Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas for Apples
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Red, yellow, green, pink, fresh, dried... There is a type and form of apple for everyone's taste. Apples are wonderful eaten out-of-hand. To change up your apple snacking, shake on some chili, ginger, curry powder, or a spice-blend of your choosing. If you have a last-minute, "can you bring something" event, arrange thinly sliced green and red, tart and sweet varieties, on a serving platter, and sprinkle with spices.
When you have time to cook, you might like to try Apple Curry. Chop tart apples (such as Granny Smiths), onions, garlic, and chili or bell peppers and sauté with curry powder until soft. Add coconut milk, a bay leaf, and a splash of apple cider and maple syrup. Cover and allow to simmer until flavors are blended. Serve over rice, polenta, or your favorite cooked grain. Also, use as a wrap filling or blend and serve as a flavorful soup.
If you don't have time to cook, create an Apple Salsa using firm apples (such as Delicious, Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady), and combine with diced sweet onions, seeded fresh chilies, minced fresh cilantro, a splash of fresh lime or lemon juice, and ground white pepper.
Quick Applesauce requires equipment, but not much time. Core and peel apples, chop coarsely, place in a microwaveable bowl, cover, and microwave until soft. Place in a blender or food processor; add maple syrup or sweetener of choice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger; blend; and serve! Enjoy applesauce as a side dish or dessert, or use as a baking ingredient.
Finely chopped fresh apples can be added to hummus, your favorite sandwich spread, cooked grains, hot or cold cereals, and smoothies. Sliced apples, quickly sautéed in your vegan margarine or oil of choice and tossed with walnuts or almonds and dried fruit, can be used as a side dish, a grain or sweet potato topper, or the base for a dessert.
No time to bake a pie? Create Apple Pie Burritos by filling tortillas with sautéed apples, garnishing with chopped nuts and dried fruit. For an apple pie enchilada dessert casserole, preheat oven to 375 degrees, spray a baking dish with vegetable oil, and layer sautéed apples with shredded tortillas dusted with cinnamon and a sweetener. If desired, moisten with a small amount of apple cider. Top with dried cranberries and dried apples, dot with a small amount of margarine, cover, and bake until hot.
