Savory Turnovers

There are unlimited ways to fill a savory turnover - think of them as hot sandwich pockets. Granted they are a bit more involved than pulling together a quick sandwich, or even a warm panini, but they offer an unmatched crispy, cozy, and sometimes gooey-cheesey warmth for a cold winter day's lunch, such as Christmas. They only take 15 minutes to bake, and the crust whips together quickly in the food processor. But you should let the dough rest for 30 minutes, so a bit of advanced planning is in order. Here are two possibilities of many.

Broccoli Walnut Tofu Turnover

1/2 recipe cheesy crust
1 egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp water

1/4 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cup cooked broccoli flowerets, chopped finely
1/2 brick firm tofu, cut to 1/4-inch dice
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Dash red pepper flakes

Prepare the crust and allow to sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then divide the dough in fourths and roll out into circles of about 6 inches.

Preheat oven to 450F. Pulse the walnuts and garlic together in a small food processor to form a fine grain, but stopping just before becoming too much of a paste. Toss together the broccoli, tofu, cheese and red pepper. Divide the walnuts amongst the four dough disks and spread to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Top the bottom half of each with a fourth of the broccoli mixture.

Paint the edges of each disk with eggwash and fold dough over to a half-moon shape, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Paint the surface of the dough with eggwash and use tines of a fork to seal the edges together. Poke a few vent holes in the dough with a fork. Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 4 turnovers.

Italian Turnovers
You can use any Italian cold cuts you like for this.

1/2 recipe cheesy crust
1 egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp water

4 large slices ham
8 slices salami
4 slices Provolone cheese
4 tsp pesto
4 Tbsp tomato sauce
4 Tbsp chopped cooked spinach
1 egg, whisked with 1 Tbsp water

Prepare the crust and allow to sit 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then divide the dough in fourths and roll out into circles of about 6 inches.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Slather one tablespoon tomato sauce in the center 5 inches of the circle. Then lay the ham, salami and cheese on the bottom half, leaving a 1/2 inch border of crust free for sealing. Top with the pesto and a tablespoon of spinach. Paint the border of the crust with eggwash. Fold over to a half moon shape and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Paint the surface of the turnover with eggwash and poke a few vent holes in the crust with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

Makes 4 turnovers.