Love for Food



Me! Apple picking in New Palitz


I love love love love love apple picking. There is nothing like being out on sunny fall day. I always go overboard and end up with about thirty apples! As much as I love apples, I needed to start thinking about some creative ways to use them up. Good thing they have such a long shelf life. I was reading "An Apple a Day" in October's issue of Food Network Magazine. They provide a calender of October with 31 different ways to eat them. The one that caught my eye was to add apples to mac and cheese. The magazine said it was like dipping apples in cheese for fondue. Yum!
I found a recipe online, here, at delish.com. This recipe makes a lot (10 servings) but you can always half it. I love making large casseroles. It's great to heat and eat leftovers after a long day at work, or bring them in for lunch. Sometimes I freeze them in individual Tupperware portions, for a much healthier Lean Cuisine. I modified the recipe with all fat free stuff to help keep down the fat. I did however, use a very high quality reduced fat cheese. It increased the fat (as opposed to non-fat cheese) and the price quite a bit but you can't have a good mac and cheese without top notch cheese.

This dish has a lot of fat and Weight Watcher points. On the other hand 9 points isn't terrible, I just make sure to eat a light breakfast and lunch on the day I plan to eat this. I don't know about any one who watches what they eat but I can't always eat super healthy foods, I start to feel deprived. This is a dish I can eat and feel like I'm cheating but still eat and control my point intake.I was very happy with the way this dish came out. It was cheesy and gooey. I loved the hint of cinnamon and the tart crunch of the apples. The cornbread and bacon added a little something special. This would be a great addition to any thanksgiving meal. It would also be great to bring to a dinner party, it's a dish that most people would love.

Apple Cider Doughnuts
Does anyone have any unique recipes for cooking with apples? I still have a ton of apples!

Ingredients: Serves Ten
1/4 cup(s) butter (I used I can't believe it's not butter sicks)
2 tablespoon(s) butter
1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 cup(s) diced yellow onion
2 cup(s) cornbread muffin crumbles (store-bought) (I used low calorie/reduced fat)
2 cup(s) uncooked elbow noodles (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 cup(s) half-and-half ( I used fat free half and half)
1 cup(s) whole milk (I used skim milk)1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) black pepper
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 pound(s) brick Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (I used reduced fat)
1 1/2 cup(s) diced Granny Smith apples (or other tart apples)
6 slices of cooked turkey bacon

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cornbread crumbles, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
• Set aside.To prepare macaroni and cheese, begin by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain well and set aside.In a medium saucepan, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook about 2 minutes or until rue is golden. Slowly whisk in half-and-half and milk; stir until mixture has thickened and slightly darkened, about 3 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
• Slowly add grated sharp Cheddar cheese, a little at a time, and stir until completely melted. Remove pan from heat.
• Mix in reserved noodles and apples. Stir until well combined. Pour pasta mixture into a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and top with reserved cornbread mixture. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly, and golden on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts: Amount Per Serving
Calories 390.4Total Fat 23.6 g (YIKES!!!)
Saturated Fat 12.0 gPolyunsaturated Fat 2.3 gMonounsaturated Fat 7.5 gCholesterol 61.3 mgSodium 536.6 mgPotassium 223.1 mgTotal Carbohydrate 27.4 gDietary Fiber 3.1 gSugars 3.2 gProtein 17.6 g
Weight Watcher Points: 9 points per serving