recipes from people, but they always call for sugar. This recipe makes a delicious pancake that can be enjoyed with syrup, sugar, lemon juice, or just plain (that's how I like them). Eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Recipe from Bellz

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

For 4:
2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayo
1 stalk celery
1/2 onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Boil chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Chop celery and onions. Once the chicken is cooked, you can either shred it off with your fingers or cut it into small pieces. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve on bread. Croissants are always good, but you may not have them on hand.


What I learned while making this recipe: You don't have to wait while the chicken salad cools down through refrigeration. Eat this recipe warm, it's good.

Recipe from Janice