Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones

These lentil mushroom feta calzones are the perfect picnic food, easy to transport and even easier to eat. The filling is tasty and the crust divine. 

I made these into four large calzones to feed four hungry people but the dough and filling could be easily divided into small portions to make more smaller calzones. The combination of lentils, mushrooms and feta creates a hearty filling that even the carnivores in your family will enjoy. 

Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones

The folding technique for the edges of the calzones is one that is employed by the bakers of the traditional Cornish pasty. Except I like to leave the little tail out rather than tucking in under. Check out how here: Cousin Jack's Pasty Co.

Ingredients

For the dough:

3/4 cup or 180ml lukewarm water (not hot)

1 teaspoon active-dry yeast

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 cups or 250g strong bread flour, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon salt

Drizzle olive oil for the dough bowl

For the filling:

1/2 cup or 110g uncooked or 1 1/8 cups or 220g cooked/rinsed Puy (French) lentils (If you are cooking them, boil with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda till tender. Drain and rinse.)

6 1/3 oz or 180g baby portabella mushrooms

2-3 medium cloves garlic

Drizzle of oil for the cooking pan

1 medium tomato – about 4 2/3 oz or 130g, cut into small pieces

1 fresh jalapeño, optional but recommended, chopped 

Method

Put the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Pour in the warm water and give it a stir. Set aside for a few minutes. It should start to get foamy on top. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the flour and salt together. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix well to form a soft dough.

Using the dough hook on the stand mixer, or kneading by hand against the counter, knead the dough until it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you poke it, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to the bowl or your hands, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it’s easier to work with.

Avoid adding too much flour if possible. I didn’t add any this time whereas the last time, I added two tablespoons. This is the sort of thing that can change with your flour and the humidity in the air. 

If you're planning to make the calzones today, then give the dough a rise. Clean out the mixing bowl, coat it with a little oil, and transfer the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Alternatively, you can store the dough in the fridge and make the calzones the next day. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 

Either way, make the filling which can also be stored in the refrigerator overnight or cooled and used the same day. 

Put the cooked, rinsed lentils in a mixing bowl that is large enough to hold all of the filling ingredients, with room to stir. 

Clean and chop the mushrooms and mince the garlic. 

Drizzle a little oil into a big the pot and add the garlic. 

Cook it briefly, making sure it doesn’t burn, then add the mushrooms. 

Cook them until golden. Add them to the lentil bowl. 

Add the tomato and jalapeño, if using, to the now empty pot along with another drizzle of oil. 

Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the tomato and jalapeño are well cooked and slump into a paste. Add the paste to the lentil/mushroom bowl and stir well. Leave to cool. 

Once the rest of the filling is cool, crumble the feta and gently fold it in. 

Take the dough out of the refrigerator about half an hour before you are ready to bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Divide the dough into four balls.

Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle about 7 in or 17.75cm across. 

Put about 1/4 of the cooled filling (about 5 1/3 oz or 150g) on one side of the circle.

Gently lift the other side up and over, pressing the air out as you stick the edges of the two halves together.

Starting on one side of the semi circle, crimp the edges to seal the calzones. (See note above the ingredient list for a link to an instructional video.) Repeat until all of the calzones have been filled and formed.

Transfer the calzones to your baking tray, leaving enough room between them so that they can rise while baking. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil.

Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed.

These can be eaten hot or at room temperature. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and since it’s National Picnic Month, we are going on a picnic! Hope the weather is fine where you live. Check out all the great recipe links below. Many thanks to our host, Camilla at Culinary Cam!

• A Crostini Array by Culinary Cam
• Bacon & Chive Deviled Eggs with Hot Honey by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chocolate Truffle Cookies by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Eggless Brookies - Brownie Cookies by Sneha's Recipe
• Grill Cake (and Vanilla Cake Recipe) by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones by Food Lust People Love
• Lobster Roll Pasta Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mayo-less Tuna Salad by Our Good Life

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Mixed Mushroom Soft Bread Sticks #BreadBakers

These mixed mushroom soft bread sticks are flavored with dried mushrooms, ground to a powder. They impart a hint of umami that complements the garlic. 

