Cranberry-Apple Sauce

I love to be able to cook a traditional turkey dinner at Christmas, with all the fixings... some kind of dressing for The Captain, potatoes, gravy, veggies and cranberry sauce.  It just doesn't seem like a traditional turkey dinner without cranberry sauce... but we are eating less sugar these days, and almost no artificial sweeteners, so I needed to come up with a new recipe to accompany our Christmas turkey dinner this year.

I didn't want to use any Splenda and I sure didn't want to use a whole cup of sugar... both of which I have used in the past.  Cranberries are so tart that they really do need some kind of sweetening to make them edible!

I decided to cut up a couple of apples to add a sweetness to the tart cranberries, and it worked really well.  The natural sugar in the apples allowed me to put just a few tablespoons of added sugar into the mixture, and the natural pectin from the apples helped firm up the sauce when it cooled, too.  If you like it a bit sweeter, then you can certainly add more sugar. 

At first I thought I would use applesauce but opted to go for the cut up apples instead. I think it was a better choice because I like a firm cranberry jelly, and the applesauce may have made it a bit too runny.

This is my plate, without dressing...



Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Makes about 2-1/2 cups

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
• 2 apples, cored and cut into small pieces
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg

1. Place everything in a medium saucepan over HIGH heat.
2. Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer.
3. Stir continuously as the cranberries split open while they cook.
4. After about 8 or 9 minutes, turn off the heat and cover with a lid.
5. Allow to rest and cool for 15 or 20 minutes.
6. Remove to a covered storage container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per 1/4 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 40; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

 

 



Printable Recipe
 

 

Do you like cranberry sauce with turkey?  Tart or sweet?

Melanie's Prize Winning Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

I recently found a recipe that one of my fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors, Melanie, developed for a Quaker Oats Contest... and I thought it looked and sounded too good to pass on.  It is an Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal.

It does take a few minutes to assemble and get into the oven, and it has to cook for 45 minutes, so this is not something you are going to do on a busy workday.... but on a weekend, yes, do give it a try.  And once it is made up, it keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days and can be re-heated on those mornings you are in a hurray.  Always nice to have something quick.

Since I have had to start outfitting my kitchen, almost from scratch, I haven't purchased any pie plates yet... so I used a glass cake pan to make up Melanie's Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal... but I am going to share my pictures with you anyway. 

Chopped apples, oats, nuts and spices.

 

The wet ingredients added with the dry.

 

And poured into a prepared baking dish.

 

After coming out of the oven.  Smells wonderful!

 

A 1/6th serving....

with a bit of yogurt and syrup for The Captain.\

 

And mine is a 1/8th serving... not that much smaller really.

 

I did make a couple of small changes... I substituted walnuts for pecans, and I used coconut oil in place of vegetable oil. I did use a sugar free syrup, too, to keep the calorie count down for me and the other Weight Watchers who will want to make this dish.  Minor tweaks and I know you will want to visit Melanie's blog, nutritious eats, for the recipe and instructions for this delicious Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal... and also see her beautiful photos!

 

For my Weight Watchers friends who like to know how things shape up nutritionally, I am going to share the N.I. for the pie the way I made it up, noting my substitutions in the ingredients as described.

 

Per serving of 1/8th of pie, not including topping.

Weight Watchers P+ = 5.

Calories 194; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 23g;  Fat 10g; Fibre 3g.

 

Per serving of 1/6th of pie, not including topping.

Weight Watchers P+ = 7.

Calories 259; Protein 7g; Carbohydrate 30g; Fat 13g; Fibre 4g.

 

By the way, I just found out that Melanies' recipe won the contest.  Congratulations, Melanie!

 

Are you an oatmeal fan? Have you ever tried baked oatmeal?

 



Choice and Chewy Apple Chutney

Many years ago, back in the pre-sailboat years, we had a lovely garden and a huge kitchen where we spent many happy hours canning and preserving the harvest we gathered every Fall.

