Do you often fancy something sweet? Or find a dessert hard to resist? I'm sure you'll love this recipe, hearty comfort food which is rich in nutrients and natural sweet flavour. It's easy too!
Eating the whole fruit helps to balance the sugar in your body, rather than drinking juice. When the natural fibre is included, your body can make sense of the fruit's nutrients.
Apples contain compounds which create nitric oxide, which is a natural vasodilator. This means that the blood vessels relax, improving blood flow.
Apples also contain digestive enzymes, including amylase, which helps break down proteins.
I've popped nutrition notes after the recipe and the end of this short blog. Enjoy :)...
I was chatting with my Mum about old fashioned desserts. They were often based around seasonal fruit and spices.
I baked these in the wood burner oven and kind of forgot about them! So they went a bit wrinkly. Most recipes would suggest covering them in foil, however I prefer to avoid aluminium for health and environmental reasons.
They tasted great! I enjoyed half of one apple with some natural yoghurt and a dusting of cinnamon to serve. They last several days in the fridge.
NOTE: I recommend using organic, local produce where possible.
Check that your yoghurt is natural, contains probiotic strains and has
no "E" numbers, High fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, colours or flavours.
RECIPE:
2 red apples, I used royal gala
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sultanas (or dried fruit of choice) - choose preservative free
1/2-1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Flax meal or LSA
1/2 tablespoon chopped almonds or almond meal
1/8 tsp cinnamon to add to the mix, and a little to dust with when serving
knob of butter or coconut oil to brush the top before baking
Your choice of yoghurt, cream or ice-cream to serve
WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 160c (320f)
Add your dried fruit, orange zest, orange juice, almonds and hemp seeds in a dish and mix well.
Core the apples, divide the dried fruit mixture between the apples, packing it in tightly and place on a baking sheet in a ceramic dish.
brush with a knob of butter or coconut oil and bake for around 30 mins. You can cover with natural baking paper, or cover with a lid, then remove and bake for another 10 mins.
This is a flexible dish, choose your own add-ins:
shredded coconut
nutmeg, clove or spices of choice
dried apricots, mango or dates
Serve with ice-cream, labneh, yogurt or cream. NOTE: use natural and pasture-raised dairy products.
NUTRITION INFO:
Apples are a super healthy food, humble but mighty! They contain prebiotic fibres, for feeding your friendly gut bacteria. They contain antioxidants, vitamin C and small amounts of minerals such as potassium and copper. Note that much of the vitamin C will be depleted by cooking, so grab some fresh fruit during your day too.
Spices such as cinnamon are good antioxidants, to protect cell health
Hemp seeds are rich in healthy omega fats, fibre and protein, plus minerals. So they pack a nutrient punch!
Almond is a good source of healthy fats, fibre, protein and calcium, so is also a nutrient dense food.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe blog. If you would like to improve your eating habits, simply message me to schedule a 30 minute free chat to find out more.
Laura xx
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