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September is nearly half over and as the cooler weather begins to creep in, most fruit and vegetable seasons are drawing to an end, but one my favorites is just beginning.  For me, the crisp fall weather always ushers in the much anticipated apple season!  Orchards sell apples by the bagful or welcome customers to come pick their own.  Packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, apples are not only a great snack but inspire many delicious and healthy recipes.  Check out some favorite recipes:

Cinnamon Baked Apples:  This recipe, from The Eating Well Diet, is a healthy alternative to traditional apples pie and delivers the same sweet cinnamon taste you crave.  The recipe is quick and easy to make. Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Create a small well in the center of 4 apples by cutting out the stem and core and leaving the bottom intact.  Transfer apples to an 8-by-8 inch glass baking dish.  Fill each well with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.  Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon cinnamon over the apples.  Pour 1 cup white wine around the apples, cover with foil and bake until soft, about 1 hour.  Let cool before serving.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon-Apple Pancakes: Check out this delicious apple-inspired recipe from Kari:

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons honey

1 and 1/4 cup milk

*1 apple, chopped or pureed in a food processor, peel left on

In a large mixing bowl, stir together Whole Wheat Pastry flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate mixing bowl, add vanilla, egg, yogurt, milk, honey and apple.

Add wet ingredients to dry and combine. Pour onto hot skillet in 1/4 cup amounts. Makes 8 -10 medium-sized pancakes.

*To puree in a food processor, slice off apple around the core. Place apple slices in the food processor and puree until it reaches the desired consistency. Add a few tablespoons of water for a thinner applesauce.

Chicken and Apple Salad:

12 ounces apples, peeled, cored and sliced

4 (6 ounce)  chicken breast fillets

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces green beans, trimmed

12 ounces cos lettuce, washed

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

1 lime, juice and zest of

1 teaspoon honey

Directions:

On a cutting board, lay out chicken then gently beat the chicken until it is ¼ inch thick.  Brush pan with a little of the oil and heat until it is really hot. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes on both sides until charred.  Brush the griddle pan with a little of the oil, then heat until it is really hot. Add the apple slices and cook for 1-1.5 minutes each side until charred on both sides.  Cook the beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Drain, rinse in cold water then drain again.  Shred the lettuce into pieces, place in salad bowl, add the tomatoes, beans, onion and half the cilantro.  For the dressing, mix the remaining cilantro with the remaining oil, lime rind and juice, honey and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chicken and apples to the salad and toss.  Top with the dressing.

There are plenty of other great apple recipes out there so take advantage of the season!  Make apple picking a fun family activity, it’s cheaper than purchasing imported apples at the store plus it’s a great way to get out and be active.

What are your favorite apple-inspired recipes?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 at 1:38 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.