We picked berries to make jams, and crabapples and rosehips to make jellies; we chopped veggies to make antipasto; we made cucumber and bean pickles; we canned fruit, and I made pear chutney.  I loved that pear chutney, and it has been on my mind for the last several weeks now... whenever I bite into a lush ripe pear, I recall the chewy raisins and the sweet and sour flavors.  The cloves and other spices smelled so lovely as it cooked away on the stove.

So, when recently I saw a recipe for apple chutney in a local grocer's newsletter, I decided to give it a try... it called for currants, which I don't really care for, and mint, too, which just didn't sound right to me... so after making a few little tweaks to the ingredients, I came up with this Apple Chutney.  Apples are so plentiful and such a great price right now.

The chutney is delicious!  And the kitchen smelled wonderful while it was cooking, too.  It is particularly nice along side some roast pork or baked chicken, and also swirled with a bit of cream cheese on a cracker.  I also served it as a side dish on a piece of baked Carnival squash... Mmmmm.  I hope you will give it a try. 

 



Apple Chutney
Makes 3 cups (12 servings of  approximately 1/4 cup each)

• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 3 medium to large apples

1. Halve and core each apple and then cut into 1/4-inch chunks..
2. Place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with all of the other ingredients.
3. Set the pot over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and bring to a light boil.
4. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer till the apples are tender and the chutney thickens slightly, about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature .  It will thicken as it cools.
6. Cover and refrigerate chutney till ready to serve. 
7. It can be frozen if you are going to keep it for any length of time or you could preserve in sterilized glass jars using a basic hot water canning bath.

Per serving of 1/4 cup.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 49; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 0g; Fibre 1g.



Dice the apples fairly small.

 

Add the other ingredients and cook on simmer.

 

The apples will get soft and the broth will reduce and thicken a bit.

 

Sweet and sour, such a tasty delight!

 

Printable Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Omelet - A Twist on a Classic

As much as I love eggs and omelets and frittatas, I do get a bit bored with them. Sometimes my tastebuds just don't want tomatoes, and onions, and peppers, and spinach.

But I do like to have eggs for breakfast because I know they will keep me satisfied throughout a busy morning, till lunchtime rolls around... even if I run or workout or spend the morning shopping or doing housecleaning.

Recently I decided to try something different with our omelets, and thought I would sweeten them up a bit with some apples, cinnamon and almond butter... it was a successful experiment and I will be doing more of this I am sure.

You could easily halve the ingredients and make this for one, or make up the whole thing and refrigerate half of it for another meal. I think it would make a good lunch too, with a fruit and nut salad, perhaps.

The Captain thought that the filling was a bit dry and so would like it with jam!  And of course that would add a bit more sweetness (and calories) as well.  We will work on that for him.

Apple Cinnamon Omelet
Makes 2 servings

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup egg white
• 1 apple, cored, pared and diced
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbs almond butter

1. Mix the eggs and egg whites together in a small bowl.
2. Pour the mixture into a heated skillet that has been coated with non-stick spray over MEDIUM heat.
3. Cover and cook till the eggs are set and look dry on the top, about 5 or 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, stir the apple and cinnamon together in a microwave safe dish and mike on HIGH for 2 minutes, to soften the apple pieces.
5. When the eggs are cooked, loosen the edge all around with a spatula.
6. Dot the almond butter and spread it over 1/2 of the omelet.
7. Spoon the cooked apple pieces over the almond butter.
8. Fold the omelet in half.
9. Cut it into 2 pieces and set each piece on a serving plate.
10. Sprinkle with more cinnamon before serving.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories 250; Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 14g; Fat 14g; Fibre 3g.

Diced apples mixed with cinnamon in a microwave safe dish.

 

Cooked till soft.

 

After omelet has set, spread almond butter over 1/2 of it.  The Captain thinks jam would be good here, too.

