The first product is a soy sauce from Kikkoman. I’ve had leftover tofu from stir fry a couple of nights ago and I knew I needed to use it fast. I don’t cook with tofu much; I’ve only ever used it in stir fries, so I knew I wanted something different.

A few days ago I received a bottle of Kikkoman’s Ponzu lime soy sauce as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program and I used that as inspiration for the tofu. The Boyfriend was squeezing fresh juice with some oranges that were on their way out, so I incorporated orange juice into the recipe.

I decide to make crusted tofu, but instead of sesame seeds I used flax.

Zesty Crusted Tofu

Click on the link to be taken to my recipe page! Making this tofu is simple and it turns out quite tasty. Once it’s baked the tofu can be thrown into salads or used as the main dish in a quick dinner.

The second is juice that I’ve mentioned on the blog before. The company hasn’t sent me samples or anything to try; I just bought it on sale at Price Chopper and it’s super tasty!

I’m off to a hot bath. My back is all sorts of stiff and I have no idea why. For those of you in the middle of the Super Bowl, go team! For everyone else who’s lame like me and didn’t even know what teams were playing until she asked her roommate’s boyfriend yesterday, happy Sunday night.

Rachel’s Cranberry Sauce

Mom’s Stuffed Mushrooms

Don’s Dish in a Pumpkin

Aunt Ghackie’s Swirled Cheesecake

Favorite Cheesy Onionss

Crusty French Bread

Or, check out the Notes On A Page Recipe Page for more ideas!

First of all, here’s the winner from the Chobani contest: Scorpio Woman! Cool name AND free yogurt.  Good deal.  Email me at notesonapage@gmail.com with your full name and address!

Second order of business is homemade granola. I love granola in yogurt and on oatmeal. And frankly, it is easy to make yourself.  The holidays are coming up, people.  It’s time to stop spending money on store-bought granola and save up to get your mother a nice gift.

Fruit and Walnut Granola

• 1 1/2 c. oats
• 1/2 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. chopped dates
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 c. wheat germ
• 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/8 c. molasses
• 1/8 c. maple syrup
• 1/8 c. water
• 1 1/2 T canola oil

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a saucepan heat the sugar, molasses, syrup, water, and canola oil and bring it to a boil.  In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients.  A couple of things: instead of packaged cranberries from the supermarket, I bought dried cranberries from Honest Weight, our nearby health food store.  They are a little tarter because they’re sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar.  Also, honestly, I did not chop the dates and walnuts.  I crushed them in my hands with a vengeance.  Like the Hulk.  It was incredibly satisfying.  I am telling you this because I do not want to rob you of similar joy.

Moving on, pour the contents of the saucepan over the dry ingredients, making sure everything is moistened evenly.  Place the granola on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.

How do you take YOUR granola?

Like I said, this is not a post about apples.  This is a post about an orange food that happens to be my other favorite fall produce: pumpkins.  And also a post about one of my favorite hobbies: tricking myself into eating vegetables by hiding them in baked goods.  (Remember my Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread?)

For Sunday brunch I made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins.  I’ve been trying to recreate the ones you can get at Starbucks because they are heaven.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

• 3/4 c. white flour
• 1/2 c. wheat flour
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/4 t salt
• 3/4 c. pumpkin (not the filling, just canned pumpkin)
• little less than 1/4 c. applesauce (**I used the applesauce I made last week, which made the muffins sweet and dense.  Store bought applesauce would make them a little lighter.  And substituting oil for applesauce is an acceptable, if not healthier, option).

I was not a lady about it and I just mushed all of the ingredients together until they were just blended.  After you’ve mixed the batter and put it in a greased muffin tin, in another bowl, make the cream cheese topping.

• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 t vanilla

Blend the ingredients with a hand mixer.  Spoon one plop of the cream cheese mix onto each cup of muffin batter, like this:

I suppose “plop” is not an official culinary term.  But in my head, it equals 1 tablespoon.

Bake the muffins at 375 for 25 minutes.  They come out dense (from the heft of the pumpkin and applesauce) and filling, in a good way.  This recipe makes 6 large muffins that stay moist for days afterward.

While the muffins cooled, the Boyfriend and I made two kinds of roasted pumpkin seeds: sweet cinnamon-sugar and savory Adobo.

