A New Direction

Since I started The Saucy Bird I have wanted to post a lot more often. What I’ve learned is that I don’t have enough time or money to create things for The Saucy Bird and for the contests that I want to enter, so I’ve decided to stop stressing about my posts and use The Saucy Bird to feed my creative soul and celebrate what I really like about cooking and creating recipes.

One of my favorite things to do is to listen to music while I’m cooking. I have finally figured out how to put music onto The Saucy Bird, so I plan on changing the music at least once a week. Sometimes the music will go with the recipes sometimes it will be one of my favorite pieces. Hopefully everyone will enjoy my music picks and I think it will help you get to know me a little better.

The song you are listening to now is What a Wonderful World performed by Louis Armstrong. This is one of my all time favorite artists. He brought New Orleans Jazz to the masses and remains one of the most entertaining trumpeters of all time. Listen to lyrics and the smooth roughness of his voice. I think it’s a wonderful soothing sound. If you have a little time, stick around and listen to the rest of my Louis Armstrong play book. If you want to hear something interesting, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the Armstrong track: OOPs I did it again. It's the song Brittney Spears made famous, but this is the original!

This week I am including my recipe for a Sicilian Open Faced Calzone. I use the Pillsbury Pizza dough and a version of my 20 minute weeknight gravy. I bake the crust with some herbed olive oil and then top it with plenty of sauce, ham, shredded mozzerella and parmesean, thin sliced red onions and fresh baby spinach.

It reminds me so much of Louis Armstrong’s voice and this song. It has the smooth roughness of a spicy red sauce and as your eating it you can’t help but think: What a Wonderful World!

Sicilian Open Faced Calzone

1 can Pillsbury Pizza dough

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded fresh parmesean

1 1/2 cups 20 minute weeknight gravy

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed

8 ounces smoked deli ham, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup thin sliced red onions

3 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Spread the Pizza dough onto a baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil and season with the Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper and parmesean cheese. With a fork, poke several holes in the entire crust. Bake for 5 minutes.

Spread 1 cup of sauce over the partially baked crust then evenly distribute the crushed red pepper and the fennel seed. Spread the ham and onions evenly, top with the baby spinach and the mozzerella cheese. Return to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the spinach wilted. Drop the remaining sauce with a Tablespoon evenly over the top and return to the oven for 2 minutes or until the sauce is heated through.