Inside Apple Pie!

     So, fall has arrived. I repeat, FALL HAS ARRIVED. I don't know very many people that dislike this time of year. Right now, all you see on Facebook, Twitter, and even the news, is Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte and I'm seeing #PSL everywhere! While I've already begun creating dishes using pumpkin, I haven't started on the indulgent desserts and other comfort foods that everyone knows and loves that are so popular this time of year. This is a simple recipe that can easily stand in the place of apple pie. If you have any friends that are gluten-free, replace the flour with about 1 cup of crushed hazelnuts and this will add some extra crunch, too!
     Apples are plentiful right now and are oh so sweet. After visiting the apple festival this past weekend with Michael, we saw apple pies, apple fritters, apple EVERYTHING...but we didn't see an apple crisp. (To be fair, it isn't the most fair-friendly food...a tad messy) but it is delicious. This recipe is perfect for any apples they may be turning or have a few bruises. You don't really need perfect apples for this recipe. It's also the perfect mixture of tender sweet apples and crispy, crunchy cinnamon goodness. If you want to add even more texture to the apple crisp, use a variety of apples for one recipe and don't cut them as evenly. Try adding some larger chunks mixed with the thinner slices. 
 
Inside Apple Pie
Yields: 6 servings

4 medium apples, thinly sliced

¾ c. packed light brown sugar

½ c. flour (all-purpose or self-rising)

½ c. oats

1½ tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ c. butter, softened

 

Heat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the apples in the bottom of the prepared pan (no need to be neat)! In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, and pumpkin pie spice until thoroughly combined. Once combined, cut in the butter using either a fork or your fingers until the consistency is that of coarse corn meal.

 

 

Sprinkle evenly over the apples and bake for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 312.1 
• Total Fat: 9.1 g    
• Cholesterol: 20.7 mg
• Sodium: 14.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 67.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g
• Protein: 2.8 g

 

 

Porkchops and Applesauce-kind of.

I don't eat a lot of pork, so I thought I would give it a shot with a new recipe. It is a take on porkchops and applesauce. Instead of just serving applesauce with grilled porkchops, how about a glaze on top using apple cider or apple juice? YUM! The sweetness of the apple juice balances well with the boldness of the dijon mustard and they play off each other SO well. I almost wish I had made more of the glaze because it tasted SO good. I'm thinking it may work well as a dipping sauce! I served mine with roasted red potatoes and a salad, DELICIOUS! It was a hit with Michael as well.

Porkchops with Apple Glaze
Yields: 2 servings

½ tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 center cut boneless porkchops, ½" thick
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1¼ cups apple juice or cider
2 tsp. dijon mustard

Heat vegetable oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Generously season both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side; once cooked, turn off heat and remove pork from the skillet and set aside. Add the minced garlic to the still hot pan (the fat in the pan will do the work of cooking the garlic without running the risk of burning it). After about 30-45 seconds, turn the heat to medium and pour in the vinegear. This will stop the cooking of the garlic and will help you deglaze the pan. Once deglazed, pour in apple juice and bring to a boil. After about 3 minutes, stir in the dijon mustard. If you desire a thicker sauce, in a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. of water and 1 tsp. of flour and whisk into the apple glaze. Add in the porkchops again and simmer to warm them through.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 264.2

• Total Fat: 9.2 g
• Cholesterol: 62.8 mg
• Sodium: 273.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.4 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
• Protein: 23.2 g

Apple Oat Muffins!

     This past weekend I went to an apple festival in a nearby town. I was extremely excited because I had missed the North Carolina Apple Festival in Hendersonville the week before. I had EVERY intention of purchasing some apples this year and was determined to make tons of apple recipes from them. Although it was extremely hot, my boyfriend and I did have a good time. Along the way, we also found prize-winning orangeade and some pretty cool knick-knacks!

     The apple oatmeal muffins I made are so delicious. They are mildly sweet with a hint of fall flavor (I suspect it's from the cinnamon). I thought they needed a little more "oomph" so I added a glaze. (Don't worry, I'll include the recipe for that as well) All in all, these muffins are a delightful (HEALTHY) treat, that even my boyfriend who grew up on fried food enjoys!

Apple Oat Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

2 cups apples (see below)
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon (more or less to taste, this is a generous amount)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400F.
Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or use liners.

To begin, peel and core and dice (or grate) apples. I used two large golden delicious apples and diced fairly small and was able to reach 2 cups. You may choose to grate the apples if you want the apple to be a little more unnoticed. I happen to like the chunks of apples, so I opted to take the extra time to dice finely. Lay on paper towel and remove excess liquid (this may require a little squeezing)- the point is just to get them fairly dry before adding to batter.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, milk, egg whites, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into your dry ingredients and fold gently just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold in grated or diced apples.

Spoon the muffin batter into the cups evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Place muffin tin on a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges of the muffins. Allow to cool completely before storing, or serve warm.

Maple-Cinnamon Glaze

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. skim milk

Combine powdered sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Add milk slowly, until  desired consistency is achieved. Drizzle over muffins or spread a thin layer over top of each.

Nutritional Info(Amounts reflect no glaze)

• Servings Per Recipe: 12
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 149.4

• Total Fat: 3.0 g
• Cholesterol: 0.1 mg
• Sodium: 180.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 26.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 3.9 g