Harvest Apples

You've got an apple tree. You've got apples... lots of 'em. What to do with the blessing of apple abundance in the next two weeks before they metamorphose into a disgusting pile of rotten apples?

Here are apples done three ways: applesauce, arroz con adzuki, and my godmother Kim's classic apple cake. All of these are dairy free, cinnamony applications for an apple avalanche.

Applesauce is always welcome in my place: not to sweet, not to cinnamony, just the succulence of fresh apples and flavor of fallen autumn. Many baked goods can also be made without butter by substituting a bit of applesauce and oil. This is a basic outline for making a traditional, slightly tart sauce that is as versatile as it is simple. Applesauce is also ideal for using up those apples that are less than beautiful without wasting precious fruit.



Applesauce
4 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and chopped in large chunks
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine the apples and cider in a large pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid, add the cinnamon, and cook another 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Either mash the apples in the pot for a lumpy texture (my vote), or pour it all into a food processor to puree into a uniform sauce.

Applesauce makes a great breakfast, but lacks the substance I crave in the morning; protein, complex carbohydrates, and something slightly sweet are usually on my tongue after a shower and before a bike ride to work. For breakfast I often go the route of an egg or high-protein grain, but was recently turned onto adzuki beans.

Arroz con leche (rice with milk) was a staple in my house growing up. My mother made a steamy pot of cinnamony, golden-raisin breakfast about once per week during the winter months by using leftover rice from dinner. Arroz con adzuki is my own high protein take on the Mexican classic.



Arroz con Adzuki

1 cup adzuki beans, rinsed and soaked for an hour
1 1/2 cups brown basmati rice
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup peeled grated sweet potato
1 1/2 cups chopped apple
1/2 cup grated apple
2 tablespoons tapioca
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried golden raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Bring the adzuki beans to a boil with 2 cups of water, then turn it down to a simmer. Cook the beans until the skin detaches, about 30 minutes, adding 2 more cups of water as it evaporates and absorbs. Add the rice, sweet potato, coconut milk, and almond milk, and raise the heat to boil again. Once the mixture boils, return to a simmer, and cook gently for 35-45 minutes, until the rice is tender. If the mixture begins to scorch, add 1/2 cup of water. As the rice finishes cooking, add the apple. Mix the tapioca with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste, then add it to the pot with the dried fruit and cinnamon.

This recipe doesn't have any sugar in it, so I like to top mine with a bit of honey , then slivered roasted almonds and raisins for extra texture and flavor.



Enough of the healthy stuff. Get to the apple cake.

Apple Cake

Dry
2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Wet
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups apples peeled and finely diced
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl cream together the sugar and vegetable oil, then add the apples, vanilla and eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then add the nuts. Pour it into a well-greased bundt pan and bake about 45 minutes. Mmm. Cake.

Cookies for Cathi

Chocolate and Cathi are inseparable like mayo, or a roux, or me and my bicycle. Catching word that she has a fuji apple surplus (sounds like a home invasion of the best kind) I modified a traditional cookie recipe into a fuji apple, comice pear somewhat-healthful dairy free cookie recipe.

However, I know Cathi. What's dessert without chocolate? Why bother? There's a California Christmas Chocolate Love cookie awaiting departure from DCA and arrival in SFO.



Fuji Apple and Comice Pear Cookies
1/2 cup mashed/minced pear, peeled and cored (about 1)
1 cup apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened cereal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons ground pine nuts

1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg

Let the fruit stew in the sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl while you get the rest of the recipe ready.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Mix together the flour through pine nuts in a medium bowl. Beat the egg and oil in a small bowl, then add it to the apple and pear. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. If you'd like, fold in 1/4 cup of raisins.

Drop tablespoons of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Nutrition Estimate: Calories 71. Fat 2.8g. Saturated fat .3g. Total Carbohydrates 10.5g. Dietary fiber 1.4g. Sugars .2g. Protein 1.8g.

Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

One of my favorite parts of carving a pumpkin is getting to snack on roasted pumpkin seeds. These past few weeks I haven't had hardly the capsicum endorphin rush I usually indulge in, so thought I'd appease my spicy desires with pumpkin seeds. And really, I'm glad the tide of pumpkin madness has subsided, and left in its wake omega 3 packages of peppery love.

Chili Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups of pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon chipotle chilie powder
1/2 teaspoon new mexico chilie powder
1 teaspoon Italian aleppo chilie pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Clean off the seeds; don't get anal about it, a little stringy stuff's okay. Dry them on paper towels or napkins. Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix together the spices, and add the extra virgin olive oil. Throw in the seeds, toss to coat, then roast them in a single, thin layer on a cookie sheet for 20-30 minutes.

Roasted Chicken

Snapping this photo, I felt like a poultry voyeur indulging in chicken cleavage. I almost yelled out from behind the camera "Ey Bird! Nice Rack!" ...butrestrainedmyself.

