Oh it's a good week! Apples. Yummy. Back in the day when I was 287 lbs, not all that long ago, I rarely ate apples. They didn't "do it" for me. Now, having elminated most added sugars and the such, I really, REALLY appreciate them. I LOVE them in fact.
What are some of your favorite varieties and what do you like to do with them, besides just eating them whole?
I am loving the Gala apples. I also love the tiny lady apples. They're expensive, but sometimes I want just a quick few bites of something sweet and they really satisfy me, without having to eat a large apple. I also love making fresh applesauce - so easy and sooo delicious. Decadent in fact.
My favorite these days are Empire apples. I love those little guys Mountaineer apples are pretty good too.
I never cared much for apples, I was much more of a plum, nectarine or peach girl but I do think I am learning to enjoy apples. I have one today, it is a mystery apple because I bought 3 kinds from Whole foods that kind of look the same and took the tags off and put them in a bowl.
I have just recently discovered Minature Golden Delicious Apples - they are small, perfect for one portion, and quite sweet. I do like to eat them sliced, but since it's fall and I am the Lady of my own homestead (I just got married, and my mom was never really into changing with the seasons), I would love to find good healthy recipes for baking apples and the like. I can't wait to read your ideas!
Oh recipes? hmm I am not too fond of cooked apples.
I did make a recipe last year from the Superfoods RX book that was basically an apple crisp with sliced apples and a oatmeal topping. I was actually thinking of making it for Thanksgiving for my inlaws because they liked it. Maybe I'll dig the recipe up and post it or if anyone else has the Superfoods RX book, they can post it as well.
Edited to add -
I just put up the Apple tart recipe from the World's Healthiest foods site. It looks pretty good and may be a contender for Thanksgiving.
It's not very exciting, but for me, it's Red Delicious. My grocery store sells a bag of very small apples -- they're organic. So one of them is really truly a medium apple. An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but it does lots of other good things for your digestive system
I also use nonsweetened storebought applesauce as a snack.
I bought some honey crisp apples this week -- don't love them yet, but I like them. I'm going to try to buy a different kind each week this fall, just to try them.
I admit I'm not a huge apple lover, but I love apple slices dipped in either peanut butter or caramel.
So yeah.... I desecrate them, LOL!
Every now and then I get in the mood to just bite down into a whole apple, but I'll tell you one thing I ate that was positively yummy - you've had (or heard of) the typical peanut butter and banana sandwich, I'm sure. Well a friend of mine introduced me to a peanut butter and apple sandwich. Thin slices of apple with peanut butter on yummy bread.
Sorry, had my first of the season today. Oh, they are soo good.
I make a whole wheat baked apple cake for desserts...its basically a semi-sweet whole wheat pancake batter, poured over thinly sliced, lightly cinnamon/nutmeg/splenda or sugared apple slices that you layer in the bottom of a ramekin, then baked. Turn it out and its sooo tasty.
Apple cake last night was tasty. I am currently on a quest to make things that taste like dessert that are made with "non-dessert" ingredients. That is to say, they have small amounts of fat, low sugar, and are made with things I eat as healthy choices anyway...fruit, whole wheat flour, etc. This cake fit the bill perfectly.
Spiced Apple Upside Down Cake
1/2 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp nutmeg, divided
pinch of salt
2 tsp unpacked brown sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
1/4 cup Splenda (optional - depends how sweet you like your cake)
1 small lunchbox/snack size container natural, no sugar added applesauce
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
Cooking Spray
In a small bowl, combine the sliced apples, brown sugar, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of the nutmeg. Toss to combine. Take the coated apples and lay half of them in each of two cooking-spray coated 10-oz ramekins, arranging in a pretty pattern on the ramekin bottom.
In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining cinnamon and nutmeg, along with splenda if using, and stir to combine. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix until just combined. Divide the batter between the two ramekins, spooning on top of the apple slices.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cakes are still hot, invert onto serving plates to show the pretty apple slices on top.
I'm with Mandalinn - Honeycrisp apples are my absolute favorite apple for eating out of hand. Sweet, juicy, crisp - apple perfection!!
My second favorite are Gala, with the good ol' Golden Delicious taking third.
I mostly eat apples as they come, but sometimes make fresh applesauce (great with a little cinnamon and nutmeg - like apple pie without the crust!) and a warm blueberry/apple compote. Basically, you just dice an apple, toss it with a small handful of frozen blueberries, then microwave it until the apple softens, the blueberries thaw, and the combined juices make a sort of syrup. It's much tastier than it sounds!!
I used to juice fresh apples, but not so much anymore. I prefer to keep the fibre, and the juice (while tasty) just isn't filling....all the calories and taste, but without the hunger-satisfying benefits!
Gary, we've got LLV to thank for that. She's the one who has been posting This Weeks Healthiest food for a looong time already. She just kinda passed me the baton. But it was LLV who first shared this wonderful weekly info with us.
Stay safe Gary. It's great that you guys were able to help out.
I love apple season, there are lots of great little orchards and farms around here where you can pick your own. I made a huge apple crisp a couple weeks ago with jonagolds using just a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and stevia for sweetening, with a rolled oats and walnut topping. So yummy! I found some soy ice cream that's all natural and sweetened with fruit juice, it's only 110 cal for 1/2 c and perfect for dolloping on top of apple crisp. I'm drooling just thinking about it right now.
I like gala, fuji, golden delicious, pink lady…I like almost all apples except red delicious, I think they have a mealy texture.
Gary - It's so great you're helping people out there. My friends back in SoCal tell me the air quality is terrible.
Manda, I'm trying that apple cake recipe sometime in the next week or so. It looks great and I love how it's the portion size for just my boyfriend and I since we're the only 2 in the condo. I hate having leftovers.
Gary, we've got LLV to thank for that. She's the one who has been posting This Weeks Healthiest food for a looong time already. She just kinda passed me the baton. But it was LLV who first shared this wonderful weekly info with us.
Yes, I've gone into retirement
Thanks, Robin, for taking over for me. It's kinda nice to have someone else doing it and I can peek in on a Monday, wondering what this week's healthy food will be. Like I said, I don't get the newsletters, I'd have to remember to go check out the site. Most weeks I would, but sometimes I'd forget.
This Weeks Healthiest Food - Apples
Mountaineer apples are pretty good too.