First, clean the seeds:

Dash a little olive oil on there and sprinkle your favorite seasonings.  Do you prefer cinnamon-sugary goodness?

Or salty-garlicky delight?

Spread em’ on a baking sheet and stick ‘em in a 400 degree oven.  Sea of seeds:

After 15 minutes, take the seeds out and stir them a little so they bake evenly.  Put them back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.  The final product:

Who doesn’t love pumpkin? My mother’s husband went on a pumpkin spree the day after Halloween because that’s when the stores toss their pumpkins.  You can use pumpkin well into the winter! Soups, salads, entrees, side dishes, cakes and muffins and breads… These little orange fellas are useful way after October 31.

I chopped and peeled 16 apples (8 apples per recipe).

Pink Applesauce

This first recipe is something my aunt serves every Thanksgiving.  I always loved it as a kid because a secret ingredient makes it pink!

Start with your 8 peeled and chopped apples in a pot.  Add 1 T lemon juice and 1/2 cup apple cider.

Simmer on low for about an hour or until they become mushy enough to mash with a potato masher.

Close-up.  I like my applesauce a little chunky, but you can simmer longer or run it through a food processor if you prefer smooth sauce.

And now for the secret ingredient…!

Cinnamon dots! Sprinkle about 25 of these bad boys into the pot and let the heat from the applesauce melt them in.  Stir slowly so it absorbs all the flavor and color.  The final product:

The light is actually pretty bad in my kitchen, but I promise it’s pink! Not too pink for your macho relatives to enjoy, but pink enough to tickle.

French Applesauce

Recipe numero 2 is from my mother (it’s a real family affair in my kitchen today!).  I’m not sure why this is “French.” Perhaps it’s the butter.  The French love their butter.

Start with your 8 chopped apples. This time I left the skin on.  I like to make this applesauce really chunky and textured, so the skin stays on and I don’t mash them as smoothly.

To this pot add the 1 T lemon juice and 1/2 cup cider, along with many shakes of cinnamon (I adore cinnamon so I was not shy.  I probably used a tablespoon), 2 T butter, and 1/2 cup sugar (I always use white, but I imagine brown would be tasty, too).

Mix it well and let simmer for an hour or so.  Mash to your desired consistency.

As I said, I like this applesauce chunky.

And that’s it! It’s delectable hot or cold.  You can save it in the fridge for a bit or put it in the freezer for later.  Easy and delicious — my favorite kind of food!

Apples and cheese are one of my favorite savory/sweet combinations. I used to eat cheddar slices and apples slices together as a snack when I was a kid and I’ve always loved the tangy and crunch taste! Tonight I brought these flavors together in the form of pizza.

Easy Apple Pizza

• Pizza dough
• Pizza sauce
• Grated cheese (I used cheddar and Swiss — a winning pair!)
• 1 apple, sliced
• 2 strips of cooked bacon, chopped

All you have to do is assemble! The Roommate and I don’t so much like bacon, so I spread it on only a third of the pie. Before:

And after:

Cheesy goodness!

]]> http://notesonapage.com/2009/11/apple-pizza/feed/ 0 http://notesonapage.com/2009/10/556/ http://notesonapage.com/2009/10/556/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:45:19 +0000 Page http://notesonapage.com/?p=556 If you have eggs and vegetables and/or meat and/or cheese, you have the makings of a fast and easy frittata.  In about 25 minutes I threw one of these bad boys together for The Boyfriend and myself to enjoy while we got ready for the upcoming work/school week.

As with beef stroganoff, I find it’s best to pronounce “frittata” with an accent.

Sunday Frrrrrrrittata

1 medium potato, chopped

1 tomato, sliced

1 cup fresh baby spinach, washed

1 small onion, chopped

8 eggs

2 T crumbled goat cheese

2 T shredded Parmesan

3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

My veggies looked like this

Preheat your broiler.  In a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook potatoes and onions until soft, about 6 minutes.  In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt, pepper, goat cheese, and basil.  Add the spinach to the skillet for a few seconds so it wilts. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes, onions, and spinach.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then place the tomatoes on top of the frittata.

Almost done!

Grate the Parmesan over the tomatoes and continue cooking on the stove for another 5 minutes or until the sides of the frittata are almost cooked but the top is still slightly runny.  Using oven mitts (!!) transfer the skillet to the broiler and broil for 2 minutes or until the top is cooked and puffs slightly.

