5 Ways to Add Apples to Your Next Meal

You probably have heard the saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Is it true or a myth?  According to Cornell University research it is true, but you do have to eat the skin as well.  Apple, especially the peel of the apple contains antioxidants.  From such research and others there is a scientific evidence showing these antioxidants may lower the risk of cancer and other diseases.  In addition to antioxidants, apples contain pectin fiber which may aid weight loss.

Here are 5 ways to make sure you and your family eat an apple a day:

Apple Goat Cheese Wrap

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• Boston lettuce for the wraps
• ½ cup Goat Cheese
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Red Apple (Honeycrisp) cut into cubes
• 1 Kirby Cucumber cut to cubes
• 2 Avocados
• ¼ cup crushed almonds
• 1 tbsp Agave
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp basil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Whisk olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Pit the avocado, then cut in pieces; add to the bowl and mix.  Add cucumbers, basil, dried cranberries, almonds, agave, apple and salt and pepper to the mix. Take Boston lettuce leaf and fill in with 1 tbspful of the mixture and wrap it.

Apple Waldorf Salad

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:                                                                               

• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cut into thin slices
• 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
• ½ cup fennel cut into thin slices
• 1 tbsp mint cut julienne
• 1 cup Romaine lettuce cut to pieces
• ¼ cup walnuts

Directions:

In a bowl whisk the yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Add apple, grapes, walnuts, lettuce and fennel.  Toss together.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Apples

2 servings

Ingredients:                                                             

• 2 Roma/Granny Smith apples cored
• 2 tsp Cinnamon
•  1 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp chopped pecans
• Juice from 1/2 orange
• 1 tsp agave

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In a pyrex add the cored apples.  Sprinkle cinnamon on the apples.  Fill into the core the raisins and the pecans.  Pour½ of the orange juice on the apples.  Cook for 20, or until the apples are soft.  Pour the rest of the orange juice before serving.

Red and Green Apples Slaw

6 Servings

Ingredients:                                                                                                 

• 1 Granny Smith apple cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1 Gala apple cut into matchstick-size strips
• 2 cups cabbage slaw
• 2 tbsp juice of lime
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sage cut julienne
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp chili pepper
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
• 2 tbsp Chives cut into small pieces

 Directions:

In a large bowl pour the lime juice, soy sauce, chili pepper and sesame oil.  Whist all together.  Add cabbage slaw, herbs and peanuts.  Mix the apples, all together.

Sauté Apple and Chicken

6 servings

Ingredients:                                                                               

• 1 apple cut to cubes
• Cooked chicken skinless boneless
• 3 cups baby kale
• 1 yellow onion cut to small pieces
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1-2 minced garlic
• 2 tbsp dill
• ½ cup pomegranate
• ½ red apple
• ½ green apple

Directions:

In a pan sauté yellow onions and garlic with the oil until the onions are translucent. Add chicken and salt and pepper. Cook for about 7-10 minutes.  Towards the end of the cooking add the baby kale, pomegranates and dill.  Mix together.  Best to serve it on a bed of quinoa or wild rice.

And if that is too much work, have an apple as your snack perhaps with peanut butter.  Yum!