September 27, 2012

Acute How-To: 10 Ways to Eat Apples

September is pretty much the one time of year apples are exciting. Apples are the second most consumed fruit in the United States, and in my opinion, they can be pretty boring….except during autumn. When summer comes to a close I, all of a sudden, have a craving for all things apple.

Last weekend I went apple picking and had apples for days. I got a little sick of just eating them, so I came up with lots of different ways to consume this quintessential fall fruit – including a simple crock pot apple butter recipe.

10 Ways to Eat Apples

  1. Bake with them (such as this Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby recipe or this Apple Spice Muffin recipe).
  2. Chop them up and throw them in a salad. I like leafy greens, toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped apples, and a little parmesan cheese.
  3. Make an apple and cheese appetizer or snack. Simply core the apples, slice them into thick rounds, top them with a nice nutty cheese, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with foil and stick in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.
  4. Add them to your favorite chicken salad recipe.
  5. Take “pork chops and applesauce” to a new level by roasting pork tenderloin on a bed of apples and sweet onions.
  6. Baked Apples – Core a few apples and fill each with a mixture of oats, a little brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in a 350 degree oven until tender (about 20 minutes). Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have little apple pies without the crust.
  7. Make apple chips – Slice the apples thin, spread them out on a baking sheet, and bake at a very low temperature (around 150 degrees) for about an hour.  Check the apples after 45 minutes. If your slices are super thin, they will dry relatively fast.
  8. Dip apple slices in nutella or a peanut butter for a sweet (and a little bit healthy) snack.
  9. Make an apple cinnamon smoothie for breakfast. Blend together one diced apple, 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk, 1/4 cup apple cider, and a few pieces of ice. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon before drinking.
  10. Make my crockpot apple butter recipe (below).

Crockpot Apple Butter

Step One:

Chop up about two pounds of apples (leave the peel on but remove and discard the core).

Step Two:

Rinse the apple pieces and toss in the slow cooker. Cover the apples with 2-3 tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of nutmeg, three teaspoons of cinnamon, the zest from one lemon, and 1/3 cup of water. Stir all together, set the crockpot on low, and cook for about five hours.

Depending on how large or small you chopped your apples, it might take more or less time. Check here and there and give the mixture a stir so it doesn’t scorch.

Step Three:

Once the apples are cooked and cooled, dump the mixture into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. If you prefer lots of texture, skip this step.

Store the apple butter in airtight containers in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

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August 29, 2012

Acute How-To: Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby Pancake

It was a lot cooler this weekend than it has been in a while and it totally got me in the mood for fall. One of my favorite fall activities is baking, especially with fresh apples.

Sunday morning I made an Apple Cinnamon Dutch Baby Pancake (giant oven-baked pancake). I love Dutch Baby Pancakes because they produce big results, yet they are so simple to make. Anyone can do it – no culinary skills required!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extra
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup milk (I used fat free but any type works)
  • one apple chopped
  • a teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • a little powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees and pour the melted butter in a pie dish. Twirl the dish around so that the butter coats the bottom and place the dish in the oven for about 10 minutes.

2. While the pie dish is heating in the oven, whisk together the milk and eggs until fluffy. Add in all the other ingredients and whisk until combined and fluffy (about a minute).

3. Remove the pie dish from the oven (the butter should be bubbling and starting to brown) and pour the batter into the dish. Sprinkle a little more cinnamon on top and bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges have puffed up and the center is set.

4. Remove from oven and dust with a little powdered sugar. Serve immediately for the “dramatic” effect of the puffed up edges. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

Enjoy!

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August 2, 2012

acute how-to: guacamole 3 ways

Today’s post is all about guacamole because….who doesn’t love it?

Try my basic recipe; lighten it up by reducing the amount of avocado and adding in green peas, or go in a different direction all together with guacamole hummus.

All three recipes have the same basic ingredients and can be easily changed based on your personal preferences. If you like things spicy, add some jalapeno. Or, if you prefer a stronger onion flavor, use red onion rather than green.

If you use fresh ingredients, it’s really hard to go wrong with guacamole!

Ingredients:

  • avocados
  • limes
  • fresh cilantro
  • sea salt
  • green onions
  • green peas
  • Greek yogurt
  • white beans

Basic Recipe

In a large bowl, mash together a few avocados, a large handful of chopped fresh cilantro, the juice from 2-3 limes, and about 1/3 cup of chopped green onions. Mix in a little sea salt to taste and serve.

I like to eat mine with fresh chopped tomatoes on top.

Low-Fat Recipe

Microwave or steam one cup of green peas until tender. Put the peas in a small food processor and process until they no longer resemble peas. Add in one large avocado, a large handful of shopped fresh cilantro, the juice from 2-3 limes, and about 1/3 cup of chopped green onions. Mix in sea salt to taste and serve with fresh tomatoes on top.

Guacamole Hummus

In a food processor add 2/3 cup Greek yogurt, one cup of white beans, one avocado, one garlic clove, a large handful of chopped fresh cilantro, the juice from 2-3 limes, and about 1/3 cup of chopped green onions.

Process until smooth and enjoy with tortilla chips, crackers, or chopped veggies.

 Enjoy!

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June 7, 2012

Acute How-To: Blueberry Yogurt Scones

Until recently I have not been a big fan of scones. I find the average scones sold at the big name coffee houses to be dry, flavorless, and overall blah. A total waste of calories.

Recently, I had the most amazing scone at a local bakery and my scone-hating ways were changed! I decided to create a healthier version of scones at home. I wanted ones that were moist and flavorful, but not loaded with butter, so I supplemented a small amount of butter with a low fat yogurt. I have tried this recipe with blueberries and with mixed berries – both are fantastic.

BlueberryYogurt Scones

{makes 12}

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup berries {I used fresh blueberries}
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • zest from one lemon
  • the juice from one lemon
  • one egg
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 ounces non-fat or low-fat yogurt…any flavor {I used low fat greek blueberry yogurt}

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk {both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt}.

3. In another bowl, mix together the egg, melted butter {make sure it isn’t too hot}, the yogurt, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice. Add in the berries and fold all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. The dough will be slightly crumbly, so you will need to work it together with your hands.

4. Lightly flour a clean surface and gently kneed the dough on the surface until all comes together. Form into a disc and cut into 12 equal portions.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake scones at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

These scones are the best served warm – enjoy!

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March 29, 2012

Acute How-To: Low Fat Hummus

I realize that in general hummus is a really healthy food… but I discovered a way to make it even healthier and lower in fat.

Rather than using the traditional ingredient tahini, I tried fat free Greek yogurt.  Using Greek yogurt resulted in a super creamy and delicious hummus.

I used spinach and artichoke in this recipe, but you can use any of your favorite veggies and herbs.  Or, just do a traditional humus recipe with a little garlic and lemon juice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (about 14 oz) of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • the juice from one lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 small garlic clove)
  • 3/4 cup frozen shopped spinach that has been defrosted (or 2 cups fresh)
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts (frozen or canned…just avoid the kind packed in oil)
  • a handful of fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and some black pepper

Just add everything to a food processor or powerful blender and whirl away!  I ate mine with fresh pita bread and carrot sticks.

Store leftover hummus in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.

Enjoy!

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