Crispy, eggy perfection

Enjoy while re-watching episodes from season 3 of The Office.

How do you spend your Sunday nights? Relaxing or doing major prep for the upcoming week?

And this evening, while I and several bulky bags were forcing our way into the apartment, chili was my ray of hope.  The evening was slated to be a crummy one spent worrying about my very sick puppy and playing catch-up with my to-do list, but chili made it a little better.

While the chili simmered, my glass of wine and I caught up on some mail that arrived for me today.  My postal treat was from my favorite friends at Applegate Farms:

How excited am I?? Christmas has come early! Remember my excited post from a few weeks ago? Seriously, this OOTS lunchbox should be on your holiday wish list.  It’s durable (no bruised apples), dishwasher safe (for you lucky ones), very cheerful, and much less embarrassing than reusing a Target bag (not that Target is embarrassing, of course!).

As I’ve said before, Applegate Farms has some awesome products so be sure to check them out in the grocery store.  They are natural and organic and all-around good for you.  And wonderfully tasty. Maybe we’ll be seeing more Applegate Farms products on the blog in the near future?

Now on to the recipe of the night! If you had the sort of crum-bum day that I did, you definitely need a dose of this medicine:

Page’s Chili

Heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet.  Add 2 chopped peppers and 2 chopped onions and saute for a few minutes.  If you have garlic cloves, mince and add one or two. I didn’t have any so I used approx. 2 t. garlic powder when I added the spices later.

All those colors make me happy

Add about 1 lb. turkey or beef and cook until brown.

Sid provided necessary supervision.

Once the beef is fully cooked, drain the fat and put beef and vegetables in a large pot.  To the pot add: 6 c. (48 oz.) crushed tomatoes, 2 cans (14 oz. each) kidney beans, 3 bay leaves, 3 T. chili powder, 1/2 T. crushed red pepper, all depending on your taste.  Let simmer on low for about 45 minutes.

It doesn't look pretty, but it sure tastes pretty

This recipe makes a vat of chili large enough to feed you, your roommate, and your hungry boyfriend for several days.  You can pair chili with almost any starch (I enjoy noodles or a baked potato).  Tonight I made cornbread from a Trader Joe’s mix I got on my cross country trip this summer.

The mix calls for 1/2 c. of oil, but I substituted the same amount of applesauce like I normally do with cake mixes.  It tastes exactly the same.

After dinner I packed my lunch for tomorrow:

I couldn’t resist a shot! (In case you’re interested, that’s leftover chili and cornbread, applesauce, Stonyfield soy yogurt to try for the first time, raisins and almonds.)

I’m off to care for this miserable monster named Jack.  Hope he feels better soon!

Earlier last night I completed Level 1 of Jillian Michaels’ Shred.  I decided it is time for me to shred something other than cheese.  For 20 minutes it’s a decent work-out and I know I’ll feel it in my arms in the morning. A nice alternative to putting on your boots and going to the gym in the middle of an upstate freeze.

Later, as a kind-of closing ceremony for last week’s Eating Down the Fridge, I used up pecans I had in my cupboard to replace the jar of peanut butter I polished off this weekend.  I had a previous love affair with homemade pecan butter when the Boyfriend brought some home for me this summer, so I’ve been dying to try my hand at it.  This is my recipe:

Pecan Butter

2 c. pecans

3 t. canola oil

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. honey

Before

Pecan tornado!

After

Blend the pecans first in a food processor, then add the other three ingredients.  Adjust amount to your taste.

I did not roast the pecans but I believe the butter would have turned out differently if I had.  I’m happy with the consistency and taste, but play around with the recipe yourself and let me know how it goes! All great recipes are born of experimentation!

I foresee this being delicious on morning toast and in oatmeal.

Some final thoughts on EDF: Due to an abundance of birthdays plus a weekend spent visiting family, I did not cook as much as I normally do, and therefore didn’t scour my cupboards to fully experience EDF.  When I did make dinner, though, I tried to think outside the recipe box. Try practicing EDF on your own pantry.  I promise you will save yourself a bundle and come up with some unusual and wonderful dishes.  One night I used apple butter to make a glaze for some roasted vegetables.  It was unexpected and delicious.  Experiment on your own and tell me how it goes! And to read how other bloggers handled EDF, check out the guest posts at Licking Your Chops.