Spicy Beef Curry Calzones #BakingBloggers

Spicy Beef Curry Calzones feature a thick rich beef curry inside and a soft naan bread outside. They are like eating your curry by scooping it up with naan, but in a less messy, more portable way.

This month our theme for Baking Bloggers is, you might have guessed, calzones. If I can be honest, I was sorely tempted to call these guys Spicy Beef Curry Naan-zones. But I was afraid no one would know what I meant.

Sure, I could have made a calzone with a more traditional Italian filling, as some of my fellow bloggers have done - and they all sound delicious! Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the list. But everything you see on this blog is made in my kitchen and consumed by my family or friends. (And occasionally the folks at my husband’s office.) And I really, really felt like eating curry!

Spicy Beef Curry Calzones or Naan-zones

Nothing fancy about the spicy beef curry, except the addition of carrots and peas because I love the pops of color in the deep red sauce. (And we should all eat more peas.) The outer bread itself is made by adapting my favorite naan bread recipe so this is a traditional combo, just put together in a non-traditional way, probably offending both Italian and Indian mamas. I'm sorry (not sorry) they are so good!

Ingredients - for 8 calzones
For the beef curry:
4 oz or 120ml all butter ghee or sub a light oil like canola
1 lb or 450g tender beef, cut in 1 in or 2cm cubes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cardamom pods
1 short stick cinnamon (3 in or 8cm) or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 14oz /400g can chopped tomatoes
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut in pea sized cubes
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup or 60g frozen peas, thawed
salt
pinch sugar

For the naan dough:
1  (.25 ounce or 7g) package active dry yeast
1 3/4 cups or 415ml warm water
1/8 cup or 25g sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 - 5 cups or 560-625g flour
1/4 cup or 60g butter or ghee, melted

Method
Heat a lidded frying pan over a medium heat and add the ghee or oil. Fry the meat cubes in batched until lightly browned on all sides, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, cover and set aside.

Add the spices and fry for 1 minute making sure you just toast them. Don't let them burn! Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook over a low heat until soft.

Return the beef to the pan, add the can of tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender.

Add the potato and carrot about halfway through the cooking time. Right at the end, add the peas. Season with salt and sugar to taste when done.  Set aside to cool. Once cool, fish through the curry and remove the cinnamon stick, if using, and cardamom pods. No one wants to bite into them in the middle of a lovely calzone.

Meanwhile, get on with making the naan dough.

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with one teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. (If it doesn't foam up, your yeast is dead. Buy some more and start again.)

Stir in the rest of the sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. You may not use all of the flour.

Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise.

Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume. Punch down dough. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll them into balls, and place on a floured tray or plate.

Sprinkle lightly with flour. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Near the end of the second rising, preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and line your baking pans with baking parchment or silicone liners.

Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle about 8 1/2 in or 22cm across. Dampen the edges of the circle with water using your clean hands or a pastry brush. Put about 1/2 cup or 125g of cooled spicy beef curry 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. Continue until all of the calzones have been filled and formed.

Transfer the calzones to your baking trays, leaving enough room between them so that they can rise while baking. (I was overly cautious and put two to a pan but truly, three would have fit.) Brush the tops lightly with melted ghee or butter.

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

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month's host (and organizer) of Baking Bloggers, Sue of Palatable Pastime. Check out all the lovely calzones we are sharing this month.

• 100% Whole Wheat Veggie Calzone by Sneha's Recipe
• All Mixed Up Calzone by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Calzoni Quattro Stagioni by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Classic Ham and Ricotta Calzone by Palatable Pastime
• Loaded Vegetable Calzone by Hardly A Goddess
• Mushroom Spinach and Goat Cheese Calzone by Our Good Life
• Spicy Beef Curry Calzones by Food Lust People Love
• Spinach, Ricotta, and Three-Meat Calzone by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Toddler Friendly Calzones by A Day in the Life on the Farm

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Fresh Pear Walnut Cranberry Salad

Sweet, sharp and crunchy, this fresh pear walnut cranberry salad is the perfect accompaniment to any rich dish, especially one made with blue cheese.

A couple of days ago I shared a recipe for a potato chip crust savory cheesecake and promised to add the side salad soon. Here it is!

Fresh Pear Walnut Cranberry Salad

This recipe is easily doubled or even trebled. Serve it with your favorite quiche or my savory cheesecake.

Ingredients
For the dressing:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons walnut vinegar (or sub white balsamic)
2 tablespoons canola or other light salad oil
1/2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
3 tablespoons thinly sliced onion (1/2 a small one or about 20g)
3 medium pears
small handful dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup or about 8-9 walnut halves
Optional: watercress – I added some in at the last minute before serving, so that it didn’t wilt before we could eat it.

Method
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and add in the onions. Leave them to marinate for about 10 minutes. This accomplishes two goals: to mellow the sharp burn of the onions and to infuse the dressing with a delightfully mild onion flavor.

Core and cut your pears into thin slices, stirring them into the dressing as you do, which will stop them turning brown.

Add in the cranberries and walnuts and stir well. Refrigerate, covered with cling film, until ready to serve. Toss with a few handfuls of watercress just before serving, if desired.

Enjoy!

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Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake #FoodieExtravaganza

This crunchy potato chip crust savory cheesecake makes a great main course for Sunday brunch or a light dinner.  It’s also pretty fabulous cold in a packed lunch the next day, if you are lucky enough to have leftovers.

This month my Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating potato chips in anticipation of National Potato Chip Day, which is March 14. Our wonderful host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories encouraged us to make a dish, sweet or savory, that includes potato chips or to make our own homemade potato chips.