Tonight, for the first time in over a year, I roasted a whole chicken. Super basic: washed it, dried it, sprinkled with garlic powder, salt, pepper, Hungarian smoked paprika and cinnamon. Threw it in a roasting pan, dropped it in the oven at 425F then immediately turned the oven down to 350F. Roasted about an hour and a half, then let it rest for 20 minutes. Simple, falling off the bone satisfaction.

What to do with a roasted chicken? Aside from digging into it with a fork and spoon and greasy fingers, I have a few other ideas...



I've been having variations on this sandwich for days now. It's brilliantly tasty as the apple is crisp, crunchy, and tart, the beets are savory/sweet, slightly creamy, punched with dill and rounded by toasted pine nuts. The garlicky, crusty bread and fresh greens don't hurt the flavor combo either.

This sandwich was inspired by my mother's chicken and artichoke heart croissantwich. Usually, this was a special treat made with crisp romaine, and a mix of artichoke hearts, chicken, tarragon, and pine nuts served at music in the park on summertime Friday evenings of my childhood.

This recipe makes enough beets for 2 sandwiches.

Apple, Chicken and Beet Dill Sandwiches

1 cup beets
2 teaspoon mayo
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Slices of pink lady apple (or other tart, crispy style)
Slices of chicken breast or thigh
A handful of fresh mixed greens

Chop the beets into 1/8-1/4" dice. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Spread chopped garlic and extra virgin olive oil on a whole wheat ciabatta roll and toast. Add slices of apple, chicken, and beets to the toasted roll. Top with some greens and call it lunch.

As a variation, I've also converted this sandwich into a salad, using a touch of balsamic vinegar and pomegranate molasses as a dressing, omitting the ciabatta, and topping with a scoop of the beets.

Zucchini Pumpkin Bread

For the first time I took a ride today down to Eastern Market and vow to go back to pick up my leg of lamb for Thanksgiving roasting. I feel like I've discovered a new gem in the city, even though it's no secret that Eastern Market is a trendy spot. Since I moved to DC about a year ago I've mostly stuck around NW, what with the Dupont and Mount Pleasant Farmers' Markets so close; but one that's open daily? I'm sold.

On my bike ride home I joyously giggled in my toe straps at the changing leaves and warm sun on my cheeks. Knowing this is one of the last of the warm days, and prepared for the chill ahead, I thought of the contents of my fridge...

Stuck with a leftover zucchini and more pumpkin than I can wrap my head around, I needed something tasty, that would make the rest of the house smell good. Between my recent squash fetish, the changing of the leaves, my influx of tea consumption, and the newly-bought bag of whole wheat flour, how could I resist an afternoon with floury hands?

In pulling out my mixing bowl and bread pan, I realized, "ah crap, I don't have a cheese grater." But why would I have one? When was the last time I bought cheese? Man, depressing chain of thoughts there... To make this recipe I diced some zucchini and pumpkin and julienned a bit to add a different texture component. Turned out grate! Ouch.

This is a recipe adapted from epicurious but is pretty heavily toyed with. The bread turned out crusty on top, deliciously moist in the center, and an overall delight. Not bad for a graterless neo-baker.



Zucchini Pumpkin Bread

1 cup zucchini, minced (1/8")
1/2 cup zucchini, julienned
7/8 cup raw sweet pumpkin, minced (1/8")
1/8 cup raw sweet pumpkin, julienned


Dry
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Wet
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup pumpkin butter (applesauce works too)
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light silken tofu, blended into yogurt-like consistency
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Grease a bread pan.

Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. (Now's a good time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F) Beat together the wet ingredients and sugar in a large bowl. Add the zucchini and pumpkin to the wet ingredients and mix. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour everything into the greased bread pan, and bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until your tester comes out mostly clean. It took 1:10 in my oven, which is notoriously inconsistent. Careful not to over bake.

Nutrition Estimate Per Serving (12 slices): Calories 245.5. Total fat 6.6g. Saturated fat 3.8g. Total Carbohydrates 44.3g. Dietary Fiber 3.5g. Sugars 2.7g. Protein 4.9g.

Pumpkin Butter

At the Mount Pleasant Farmers' Market Jes picked up some Apple Butter, which is delectable- a little sweet, a little spicy, a little tart... At Trader Joe's I ran into pumpkin butter, which I've heard much about but never sampled. Since I had pumpkin at home already, I whipped some up with stellar results. Most recipes I found online called for traditional ground ginger, but I prefer the fresh flavor the grated root imparts. My new favorite breakfast is oatmeal with fresh chopped apple, a swirl of this tastiness on top, an extra dash of cinnamon and a few chopped almonds.

If you're using canned pumpkin, and want to use the whole can, go ahead and double the recipe.

Pumpkin Butter

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed, steamed pumpkin
1/4 cup water, apple juice, or apple cider
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the maple syrup and the fresh ginger in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Simmer gently about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to combine, bringing the heat up to boil the butter. Once it boils, reduce the heat and simmer another 10 minutes, or until it reaches your favorite consistency.