When our Bread Bakers host for April picked “mushrooms” for our theme, I debated about what to make. First thoughts were 1. either something with mushrooms as an ingredient or 2. with mushrooms as a topping. 

But as I started to explore my options, I came across a site selling mushroom powder and was intrigued. I have Trader Joe’s Umami Seasoning in the cupboard which contains both porcini and white mushroom powder, along with a few other seasonings. It’s great sprinkled on almost anything savory. 

Since I always have dried mushrooms in the pantry, I decided I’d make my own mushroom powder and incorporate it in a bread stick recipe. While I did have a bag of just shiitakes, the mixed bag seemed like a better idea for depth of flavor. 

Mixed Mushroom Soft Bread Sticks

This recipe is adapted from one on Woodland Foods, where they also sell dried mushroom powder, if you can't be bothered to make your own. It makes eight long bread sticks but if you prefer, you can divide them in half to make 16 shorter ones. 

Ingredients

1 cup or 240ml warm water, divided

1 rounded teaspoon active dry yeast

2  2/3 cups or 332g flour, plus extra for dusting

1/4 oz or 7g mixed dried mushrooms (or any single variety)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 small clove garlic, mashed and minced

Optional for finishing: Extra melted butter and flakey sea salt. 

Method

Brush the dried mushrooms with a clean, dry brush to remove any dirt or dust. 

Use a spice grinder to grind the mushrooms to a powder. I use a coffee bean grinder that I reserve for only spices which works great. 

Place 1/4 cup warm water and the sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle in yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Assuming your yeast has bubbled up and is active, add in the flour, 2 tablespoons of the butter, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 3/4 cup or 180ml of water and most of the ground mushrooms, leaving a half teaspoon or so for brushing on with butter before baking. 

Mix with paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms.

Switch to the dough hook and knead until the dough is very smooth and soft, about five minutes. 

Turn the dough out only a floured surface. Cut it into eight equal pieces and roll them each into a ball. Roll the balls out into 14-inch or 35cm long bread sticks. 

I’m lazy so I kept mine long so that I didn’t have to leave space between the end of the bread sticks which would probably meant having to bake them in two batches. 

 

As you roll them out, arrange the bread sticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with cloth or cling film, and let rise in warm spot until almost doubled.

 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Melt the remaining butter. Mix the melted butter with the remaining ground mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Brush the mixture onto the bread sticks.

Bake the bread sticks in the preheated oven until golden, about 13-15 minutes.

If desired, brush the breadsticks with a little extra melted butter and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. 

Enjoy warm or at room temperature. 

My taste testers all agreed that while the mushroom flavor wasn’t prominent, the mushroom powder definitely added umami to the bread sticks. 

Enjoy! 

It’s the second Tuesday of the month so that means it’s Bread Baker time! Check out mushroom recipes we are sharing below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pan Pizza from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cheesy Mushroom Calzone from Sneha’s Recipe

Wild Mushroom Flatbread from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mushroom Swiss Bread from Palatable Pastime

Mixed Mushroom Soft Bread Sticks from Food Lust People Love

Porcini Swirl Bread from A Messy Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Creamy White Bean Mushroom Pasta

This Creamy White Bean Mushroom Pasta is full of flavor from brown butter, baby bella mushrooms and a healthy helping of salty feta. Comfort food for sure!

Let me just say right now that this is not the prettiest dish I’ve ever made. Those dark mushrooms are super flavorful, cooked in brown butter, but they aren’t very attractive. Would I prefer some golden chanterelles for this? Of course. But who can afford that many chanterelles? If only they weren’t so expensive.

No worries though because I can assure you that when you taste this pasta, its looks won’t matter! 

I’m often on the lookout for meat-free meals that are made with plant proteins like beans and legumes and are, of course, super tasty. That way no one misses the meat. This dish feels indulgently creamy because of the blended beans but when divided between six people, the calorie count per portion is quite reasonable. If you've been eating too many holiday treats, this dish will help balance that out.

