Tag Archives: Fruit

Crock Pot Applesauce

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When I peel apples, I always think of the alphabet.

It all started when I was in first grade. My teacher, Mrs. Darnell, was peeling my apple and she told me that the peel could tell my future.

I was intrigued. I mean, I was six years old.

She said that whenever you peel an apple, you need to recite your ABCs.

When the peel breaks away, whatever letter you are on will be the first letter of the name of the person you are to marry.

Since then, I’ve always landed on the same letter. It’s completely creepy and weird. And a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty part of me wonders if it will be true.

We’ll see though. At the rate I’m going, I will probably report back to you all in 9 years…

Last Year: Pumpkin Pull-Apart Bread with Cinnamon Sugar

Crockpot Applesauce

The crock pot method of making applesauce does take a bit longer than the stove-top version, but it fills your kitchen with the smells of fall. I loved the way this applesauce tasted – lightly tart, but sweet with a hint of spices. It tastes delicious topped with chopped walnuts or even a bit of ice cream.

Ingredients

  • 6 medium-large apples – I used Granny Smith, but a sweeter apple will work
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – although I added a bit more because I LOVE cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg and ginger

Method

1. Peel, core, and chop apples into smallish chunks. I had about 6-7 cups of apples.

2. In a crock pot set on high, place apple chunks, maple, and spices. Mix well. Allow apples to cook for about 3 hours or until the apples are completely softened. I didn’t need to puree or mash my applesauce because I like it chunky, but you can puree or mash if you want it smoother. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

It may separate, that’s okay, just mix it up again.

Recipe lightly adapted from (neverhome)maker

Related Recipes

Apple Crisp

Apple Fritters

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Walnuts and Flax

Warm Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

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Fresh Summer Chopped Salad with Homemade Seedy Crackers

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Sometimes I hate flying.

Here are some of my thoughts from my flight yesterday.

1) Why yes, I was hoping to pay $3.50 for greek yogurt since I can’t bring in my own.

2) I have to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to disrupt everyone in my row. Twice. So I will sit here.

3) Dude sitting beside me, don’t worry about covering your cough. I was hoping to get sick anyway.

4) Wow, what a cute 5-year old you have! They would be even cuter if they would stop screaming. It’s just, I only slept about 4 hours last night and I was really hoping to get a bit of a nap. But it’s okay, I prefer to feel like I am in a horror movie.

5) No thank you, I don’t want a $7 snack pack. I already spent my rent on the breakfast I bought in the terminal.

But it’s not all bad. When I finally landed, I was in gorgeous San Diego. The breeze softly blowing my hair; the temperature comfortably 20 degrees lower than in Arizona; the ocean a deep blue in the distance.

Soon I had forgotten about my flight and was floating through a massive Trader Joes (like, the biggest I’ve ever visited) and then Whole Foods collecting the ingredients to make dinner.

Being in San Diego brings me back to this salad. It is overflowing with ripe avocado, grilled corn and chicken, sweet berries, tangy feta cheese, and a sweet, slightly tart vinaigrette.

Oh, and I made some homemade crackers. They were the bomb-diggidy.

Make this. Eat this. Enjoy the last days of summer.

Fresh Summer Chopped Salad

This salad pays homage to the last days of summer. It is full of everything wonderful and delicious. Oh yeah, and it’s gorgeous (just look at all those colors).

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 1/1 cups romaine, chopped
  • 2 ears fresh corn, shucked
  • 2/3 cup blueberries
  • 2/3 cup strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 1 grilled chicken breast, chopped
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, stems removed and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the dressing

  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

Method

1. Lightly coat corn cobs with olive oil. Grill corn cobs over an open flame (I used the burner on the stove) or on a grill. Once the kernels appear lightly charred, remove from heat. Place the corn cob flat on a cutting board. With downward motion toward cutting board, cut of the entire length of one side. Continue this, rotating the cob around. Once most of the corn has been removed, take the back of your knife and run it down the length of the corn to remove the remaining bits of corn. **Alternatively, the corn can be served fresh cut off the cob**

2. In a large bowl, mix together lettuce, corn, chicken, avocado, blueberries, strawberries, and feta. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss thoroughly.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, olive oil and vinegar. Pour over salad, then toss once more. Serve with Homemade Seedy Crackers (or other chip/cracker), recipe below.

Recipe lightly adapted from How Sweet Eats

Homemade Seedy Crackers

These Crackers come from the Daring Bakers July Challenge. They are wonderfully crunchy, overflowing with seeds and flavor. Before baking, I sprinkled them with a bit of dried minced garlic and pressed it down with the rolling pin. Next time I will experiment with more topping flavors: caraway, minced onion, rosemary. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm/5 oz) whole wheat four
  • 1 cup (240 ml) 140 gm/5 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) (50 gm) (1¾ oz)poppy seeds
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) (40 gm) (1¼ oz) sesame seeds
  • 1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (9 gm) table salt
  • 1½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (8 gm) baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (195 ml) (6½ fl oz) water

Method

1. Mix the flours, seeds, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the oil and stir until combined. Add the water until the dough comes together.

