Rule 52:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

You know, all those things our grandmas used to tell us were right! There is a reason why their generation didn’t have so many lifestyle diseases and we should give them credit for that.

I love apples! I love eating them with hummus or peanut butter and I love using them in a salad or to bake with them.

Benefits: Decrease your risk of diabetes, Reduce cholesterol, Control your weight, Detoxify your liver, full of fibre, full of antioxidants that promote healthy lungs function, control blood sugar, reduce skin diseases and, like any other kind of whole food, it protects against: cancer, Parkinson and Alzheimer.  

 

Nutrition value: Between 50-80 calories. Zero fat or sodium. Only 15 grams of carbs (4 grams of fibre). 6.5mg of calcium, 12mg of phosphors, 117mg of potassium and 5.5 mg ofmagnesium.

Kinds: Over 30 kinds of apples! They’re all good just; try and see what you like. I found the golden delicious and the Papple (a cross between apple and pear) the best for baking, the granny smith or the red delicious for snacks and when I add them to cooking I use a mix if what’s on sale at the store.

How about some recipes?

For those who don’t follow me on IG you – should! Because I put there recipes daily and there’s a few apple recipes you should try: @danagatfit

Apple-Parsnip Soup:

Ingredients

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 cup chopped onion 

·         2 1/2 cups chopped peeled Pink Lady apple

·         1 tbsp curry powder

·         1 1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

·         1 tsp ground cardamom

·         1 garlic clove, chopped

·         3 1/2 cups chopped peeled parsnip (about 1 1/2 pounds)

·         4 cups water 

·         1 cup apple cider

Directions:

·        Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple, ginger, cardamom and garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add parsnip, water, and apple cider; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until parsnip is tender.

·         Place half of parsnip mixture in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with remaining parsnip mixture. Make 8 serving.

Fresh Apple Salsa:

Ingredients:

·         2 cups diced peeled your choice of apple (about 3/4 pound)

·         1/2 cup diced red bell pepper 

·         1/3 cup fresh lime juice

·         1/4 cup diced red onion

·         1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

·         1 tbsp honey

·         1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

·         1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Directions:

Mix everything.

Skillet Chicken with Cranberries & Apples:

Ingredients

·         1 pound chicken breast, trimmed and cut in half on the diagonal

·         3/4 tsp dried thyme

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         2 crisp red apples, such as Fuji or Gala, thinly sliced

·         1 large red onion sliced

·         3/4 cup apple cider

·         1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

·         1 tbsp oat flour (make it yourself in the blender)

Directions:

·         Sprinkle both sides of chicken breast with 1/4 teaspoon each thyme and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a clean plate.

·         Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add apples, onion, 2 tablespoons cider and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the apples and onion are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cranberries and sprinkle oat flour over everything in the pan; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the remaining cider. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

Apple-Cinnamon Fruit Bars:

Ingredients

CRUST

·         1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts), divided

·         1 ½ cup oat flour

·         ¼  cup stevia

·         4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

·         1 large egg

·         2 tablespoons grape seed oil

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1/4 teaspoon almond extract

FRUIT FILLING

·         6 cups diced peeled apples, divided

·         1/2 cup apple cider or orange juice

·         1/4 cup stevia

·         1/4 cup cornstarch

·         1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Direction:

·         To prepare crust: Combine 3/4 cup nuts, oat flour and stevia in a food processor; pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter; pulse until well incorporated.

·         Whisk egg, oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract in a small bowl. With the motor running, add the mixture to the food processor. Process, then pulse, scraping down the sides, if necessary, until the mixture begins to clump, 30 to 45 seconds (it will look crumbly). Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and combine in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped nuts .Set aside for the topping.

·         Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

·         To prepare fruit filling & assemble bars: Combine 4 cups apples, cider (or orange juice), stevia and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 cups apples, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

·         Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly and press firmly into the bottom to form a crust. Spread the fruit filling over the crust. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the filling. Bake the bars for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until the crust and topping are lightly brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let cool completely before cutting into bars, at least 1 1/2 hours.

And that’s it for now. I’ll post more recipes on my IG account so make sure you check it.

Apple are a basic thing in any household but the recipes I gave you are just to mix thing up, don’t forget that most apples are just as good the way they were created.

 Research and writing by Dana Gat ©2014