Stealthy Mom: Apples

Showing posts with label Apples. Show all posts

Baked Apple Oatmeal (gluten free, no added sugar, dairy free option)

Amid the morning rush, quietly baking away, could be a belly-warming breakfast filling your kitchen with the aroma of baked apples and cinnamon. The boys ask for Baked Apple Oatmeal often, and since it is easy, I never tire of making it.

For four generous servings:

5-6 apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 375. Meanwhile, grease a lidded pyrex casserole dish with butter or coconut oil.

To the pyrex dish, add the chopped apples. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon, about a teaspoon, or less for a milder flavour. Sprinkle with the salt. Add the rolled oats and coconut. Hold the lid on the casserole dish and shake the ingredients together. Drizzle the melted butter or coconut oil over the top, then put the lid back on.

Bake for about 45 minutes with the lid on, and another ten with the lid off. Serve right away, with a touch of milk if you like.

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Savoury Apple Gravy (gluten free, vegan, low sodium)

There is something about gravy that pulls together a meal. Slathered over mashed potatoes, a hot sandwich, fries, Yorkshire pudding... At times, gravy melts into the background of flavours, an extension of an entree. This savoury apple gravy is no subtle sidekick, but its own festive taste with chunky spiced apples and onions. Make from scratch it in minutes!

4 medium apples, such as McIntosh, Empire, Cortland or Braeburn
1 large red onion

1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 tsp tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt or lite salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
2 tbsp red wine or vinegar

Peel and slice the apples and onion.

In a cold sauce pot or sautee pan, stir together the oil, tapioca flour, spices, molasses and wine or vinegar. Heat the mixture until the tapioca flour melts, and add the apples and onions. Cook on low to medium heat for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, add water, a tablespoon at a time until the gravy is the preferred texture.

Serve hot!

Savoury Apple Gravy and Taters.

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Popover Fruit Cup

Popovers make perfect little fruit cups. They are light and fluffy, and oh-so-easy. If you have leftovers you can rename them "Yorkshire Pudding" and serve them with a roast or stew. This recipe is adapted from my ancient edition of the Five Roses Guide to Good Cooking using avocado oil* and an extra egg per dozen. Substituting wheat flour for the white will still taste good but will not puff up as high.

For a dozen popovers:

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs (or three duck eggs)
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450F

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Heat the milk, either in the microwave or on the stovetop, to just below boiling. A little at a time, whisk it into the eggs. Whisk in the dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Once the oven is hot, pour a tiny amount of avocado oil into each part of the muffin pan. Swirl it around to make sure it is enough to cover the bottom, then pop the pan into the oven for five minutes. Remove the hot muffin pan from the oven, and carefully fill each cup with batter.

Bake for fifteen minutes at 450F, then turn the heat down to 350F. Bake for another ten to fifteen minutes, until the popovers puff up, then turn off the heat. Leave the pan in the oven for another ten minutes with the heat off.

Serve with fresh fruit, butter and honey, or as Yorkshire Pudding.

Fruit Topping

2 oranges, sliced
2 apples, sliced
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup berries, either fresh or frozen, sliced
any other fresh fruit you have on hand: kiwis, peaches, pears...
2 tbsp maple syrup

Mix the fruit and syrup in a bowl, at least half an hour prior to serving so the fruit juices and syrup mix together.

I shared this post with Thriving on Thursdays and Full Plate Thursday.

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*The original recipe calls for vegetable oil, and was written long before most corn and canola oils were genetically modified. Lard and olive oil have too-low smoke points to be preheated in a high oven. Avocado oil is perfect and well worth seeking out before you make popovers. You only need a wee bit so the tiny bottle you will typically find at the health food store will last a long time.

Kale, Almond, and Salted Apple Pizza (vegan option)

Kale, Almond and Salted Apple Pizza

Doesn't that look yummy? Who says that veggie pizzas have to be boring? We started with a whole wheat crust and topped it with finely chopped kale tossed with olive oil, shredded mozzarella cheese, lightly salted apple slices and almond slivers. G-man asked for the apples and the Cadet added the almonds. The salted apples added a naughty sweetness, while the almonds give a bit of crunch. (Great job, guys!)

Quick Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped
1/8-1/4 cup olive oil (more if you skip the cheese)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped green onion
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz shredded mozzarella (optional)
2 apples, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Prepare the pizza crust as directed. (Our quick, no-knead whole wheat pizza crust is super-easy.) Spray the top with olive oil and allow it to rise while you prepare the rest of the toppings.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a small bowl, mix the kale, quarter cup of olive oil, garlic, onion and salt with your hands. Spread the mixture over the pizza dough. Top with cheese (optional) Toss the sliced apples, and teaspoon of olive oil together in the bowl. Sprinkle with enough salt to cover the apples, then top the pizza with the apples, followed by the almond slices.

Bake for about 18 minutes, until the crust is golden on the bottom and the almonds and apples are slightly toasted. Enjoy!

[For a vegan pie, just skip the cheese altogether instead of using a cheese substitute. The texture and flavours of the greens, fruit and nuts, with hints of olive oil and garlic stand out on their own.]

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Groovy Garden Sandwich (vegan)

Sweet crunchy apples, salted almonds sautéed in olive oil, a hint of green onions, kale, and warm hummus all folded into a fresh flour tortilla. That's good. Really good, and I am hooked.

For four servings, or a serious meal for two:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4-1/2 tsp salt of your choice
2 crisp apples, cored and sliced (peeling is optional)
2 large or 4 medium kale leaves of kale
hummus (recipe follows)
Vegan flour tortillas or gluten free tortillas

Gently heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the green onion and almonds slices, stirring. As soon as the almonds brown, turn off the heat. Sprinkle with salt.Toss in the apple slices and kale to warm and coat with the oil.

Spread hummus onto four medium-sized, soft tortillas. Add a quarter of the mixture from the pan. Fold over and enjoy.

For fresh hummus, blend or mash these together:

2 cups cooked garbanzos/chick peas
1/2 cup tahini (or unsweetened peanut butter)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (omit if you used canned garbanzos)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves peeled, fresh garlic

I shared this post with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

www.stealthymom.com

Pork and Apple Cornbread Casserole (gluten free)

I love one-dish wonder meals. This one combines homemade cornbread with fresh apples and pork to bake all at once. If only there was a way to share the aroma... It is fun to see the boys eat this. G-man slowly and meticulously reconstructs every bite on his fork to be a miniature version of the casserole. The Cadet, whom we sometimes call "Baby Carnivore," eats the meat first, then the cornbread, and the apples last. Whatever works.

(A point of pride, there are no factory farm or GMO ingredients. We're getting there!)

Sweet Potato Noodles with Apples, Almonds and Baby Kale (gluten free, milk free)

Sweet Potato Noodles with Apples, Almonds and Baby Kale (gluten free)

"No vegetables for me! I just want noodles!" Who hasn't had days like this? G-man and the Cadet are really good eaters most of the time, but last night I had to pull a Jedi Kitchen Trick. Take cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, add some masa harina, a wee bit of seasoning and an egg, and you've got a gluten-free noodle that is spiked with nutrition.

The boys gobbled theirs up plain, while Stealthy Dad and I enjoyed a more grown-up version: tossed with olive oil, apples, almonds and fresh baby kale from our garden. Either way, we had a great meal.

Sweet Potato Noodles

1 cup non-GMO masa harina
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, cooled to room temperature
1 egg