Creamy White Bean Mushroom Pasta

This recipe is adapted from a vegan one on BiancaZapatka.com. I had good intentions on keeping it vegan but I didn’t have any non-dairy cream. And if I was going to use cow cream anyway, I might as well brown some butter, right? In for a penny, in for a pound, the feta at the end boosted the creaminess, salt and flavor. Its addition was also a good decision.

Ingredients to serve six

1 lb or 450g pasta of your choice (I like linguine.)

For the sauce:

1/4 cup or 60g butter

2 lbs or 900g baby bella mushrooms 

1/2 large onion (about 5.1 oz or 145g)

4 cloves garlic

1 can (15oz or 425g) white beans, drained and rinsed (I used navy beans.)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2/3 cup or 155ml cream

1/2 cup or 120ml vegetable broth

7 oz or 200g feta cheese, crumbled

Freshly ground black pepper

For garnish:

fresh parsley, optional

To serve:

Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, optional

Method

Clean the mushrooms and cut off any hard stem ends. Slice a third of them, cut the second third in bite-sized pieces and chop the last third. (Or cut them all one way. I just like the mix of textures when they are cooked.)

Peel and dice the onion finely. Peel and roughly chop the garlic cloves.

Rinse and drain the white beans and blend them with the cream, nutritional yeast and chopped garlic cloves in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to blend smooth, you can thin it with some of the vegetable stock. It’s all going into the pan together eventually.

Heat the butter in a pan and cook until the milk solids separate and the butter browns. 

If you need better instructions on browning butter, check out this link: https://www.cookingactress.com/2013/04/browned-butter-how-to.html My friend, Kayle, will show you how to do it. 

Add the mushrooms to the brown butter and pop the lid on your pan. 

Cook covered until the mushrooms release their liquid, stirring occasionally. This takes just a few minutes over a high heat.

Take the lid off the pan and keep cooking them until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are relatively dry and golden.

Add in the diced onions and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until they are softened and translucent.

In the meantime, cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.

Once the onions have softened, add the vegetable broth and the bean puree to the pan. 

Stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil then turn it down to simmer for a few minutes.

Add in the crumbled feta and a few grinds of black pepper. 

Stir to combine and warm the feta through.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain off the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce to serve.

Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and put freshly grated Parmesan on the table so folks can help themselves.

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are all sharing pasta for the holidays. Check out all the links below. Many thanks to our host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Christmas Penne Pasta from Making Miracles
• Creamy Basil Sauce Served With Spaghetti Pasta -Vegetarian from Sneha’s Recipe
• Creamy White Bean Mushroom Pasta from Food Lust People Love
• Shrimp and Crab Stuffed Shells from Palatable Pastime
• Spinach Ravioli with Pan Fried Scallops from Our Good Life
• Tenderloin Tips over Lemony Pappardelle from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Kale from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce from Mayuri’s Jikoni

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon (Instant Pot)

Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon is rich and flavorful, a hearty comforting meal for cold winter nights, made quicker than usual in an Instant Pot. 

Normally beef bourguignon requires a long slow braise to tenderize the meat, which is all very fine and well if you have the time. If I’m being honest, these days I mostly do. That said, ever since our kitchen renovation early in 2020 when I was cooking in my Instant Pot in the laundry room, I’ve been enamored with that small appliance. Why not use it? 

The Instant Pot makes short work of a long braise (35 minutes!) and best of all, there’s only one pot to clean. Whenever my mom sees me taking it out, she wonders what my grandmother would have thought of such a thing. As a working woman still expected to put a meal on the table every day, I think she would have been intrigued. I know she used her pressure cooker and this is just a more efficient one. 

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, by all means fry the bacon, brown the beef and sauté the onions and celery in a skillet on the stove, then transfer the whole lot into a slow cooker. Add the stock, wine, carrots and mushrooms and cook on high for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is tender. 

Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon

A traditional beef bourguignon does include mushrooms but they are definitely a supporting player for the star beef. In this recipe, I’ve significantly upped the amount of mushrooms and used “beefier” baby bellas instead of the standard white mushrooms, cutting larger ones in quarters and halving smaller ones. This is a great way to both stretch your beef budget and make this a healthier meal. 