Makes four 1/4 cup servings.

Nutrition Estimate per 1/4 cup serving: Calories 69. Total fat .1g. Total Carbohydrates 17.7g. Dietary Fiber 1g. Sugars 12.8g. Protein .5g.

Note to Grammy: See, I'm getting my cinnamon in :) Now if only I could find a way to integrate flax seed into this...

Bicycle Bars

This morning I had to do a fasting breath test at the doctor’s office. By 10:30AM I was on my bike dragging myself uphill toward home and was downright hungry. Then I remembered… my bar. I reached back into my bag at a red light, and managed even to take a photo before devouring my breakfast on the road.



During September I schlepped back to California after adventures in Nepal. While there, my mother pulled out a recipe for protein bars from Sunset, and since I was on a health-baking kick I was enticed. “Ooh, these look tasty. But 240 calories?!”

“You don’t have to eat the whole thing, Phoebe.” She’s right, of course.

Protein bars are everywhere. The other day on a break at work I ran into CVS looking for a snack- an apple, banana, or jug of soymilk would have sufficed, but of course CVS didn’t have any of these luxury items. However, they do carry more “energy” “protein” and “health” bars than they do laxatives. Curious, considering the correlation... In general, protein bars are a bit frightening because they contain more ingredients than candy bars, often have similar nutritional value, and sit inside me like a brick. I passed on the bars and stole a pear used in one of our frou-frou specialty drinks from the bartender instead.

With some minor substitutions, and a few improvements (mostly chocolate), I think I have created a tastier, lower fat, higher omega bar for an on-the-bicycle-breakfast. Lactose intolerant friendly, of course.

Lactose Free Bicycle Bars Recipe

Cooking spray
Dry Ingredients
½ cup granola or cereal (I used Kashi Almond Flax GoLean)
½ cup oats
1/3 cup oat bran
2 tablespoons brewers yeast
4 tablespoons flax meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped roasted almonds
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup raisins
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)

Wet Ingredients
¼ cup tofu, processed or whipped into a smooth yogurt-like consistency
¼ cup low fat soy milk
1 egg
½ cup honey
minced zest and juice from ½ of a lemon

Line a sided cookie sheet or jellyroll pan with greased wax paper.

Mix together your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet ingredients.

Spray your hands with cooking oil (this will get sticky). Pour the batter into the lined pan and spread it out evenly using your greased hands. Stick it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

After it’s chilled, preheat the oven to 300 degrees, pull the pan out, and cut your bars with a knife into either into 16 or 24 bars. For 16 cut once lengthwise and 8 across, or for 24 cut into thirds lengthwise. Distribute the bars onto two greased cookie sheets. They can be close together as they won’t rise or spread through cooking.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the bars are lightly browned. Let them cool completely, then freeze or store in an airtight container. I like to wrap mine individually so they’re ready to grab at the drop of a helmet.


Nutrition Estimate for 16 Bars (Does not include brewer's yeast): Calories 164. Total fat 5.4g. Carbohydrates 27.7g. Dietary fiber 3.4g. Sugars 13.6g. Protein 4.7g.

Nutrition Estimate for 24 Bars (Does not include brewer's yeast): Calories 110. Total fat 3.6g. Carbohydrates 18.5g. Fiber 2.2g. Sugars 9g. Protein 3.2g.

Pumpkin Apple Breakfast Muffins

Santa Cruz is a pretty friendly place for dietary restrictions- vegan, vegetarian, raw, gluten-free, no nuts... you can find it all. However, locating a tasty dairy-free muffin was pretty much impossible; oh how I tried. DC has undeniably less options, and I haven't really located a vegan bakery that I love. That said, I got to meet one of the owners from Free For All Cupcakes, but haven't sampled yet. I've resorted instead of continuing the search to making my own, and while I'm sure these are delectable smeared with a pat of butter, they're also moist, crumbly, and complex all on their own. Grab one with an autumn comice pear for a quick breakfast.



Like my other pumpkin recipes, I peeled, chopped, and steamed the flesh before mashing it for these muffins.

Pumpkin Apple Breakfast Muffins Recipe

I made 12 minimuffins from this recipe, but if you're looking for heady, voluptuous muffins, go for making 9 instead.

1 large apple (I used a New York Macintosh), peeled, and finely chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup whipped light silken tofu
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon soy milk


After dicing the apple, add the sugar and let the juices accumulate while you get the rest of the recipe together.

In a large bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.

Add the pumpkin, tofu, canola oil, egg, vanilla, and soymilk to the apples and sugar.

Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Don't over stir, lumps are good.

Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray, distribute your batter, and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes. If you make 9 muffins, you'll probably need to cook them closer to 20, but be careful not to overcook.

Enjoy your muffins! These keep well sealed in the fridge, or you can freeze them and warm them up in the microwave.

Nutrition Estimate for 12 muffins: Calories 85.2. Total Fat 1.5g. Carbohydrates 16.7. Fiber 1.8g. Sugars .1g. Protein 2.5g.