 

 

Cover the almond butter with the cooked dices apples and cinnamon mixture.

 

Cut into 2 portions and plate, sprinkling a bit more cinnamon over the top.

A lovely flavor and a nice change of pace.



Printable Recipe

 

What do you think? Would you like fruit in your omelet? 

 

What other fruits might work in this way?  I am going to try some bananas next.

 

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions

I love the versatility of pork tenderloins.  They can be cooked in so many ways.  We often barbecue them after seasoning with a spicy rub or a marinade.  And we roast them in the oven occasionally too.  But one of the nicest ways to cook pork tenderloins is in a crock pot.
Add a few vegetables or pieces of fruit, a bit of sauce, and leave alone for several hours and let the magic happen..... the joy of slow cooking!

I love to use fruit with pork. In the summer I usually choose strawberries, and during the Holiday Season, cranberries.  But for this dish I selected large, juicy Gala apples.  I am sure whatever apples you decide to use, it will turn out very nicely.

The apples will shrink and release their juices while cooking so that is why there is very little liquid in the original ingredients.  And there is no need to add any seasoning, either.  Trust me on this; the dark balsamic vinegar and brown sugar add just the right flavors. 

This is a lovely, company-worthy dish.  Roast some potatoes and prepare another vegetable and you have a lovely meal to offer your guests.  If you like, you could thicken the juice with a bit of cornstarch, but I think it is very nice as an 'au jus' to spoon over the spuds.

When I made this recently, there were only 2 of us for dinner and so the next evening we had the leftovers heated up, and served over rice.  It was just as delicious the second time around!

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onions
Makes 4 servings

• 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 to 1-1/4 pounds
• 2 large apples, cored and sliced fairly thin
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 bunch green onions, trimmed and sliced to 1/4 inch lengths
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs dark balsamic vinegar 

1. In a small bowl, mix the applesauce, sugar and vinegar.
2. If there is any membrane or fat on the tenderloin, remove it with a sharp knife.
3. Cut the tenderloin crosswise into 8 equal slices.
4. Coat the inside of your crock pot lightly with a non-stick spray for ease of cleanup.
5. Place pork slices in the crock pot,leaving a bit of space between them if you have room.
6. Spread the apple slices over the pork, then sprinkle the onions over top.
7. Drizzle the applesauce mixture over the top.
8. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours.
9. For each serving spoon out 2 slices of pork and some of the apple slices, along with the juice. 

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 8.
Calories 303; Protein 33g; Carbohydrate 26g; Fat 9g; Fibre 4g.

Mix the applesauce with dark balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.

Coat the crock pot with non-stick spray and then place the pork slices in the bottom.

Wash and trim the green onions to about 5 or 6 inches long.

Slice them into 1/4 inch lengths.

Wash and core the apples.

And slice thinly, about 1/4 inch thick. 

 I leave the apple prep till just before I am going to use them so they don't get a chance to turn brown through oxidization.  Otherwise, sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice to avoid this discoloration.

Place the apple slices and the chopped onions on top of the pork slices in the crock pot.

Drizzle the applesauce mixture over the top.  Then cover, set to LOW, and leave for 7 to 9 hours.

No peeking!  Although you may be tempted because after 2 or 3 hours you will appreciate the marvelous aroma of this dish as it cooks.

Remove the lid and serve while hot.

For each serving...2 pieces of pork along with apples and juice.

Printable Recipe

Savoury Beans and Apple

This tasty and nutritious dish comes from The G.I. Diet Cookbook.  I highly recommend the book and I found it in my local library.  It has lots of healthy, simple recipes in it.

The recipe as printed makes enough for supper for 4 people so I halved the ingredients.... you can easily double or triple them if you like.  The author gives you the option of using vegetable or chicken stock.  Of course I am using the vegetable stock that I made recently and posted last week.  And using vegetable stock makes it a vegan recipe as well, if that is important to you.