I’ve adapted this recipe from a Warm Roquefort Cheesecake created by the great Delia Smith so I’ve kept “cheesecake” in the title, but I must confess that it strikes me more as a quiche than a cheesecake. The texture is light and definitely more on the eggy side. In fact, my husband came through the door after work, as it sat on the wire rack cooling and said, “Ohh, quiche for dinner.” “I know, right?” I had to reply.

Delia, Delia, Delia. Never mind. You are still one of my idols.

Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake

I have made a couple of savory cheesecakes before and loved them. Both were appetizers, the first a Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Spices,  the second a Savory Zucchini Cheesecake, baked in a Bundt pan. That’s why this recipe so appealed to me. Plus, I love blue cheese.

Ingredients
For the crust:
4 oz or 115g low salt potato chips
1 oz or 25g butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:
3 large eggs
3/4 cup or 200g full fat ricotta or cottage cheese
2/3 cup or 165g fromage frais (or sub full fat plain Greek yogurt)
3 spring onions, white and green parts, finely sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 oz  or 175g blue cheese (I used a Fourme d”Ambert AOP.)

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and line the bottom of a 9 in or 23cm round tart pan with baking parchment.

Put your potato chips in a thick plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Pour the crumbed chips into a small bowl with the melted butter and mix well.

Tip the mixture into your prepared pan and use your clean hands or the back of a spoon to spread it out over the bottom and ever so slightly up the sides of the tart pan. Press it down to compact it.

N.B. If your tart pan has a removable bottom, it would be wise to set it in another larger pan before you put it in the oven.

Bake the potato chip crust in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes, keeping an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. You want a nice golden crust.

While that’s baking, you can get on with the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, fromage frais, spring onion and salt with a few good grinds of black pepper.

Don’t forget to keep checking the crust. When it is ready, remove it from the oven and set aside to cool. Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F or 180°C.

Crumble the blue cheese with a fork and fold it into the egg mixture.

Carefully pour the filling into the tart pan and sprinkle a few more grinds of black pepper to the top, if desired.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the outside is set and the middle is just the slightest bit jiggly. It will firm up more as it cools.

Leave to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Delia serves her savory cheesecake aka quiche with poached pears but I wanted a little crunch to go along with mine. I made a small salad of fresh pears with walnuts and dried cranberries dressed with a maple syrup vinaigrette. You can find that recipe right here.

Delia is absolutely spot on about pears and blue cheese. They go together so nicely.

Slice and enjoy!

And make sure you check out all the other lovely potato chip recipes we have for you today. Many thanks to our host Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories.

• A College Throwback + Potato Chip-Crusted Chocolate Tart from Culinary Adventures from Camilla
• Baked BBQ Potato Chip Crusted Pork Chops from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• How to Make Homemade Sun Dried Potato Chips from Sneha's Recipe
• Potato Chip and Roasted Cashew Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Potato Chip Crusted Salt and Vinegar Baked Cod from Palatable Pastime
• Potato Chip Crust Savory Cheesecake from Food Lust People Love
• Pretzel and Potato Chip Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Salty-Sweet Potato Chip Cookies from Hardly a Goddess
• The Potato Chip Sandwich from Our Good Life

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays, and we all post recipes using the same ingredient. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

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Morning Glory Muffins #MuffinMonday

Any morning can be glorious if you wake up to Morning Glory Muffins for breakfast. Chock full of goodies like carrot, pecans, apple and coconut, these beautiful muffins also make a wonderful snack or treat to bring along to a coffee klatch.

If you’ve been reading this space for a while, you have already heard me talk about the couple years we lived in Balikpapan, an oilfield town on the southeast corner of Borneo, almost 30 years ago.

It was years before the internet became the lifeline that it is now for folks in out of the way places, so we depended on our friends sharing their favorite recipes from the small stash of cookbooks or family jottings that they had brought along. That’s where I learned to make our favorite chocolate chip cookies and garlicky green beans with carrots.  And it’s where my friend MJ added sweet and sour chicken to her own family repertoire, which has now become one of ours.

Morning Glory Muffins

This recipe is another I got from a friend, after enjoying morning glory muffins at her house where we gathered weekly to play cards. Her name was Elisabeth and she was from Norway, married to an American, if I remember correctly. Of course I’ve searched for her on Facebook. I'd love to thank her again for sharing.

Pretty dog-eared and well-used, as you can see

Ingredients – for 18 muffins
2 cups or 250g flour
1 cup or 200g sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups or 245g finely grated carrot
1/2 cup or 90g raisins (I didn't have quite enough raisins so I threw in some dried cranberries.)
1/2 cup or 65g chopped nuts (I use pecans.)
1/2 cup lightly packed or 40g fresh or desiccated coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated
3 eggs
1 cup or 240ml canola or other light oil
2 teaspoons vanilla


Method
Once you have all of your ingredients grated/assembled, preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan and a 6-cup muffin pan. This recipe makes 18 regular size muffins.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Add in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut and apple. Stir well, using a fork to separate the clumps and distribute the flour throughout the wetter ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla.

Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

Spoon the batter into your prepared muffins pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on a wire rack.

These are fabulous warm or cooled. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy! P.S. They freeze beautifully too!

Check out all the other lovely muffins we have for you this month! 

• Bouchon Bakery Style Carrot Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cocoa Beet Chocolate Chip Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Lucky Charms Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Morning Glory Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Rice Cereal Apple Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Strawberry and Chocolate Muffin Hearts from Sew You Think You Can Cook

 #MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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