This is how it really goes down at our house. We get a hankering for pizza, and we plan proper. With just a little planning, these tempeh calzones can be in your life with the snap of two fingers.
Calzone Secrets
One of the secrets I have for awesome pizzas whenever I want them is keeping pizza crusts in your freezer at the ready. You don’t ever want to make pizza crusts before you want pizza. I use the recipe from the Break Baker’s Apprentice for pizza. I keep saying pizza, but basically calzones are pizzas folded over on themselves.
The second secret is to always have tomato paste on hand. It makes an awesome, quick and simple tomato sauce. It’s invaluable for those sudden pizza craving attacks!
This lovely morsel does come together pretty quick – it’s just a matter of getting your fillings prepared. In this case we season tempeh with fennel, which gives it a bit of a sausage flavor, and throw in some mushrooms and onions for good measure. Add sauce and cheese, and voila! I definitely prefer this over pizza any day. Enjoy!
Tempeh Calzones
Ingredients
- 2 Induvidual Pizza Crusts
- 4 Teaspoons Olive Oil extra virgin, divided
- 8 Ounces Tempeh
- 3/4 Teaspoon Salt divided
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Fennel seed
- 1/2 Cup Mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 Cup Onion sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chile Flake
- 1/4 Cup Vegetable Stock
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
- Semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- Take your pizza crusts out of the refrigerator 2 hours before you want to dine.
- Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Crumble the tempeh into small, bite sized pieces, 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces. Add the tempeh to a medium sized bowl, and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and fennel seed.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and tempeh mixture. Cook and toss occasionally until heated through, and browned on all sides, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add in the mushrooms and onions, cooking until seared, and translucent, about 4 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the tomato paste, vegetable stock and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- On a pizza peel or pan, generously scatter semolina flour (you can also use cornmeal). Arrange your crusts to about 12 inches in diameter, and set on the peel. Divide sauce between the crusts, keeping the sauce on one half only, and leaving an inch from the edge. Divide the tempeh mixture on top of the sauce, and then the cheese. Fold the crust over, and twist the two edges together, folding up and over from the outside of the crust, twisting and crimping as you work along the calzone’s edge.
- With a serrated knive, make three diagonal cuts in the calzone for venting. With your pizza peel, place your calzones on your pizza stone, and bake for 10 minutes. You can also leave the calzones on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper if you don’t have a pizza stone.
- Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Cut in half, and serve!
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