2. Kneed the dough 5 or 6 times and allow to rest, covered, on the counter for 15 minutes. You can also chill the dough at this point and come back later.

3. Preheat the oven to hot 450°F/230°C/gas mark 8.4. Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, either use a rolling pin to reach a desired thickness (thick or thin) or roll out in your pasta rollers. If you use pasta rollers, ensure the dough is well-floured so as not to stick. Place strips of dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment.

5. If the crackers are thick, bake for 7 minutes, flip them over and bake for 7 minutes more. Then cut or break into crackers shapes while still warm. Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes until crispy (although for some of my crackers needed less than 5 minutes). If not crispy enough when cooled, crackers can be returned to the oven. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 weeks.

Recipe from Dana McFarlane on Daring Bakers

Related Recipes

Cabbage Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds and Cara-Cara Oranges

Caesar Salad

Summer Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

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Ice Box Key Lime Pie

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I went to Key West, Florida once.

I did all the standard touristy stuff: fudge eating, kayaking, conch eating, picture-taking, ice cream eating, walking, cookie eating…

Maybe I should rephrase that. I did all the standard touristy eating and maybe a few other activities.

The one thing I did not eat though?

Key Lime Pie.

I feel like I miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity to eat one of my favorite desserts. It’s like going to New York City and not having a slice of cheesecake, visiting Arizona and not trying Mexican food, traveling to New Orleans and not ordering a beignet. Okay, I’m probably being overdramatic, as usual.

But! Since I was never able to experience my Key Lime Pie in Key West, I was “forced” to make it on my own. You can imagine my pain right? Really, what is worse than having to make a pie and then eat it?

At least it was tasty.

Looking for more Pie-in-the-Sky?

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Crustless Cranberry Pie

Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Streusel

Vegan Chocolate Mousse Pie

Ice Box Key Lime Pie

This nearly no-bake key lime pie is rich and creamy but lighter than the traditional Southern Florida favorite because of the Neufchatel, greek yogurt, and fat-free sweetened condensed milk. If you don’t have time to make the crust – or would prefer a completely no-bake dessert – substitute a pre-made crust.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 8 sheets regular (or low-fat) graham crackers, broken into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Pie

  • 4 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest – from juiced limes
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin – you may use gelatin without animal products, too
  • 1 (14 oz.) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. To make the crust: adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, process graham crackers and sugar to fine crumbs.

2. Add butter and 2 tablespoons of cream cheese. Pulse until combined. Press crumbs into bottom and sides of a 9-in. pie plate. Bake 12-14 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool completely

3. To make the filling: Combine the 3 tablespoons of lime juice and gelatin in a small bowl> Let sit 5 minutes, or until gelatin softens. Microwave the mixture until it begins to bubble around the edges and the gelatin dissolves, about 30 seconds.

4. Wipe out the food processor. Process condensed milk, yogurt, and remaining cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour in gelatin mixture, remaining lime juice, zest, and vanilla with the machine running. Process until throughly combined.

5. Place the mixture into the cooled pie shell. Smooth the top. Cover pie with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least three hours or up to two days. Serve chilled.

Recipe from Cooks Country

Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

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You may remember me mentioning that I wanted to go berry picking in my summer bucket list. Well, I got a chance to a few days ago!

There’s nothing like walking around a lovely orchard when it’s 95°F with 80% humidity. It’s like walking around a sauna except I was wearing more than a towel.

In honor of the one and a half pounds of berries picked (and probably eaten within 24 hours), I made a fruit salad.

I don’t mean to insult your intelligence since this fruit salad is basically just fresh fruit. I just want to share one of my favorite (EASY!) summer recipes with you.

Super refreshing, super tasty, super healthy, super delicious, super sonic.

Okay, maybe not super sonic, but I think you get the idea.

Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is healthy and refreshing. It’s  wonderful with your morning yogurt or as the perfect summery side dish.

You can really make this with whatever ingredients you’d like – or whatever is in your kitchen. If you like a certain fruit more than others, you can definitely add more. Since I’m always changing the fruit I use, it has a different flavor profile every time I make it.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium apples, diced
  • 2 nectaries, diced
  • 1 naval orange, chopped
  • 10 strawberries, hulled and diced
  • 1/2 pint of blueberriers
  • 1 cup green grapes, sliced in half
  • juice of one lemon
  • juice of one lime

These are the fruits I used, but you could also add peaches, mango, pineapple, melon, raspberries, blackberries, kiwi, grapefruit, etc. Try adding a bit of fresh mint, too!

Method

1. In a large bowl combine all the chopped fruit. Drizzle with lemon and lime juice. Stir well. Serve chilled.