It is a large serving but I added some brown rice to the plate, to give some added texture. Here is how I put it together.

Savoury Beans and Apple

Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 Tbs EVOO
• 1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and grated
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbs  red wine vinegar
• 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 tsp each dried thyme and oregano
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• dashes of salt and pepper 

1. In a large, non-stick frying pan, heat oil over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. 
2. Cook onion, apples, carrots, celery and garlic for 10 minutes or until softened.
3.  In bowl, whisk together stock, tomato paste and vinegar; add to vegetable mixture in frying pan.   
4. Stir in beans, thyme, oregano, mustard, cumin, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil. 
5. Then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes. 
6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.

Per serving, without garnish or rice.

Weight Watchers P+ = 8.

Calories 321; Protein 17g; Carbohydrate 56g; Fat 5g; Fibre 15g.

Cook the apples and veggies until soft.

Add the rest of the ingredients and then cover to cook.

Served with some brown rice and a bit of yogurt.

Printable Recipe

Apples and Butternut Squash Pair in an Easy Casserole

We had left over pork tenderloin for dinner last night and I wanted to dress it up with a lovely and delicious side dish... so I chose this apple and butternut squash casserole.  This is a dish we have enjoyed several times over the past few years.  I cannot recall where the original recipe came from but I know I have reduced the amount of butter and sugar!

It is sweet and savory at the same time, and has a nice soft, creamy texture. It smells soooo good while it is in the oven, cooking.  If you like, toss in a few raisins and add 1 P+ to the total.

Apple and Butternut Squash Casserole

Makes 4 servings

• 1 large apple, cored and sliced thin
• 8 oz. butternut squash, peeled and sliced into  1/8th inch slices 

Topping:

• 1/2 Tbs flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• 2 Tbs butter 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a 9" x 9" pan with non-stick spray.
3. Layer the apple and butternut squash slices in the pan, 2 layers of each.
4. In a small bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.  Add in the butter and crumble with your fingers.
5. Sprinkle crumbled mixture over the apple and squash slices.
6. Bake for 60 minutes.

Per serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 4.

Calories 134; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 6g; Fibre 2g.

Slice butternut squash thinly.

Layer squash and apple in pan.

Mix dry topping ingredients together.

Mix in butter till crumbly.

 

Sprinkle topping over layered squash and apples.

After it bakes for an hour...

 

It can easily removed from pan to serve.

Printable Recipe

Apple and Dried Cranberries Sweeten up this Slaw

We eat this sweet coleslaw quite often.  Recently when I posted the recipe for Peanut Butter Pasta, I mentioned that a sweet crunchy coleslaw would be a nice side dish with it, and went to link to my recipe... but was quite surprised to find that I had never posted it!

I am rectifying that now as I did just make it to have with some store-bought gyoza and sauce.  It calls for ingredients that I almost always have on hand.  I guess that is why we have it so often!  That, and we really do like it.

And now I can go back and insert that link!

Sweet Crunchy Coleslaw
Makes 4 servings of 3/4 cup each

• 2 cups of bagged tricolor cabbage slaw or chop your own
• 1 small red apple, pared and chopped into small pieces
• 2 thin slices of white onion, chopped
• 1 Tbs dried cranberries

For the dressing:

• 2 Tbs fat free Miracle Whip or other mayo
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 packet Splenda

1. Place the first 4 ingredients into a medium bowl.
2. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix till creamy and well-blended.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad in the medium bowl and mix well. 
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 42; Protein 1g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

Note:
The only ingredients in this recipe that have Points Plus values are the dried cranberries and the fat free Miracle Whip.  But Weight Watchers uses all the ingredients in a recipe to calculate the N.I.

Put the vegetables and fruit into a medium bowl.

Place the dressing ingredients into a small bowl.

Mix till creamy and then pour over the fruit and vegetables.  Stir till all the freggies are coated with dressing.

Printable Recipe