Ingredients

1 lbs 10oz or 740g top sirloin beef

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup or 31g all-purpose flour

Olive oil

3 slices thick-cut bacon, (about 4 oz or 115g) 

2 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 7 1/4 oz or 205g)

3 celery stalks (about 3 1/2 oz or 100g)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 9 1/3 oz or 265g)

1 lb or 450g fresh baby bella mushrooms, cleaned

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup or 240ml dry red wine plus extra for the cook

2 cups or 480ml beef broth

For a slurry to thicken the sauce:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons cold water

Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Method

Trim the fat and gristle off of the beef and discard. Cut the meat into small chunks. Sprinkle the chunks liberally with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Peel the onion and carrots. Finely chop the onion and celery stalks. Cut the carrot into chunks. 

Trim any hard stems off of the mushrooms and quarter the larger ones. Halve the smaller ones.

Sprinkle the seasoned beef with some of the flour. I have a small sieve I use for this purpose and it works really well to get even coverage. Toss the beef pieces around a little and keep sprinkling the flour on until the beef is evenly coated. 

Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode adjusted to medium heat (the middle light). Fry the bacon in the pot until it is crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a plate and set aside.

Add the cubed chuck to your Instant pot in batches so that you don't overcrowd the pot, and sear it for 3-4 minutes, using tongs to turn the meat and sear all sides.

When the brown crust is formed, it will release from the Instant Pot so just be patient. Remove each batch of beef once seared. Set aside. I piled mine up on top of the bacon. 

Turn the Instant Pot off and add in the onions and celery. 

Let them sit without stirring for a few minutes. The residual heat from the sauté function will continue to cook them and when you do start stirring, you will be able to use a wooden spoon or spatula to free all the browned goodness from the bottom of the Instant Pot. 

Now turn the sauté function back on and set it to low. Continue to cook the celery and onion until they are softened, about five minutes. Add the beef chunks and the bacon back into the pot. Stir well to mix the vegetables and the beef. 

Pour in the stock and red wine. 

Add in the fresh thyme then the carrots. 

Now pile in the mushrooms. Do not stir! For optimum tenderness, we want to be sure the beef is completely covered by the stock and wine.

Cook on the stew setting under pressure for 35 minutes. When time is up, turn the Instant Pot off. Use a towel to cover the steam lever and carefully release the pressure. 

Remove the lid. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef, carrots and mushrooms and put them in a large bowl. 

According the markings on the inside of the Instant Pot, you should have about 3 cups of liquid left in the pot. Cook on the sauté high setting for about 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by one third, that is to say you will have two cups left. 

Make a slurry of the cornstarch and cold water. Turn the Instant Pot off and whisk constantly as you pour the slurry in. Since the pot is still very hot, it should thicken right up. 

Add the beef, mushrooms and carrots back in and stir gently to coat them with the sauce. Have a taste and add a little fine sea salt and black pepper as needed. 

Serve with some extra thyme leaves for garnish, if desired. This is great over white rice or mashed potatoes. 

Enjoy!

It's MultiCooker Monday! Check out all the small appliance cooked dishes my friends are sharing today. Many thanks to our group leader and host, Sue of Palatable Pastime. 

• Air Fryer Salmon from Making Miracles
• Air Fryer Taquitos from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Beef and Mushroom Bourguignon - Instant Pot from Food Lust People Love
• Game Day Crockpot Frozen Chicken Breasts from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Nepali Style Vegetable Pulao-Pressure Cooker from Sneha's Recipe
• Port Braised Short Ribs (Instant Pot) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pumpkin Pie Spiced Vegan Pumpkin and Green Gram Curry from Magical Ingredients
• Southern Style Green Beans (Instant Pot) from Palatable Pastime

Multicooker Monday is a blogger group created by Sue of Palatable Pastime for all of us who need encouragement to make better use of our small appliances like slow cookers, Instant Pots, Air Fryers, rice cookers and sous vide machines. We get together every third Monday of the month to share our recipes. If you are a food blogger who would like to post with us, please request to join our Facebook group. 

