Apples: Do More!
Consider this list of 10 for new ways to incorporate apples into your day.
- Try this recipe I found by in Elle Magazine: Baked Dulce de Leche Apples:
Start with 4 apples, halved, cored, and hollowed slightly.
Prepare filling:
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 crystallized ginger
- 1/2 can dulche de leche (essentially made by boiling sugar and water which turns into a caramel–normally not something we would recommend, but you’re here for a little quirk, right?)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- marshmallows
Chop and mix filling. Stuff the apples and wrap in tinfoil. Place on semi-hot coals and cook for about 20 minutes. When about to eat, open foil, place one or two marshmelows in apple center. Close up again for a few minutes, then open and eat. Makes 8 servings.
- Add apples to a green salad (lettuce, walnuts, goat cheese, red onion) or to a quinoa salad (quinoa, edamame, hemp seeds, chopped apple, red onion, vinaigrette). Toss all ingredients and call a friend. Serve your guest with a smile!
- Sit in the sun and start crunching. All it takes is one WHOLE apple a day to reap these benefits:
An apple has the ability to prevent metabolic syndrome, which manifests in hypercholesterolemia and triglyceridemia, plaque buildup in arteries, high blood pressure, insulin resistance or glucose intolerance, heart attack or stroke.
What makes an apple so special? Its unique mix of fiber (found in peel), its pectin (soluble fiber found in the flesh), and its array of phytochemical antioxidants (keep blood lipids from hardening/have anticancer effect by inhibiting cell proliferation). It’s the combination of fiber and antioxidants that make the fruit so effective!
- There’s a world of apples you may have never tried. Start exploring our rich North American apple heritage! Look for these lesser known varieties in your travels…
- Baldwin
- Ben Davis
- Black Oxford
- Blue Pearmain
- Chenango Strawberry
- Cole’s Quince
- Cortland
- Cox’s Orange Pippen
- Duchess of Oldenburg
- Esopus Spitzenburg
- Garden Royal
- Golden Russet
- Gravestein
- Hightop Sweet
- Honeycrisp
- Hubbardston
- Liberty
- Macoun
- Porter
- Rhode Island Greening
- Ribston
- Rolfe
- Roxsbury Russet
- Sweet Bough
- Westfield Seek-No-Further
http://www.allaboutapples.com/backyard/whatvariety1.htm
- Add a delicious fragrance to your abode by making homemade potpourri!
- 1 cup dried apple slices
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup whole allspice berries
- 10 (2″) cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- 1/4 cup Sumac Berries
- 10 small pinecones
- 7 drops cinnamon oil
Combine all ingredients and place in a tight jar or tin. Shake every few days. Cinnamon oil has an extremely strong scent that intensifies as it is absorbed. Add additional oil if needed.
- If you’re looking for a simple sweet treat, try a dessert of Baked Apples!
- 4 tart green apples
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (consider substituting agave for brown sugar)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Add walnuts, pecans or raisins depending on your mood. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop out the core from top of the apple leaving a well. Do not cut all the way through. Stuff each apple with 2 tablespoons sugar substitute and 1 tablespoon butter. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes until sugar begins to caramelize and apples are tender.
- It’s all about presentation! Cut and core an apple and place the slices on a crystal plate (or a dish you love!). Accompany your apple treat with a glass of sparkling water. Take your time to savor each bite and sip! Embrace the moment of leisure.
- Make a large batch of fresh applesauce. Sweeten with agave or other sugar substitute. Eat and enjoy on the spot or freeze and use as moistener in muffins.
- Make your own dried apple snacks.
- Instead of lemon or cucumber, add a couple of thinly sliced apples to your water. A refreshing treat!
