Spinach and TVP Calzones

Here's a new, DELICIOUS vegan calzone recipe!  It takes some time, but it is so worth it.  The recipe for the dough is a slightly modified version of the vegan pizza dough in the cookbook Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville, but the filling is mine.  This recipe makes 8 calzones.

dough ingredients:
1 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. lukewarm water
2 T. cornmeal
1/2 c. olive oil
1 t. salt
3.5 cups AP flour, plus more for kneading and rolling out dough


filling ingredients:
1 c. TVP
1 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
7/8 c. boiling water
1 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
12-oz. bag frozen chopped spinach
8 Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped


topping:
1 jar of your favorite jarred tomato spaghetti sauce (like Newman's Own or Muir Glen!)


Method:
Mix the yeast and lukewarm water, and allow the yeast to soak until foamy, about 5 minutes.  At the same time, mix the cornmeal, salt, and olive oil in a 2-quart bowl so that the cornmeal can be softening.  When the yeast is ready, mix the water/yeast mixture into the 2-quart bowl with the cornmeal/olive oil/salt mix.  Stir until mixed.


Begin adding AP flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon between each addition.  Once the dough is too stiff to stir, turn out onto a floured countertop.  Knead in the remaining flour and add any necessary flour sprinkling to keep the dough from sticking while you are kneading it.  Once the dough has reached a smooth, firm consistency (It should feel the same way your earlobe feels when you pinch it.) and is not sticky, form it into a ball and return it to the bowl.  Pour in a little olive oil, then turn the dough over so it is coated in the oil.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 35 - 40 minutes.


In the meantime, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Farenheit.  Mix the TVP, 1 t. salt, garlic powder, and boiling water.  Allow this to sit 10 minutes to hydrate.  Warm the spaghetti sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat (enough to top 8 calzones).


Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the chopped onion in the warm oil until the onion is transluscent (6 - 8 minutes).  Stir in the chopped spinach and continue to sauté until the spinach is no longer frozen.  Stir in the chopped olives and TVP until thoroughly mixed.

When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down with your fist.  Divide the dough into halves, then divide each half into 4 equal parts.  Roll one of the dough parts into a 6-inch circle.  Put 1/8 of the spinach filling over half of the dough circle.

Fold the other half of the circle over the filling, and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.  Prick the calzone with a fork several times to allow heat to escape while it is cooking.  Move the calzone to a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining 7 dough parts.

Bake the calzones for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the calzones from the oven.  Plate each calzone topped with tomato spaghetti sauce.  Be careful, because they are hot!