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Buttery Pearl Barley Mushroom Pilaf

This buttery pearl barley mushroom pilaf is a wonderful holiday side dish made with garlic, thyme, white wine and Pecorino. This recipe is easily doubled or trebled if you are fortunate enough to have family around this year.

Welcome back to Holiday Side Dish Week! My fellow bloggers and I have a whole new list of tasty recipes for you. Make sure you scroll down to the bottom to see them all. No more excuses for serving the same old side dishes! And in the case of my recipe today, the same old starches. 

I must confess that three starches - potatoes, rice and pasta – feature regularly on our family menu. And we love them all! Of course, all three can be used in a variety of recipes and cooking methods but they are still, at the end of the day, potatoes, rice and pasta. 

Do you ever get tired of the same old starches: potatoes? I do! That’s why I’m always on the lookout for other starches that can be served instead like bulgur wheat, Israeli couscous, chickpeas, lentils or freekeh, just to name a few. 

I had originally bought the pearl barley for the traditional British beef and barley soup but as I looked at the packet, I thought, hmmm, looks somewhat like risotto rice! And I created this dish instead. 

Buttery Pearl Barley and Mushrooms

This dish is rich and creamy, rather like risotto without the faff of standing and stirring forever. The pearl barley has a similar al dente bite that we love. I hope you’ll give it a try. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup or 110g dried pearl barley

8.8 oz or 250g small mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup or 60ml dry white wine

3 1/2 oz or 100g Pecorino cheese, finely grated

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

To serve: 

fresh thyme leaves

grated Pecorino cheese

good quality extra virgin olive oil

Method

Cover the pearl barley with about 1 1/2 cups or 355ml cold water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the fire down and simmer until tender, about 45-50 minutes, checking the water level from time to time and adding more, if needed. 

Clean the mushrooms cut off any hard parts of the stems then slice them. Thinly slice the garlic.

In a small saucepan, fry the mushroom slices in the butter until they release all of their liquid and turn a golden brown.

Add in the garlic and fry for a few more minutes. Do not let the garlic burn!

When the garlic is softened, add in the white wine and cook the mushrooms for a few more minutes until the wine evaporates. 

When the pearl barley is just tender, strain it out of the cooking water, saving the water.

Add the barley to the mushroom pan. Stir well. Turn the fire down to a quick simmer. 

Add in about 1/2 cup or 120ml of the cooking water, the grated Pecorino and the fresh thyme leaves.

Add a few generous grinds of black pepper and salt to taste and simmer for just a few more minutes.

To serve, top the pilaf with a few more thyme leaves and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Put out the Pecorino in case people want to add a bit more on top. In our family, they always do! 

Enjoy! 

Check out all the lovely holiday side dishes we are sharing today. Many thanks to our host and organizer, Heather of Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks.

• Air Fried Green Beans with Crispy Onions by West Via Midwest
• Apple and Kohlrabi Slaw by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Bacon by Lemon Blossoms
• Buttery Pearl Barley Mushroom Pilaf by Food Lust People Love
• Cheesy Asparagus Bake by The Fresh Cooky
• Couscous with Cumin and Pine Nuts by Shockingly Delicious
• Cranberry Pecan Cornbread Mini Bites by The Freshman Cook
• Creamed Corn by Savory Experiments
• Creamy Cheesy Brussel Sprouts with Bacon by Blogghetti
• Farro Salad with Apples, Arugula & Feta by Sweet Beginnings
• Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Palatable Pastime
• Loaded Cauliflower Casserole by Cheese Curd in Paradise
• Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes by Family Around the Table
• Persimmon Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette by The Foodie Affair
• Rice Pilaf with Dried Cranberries and Almonds by An Affair from the Heart
• Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad by Kate's Recipe Box
• Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese and Pecans by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples by Devour Dinner
• Sausage Stuffing by House of Nash Eats
• Wild Rice and Broccoli Casserole by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Wild Rice and Sprouts Pilaf by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
  
  

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