Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Healthy Sweets - Apple Crisp

Here at Bill's TN Paradise, a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet doesn't mean abstinence from tasty sweet desserts.

It's all about ingredients that makes the difference. And if you're like me, you love sweet fruity and nutty desserts.

Here's Bill's Apple Crisp - low fat, no refined sugar, low carb recipe.






Bill's Apple Crisp with dried cherries and walnuts

  • Wipe a glass pie pan with canola or olive oil
  • Peel, core and slice 5-6 apples, since I don't add sugar, I use sweet apples like Fuji or Gala
  • Mix with a couple tbsp lemon juice and dust with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 min

While that is baking, make the topping.

Mix approximately:
  • 1/2 c. walnuts (or your favorite nut)
  • 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 c. rolled oats (oatmeal)
  • 1/4 c. maple syrup
  • (optional: add a 2 tbsp ground flax seed)
Make sure the entire topping is fully moist w/ maple syrup - I never measure anything, all amounts are approximate!

Take baking apples out of oven. Mix in a hand full of dried cherries (better than raisins, they don't burn), put topping on a little at a time. Reduce heat to 350 and bake another 15-20 min or until the topping is done and crisp.

Did you know, walnuts have the highest Omega 3 essential fatty acids of any nut? Ground flax seed too is a great source. That is the 'good fat' - good for your heart. And.. use pure maple syrup, none of that Aunt Jemimah crap. The less refined the sweetener, the better. I never use chemical sweetners but sometimes, I use stevia, an herbal sweetener, it tastes great on fruit (but it doesn't work in this recipe).

After my last physical/blood work, I guess I must be doing something right. I've dropped 12 lbs and my cholesterol dropped from 223 to 150 since last year. I weighed 143 this morning, I'm feeling really light and fast. Looking forward to my next 5K race.

9 comments:

Lisa said...

If I lived closer to you, I'd like pay you to cook for me! ha!

Anonymous said...

William:

That sounds delicious, especially if you top it with one of those single serve (pint) size Ben&Jerry's "Chunky Monkey" or "Cherries Garcia".

I do find it hard to believe that you're not using Cortlands, Macouns or Northern Spies.

The last time I weighed 143 was when I was in 8th grade. I'm down to 200 even (from about 225 or so, last summer).

democommie

William said...

Hey Demo, you're moving in the right direction. Keep it up. I know it's cold up there, but exercise! Hey, I ran tonight in shorts in 25 degree weather. I love running in the cold.

BTW... I was a small kid, in 8th grade I weighed only 100 lbs, was strong, fast, and agile as a cat. By 9th grade, I was 115 lbs and could bench press double my weight. (which led to shoulder injuries!)

Anonymous said...

William:

See, I knew it! Exercise and a good diet will wreck your health. I didn't have to have my neck fixed until I was 57, thank God I was lazy when I was younger!

Seriously; I haven't made it in a while, but I used to make an apple crisp that had very little white death in it and it tasted just fine.

Oh, btw, I don't have to go outside to be in 25 degree weather this morning--it followed me home. National Grid expects to have a new gas line run to my home before the next ice age.

democommie

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy and I like the fact that it has flax seed as an optional ingredient. I am a daily user of milled flax seed which I use on my soya meal and oatmeal. Great for the heart and diabetes as well. All thanks to its prime nutrient called Omega 3 -- an unsaturated type of fat or the good fat.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this recipe. It is 10pm here in Atlanta on a Friday (the prime time to eat out at an unhealthy restaurant), and I'm having one of my notorious sugar gravings. When I have them, I turn mean and try to manipulate(sounds crazy right!)myself so I'll go to the nearest store to get all the sweets I can. So, to stay healthy and keep my sanity, I sit at the computer when I get a graving and hope it passes soon. I take Candidas and a detoxifier to stop the craving, but they aren't fully in my system yet. I have lost 37 pounds since April of 2007. I am a healthy 5'1 126lb toned young lady and I don't want to go back to feeling heavy, sluggish, and lazy. My cholesterol used to be 195 (LDL which is extremely high). Since then, I choose to live a healthy lifestyle and prefer natural sweets, I just know this recipe will fix my yearnings. I'll just have to eat it during the day when I'm most active. And yes, flaxseed is so good for you, I put it in all of my bread recipes. Thank you so much! I'll let you know how much I like it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I was so suprised, this naturally sweet desert hit the spot with one serving. It would be great for the holidays with fat-free vanilla ice cream, yum! I'm going to try it out on my fiancee and see what he thinks, thanks for the recipe!

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Unknown said...

My 11 year old daughter and I made this apple crisp and we absolutely loved it. It is amazing! I had enough to take the work the next day and I was licking the bowl. I have been raw 2 weeks and I am amazed how good real living food tastes.