We went apple picking with some friends at one of the local farms and of course the excitement of picking our own apples resulted in a bushel of apples that would comfortably feed a family of twenty. With so many apples I was able to give a good old college try to any and all recipes apple. I ventured into making apple crisp, apple crumble, apple streusel, and apple you-name-it, until our home was flooded with too many lingering apple desserts. Yes, the desserts were amazing, but healthy not so much. So, I started to look for some lighter options as to what to do with our bushel.
Applesauce is a perfectly healthy and delicious snack food or dessert. Kids love it, adults love it, and most importantly, I love it. It pairs perfectly well with pork chops, or shines just on its own.At first I was shocked by how simple the recipe is, but then again, I did remember we made applesauce as a project when I was in kindergarten. Granted, mostly I remember it entailed dancing around the kiddie lockers while the teacher made us a snack; I wasn't as into the act of cooking at that point in time, being five years-old and all. Anyway, enough babbling, check out the recipe below, and do give it a try:
Ingredients:
1 Apple (1 Apple per serving/person)
1/4 cup of Water
1 teaspoon Sugar or Sugar Substitute
Optional: Cinnamon and Nutmeg
Wash and Peel the apple (Yes, You are peeling the apple, but I still wash it first just to keep things extra clean).
Cut the apple into small square pieces (about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch).
Put the apple chunks in a small pot on top of the stove and add 1/4 cup of water.
Crank up the stove to high heat, bring the water to a boil, cover and put the heat down to low to simmer for 5 minutes.
Once the apple has cooked for 5 minutes, remove the lid and let the apples simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the water has evaporated from the pot.
Using a fork, spoon, or a masher if you have one, smash the apples to form a smooth consistency. I do it in the same pot to avoid pile up of extra dishes in the kitchen - efficiency!
Add 1 teaspoon of Sugar or Sugar Substitute, to taste.
Stop here and serve if you want just a good, solid Applesauce. But if you're like me, and enjoy a little spice in your life, read on...
Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a sprinkle of nutmeg (a sprinkle of nutmeg goes a long way).
Serve it up and dig in. See that - easy as pie.
