It's been a couple of weeks of very decadent Treats and Meals in our house. I'm not a fan of New Year Resolutions, however, I do believe in setting goals and modifying what I eat after splurging for a long period of time. I have a backlog of recipes I'm still writing out, but, here is a lighter treat for you to try as we head into what I hope is a promising and peaceful year.
An Apple Oatmeal Almond Bake is more moist than an Apple Crisp and can be served up with Yogurt at Breakfast or on it's own as a Sweet Treat. This dish focuses on the Apples and the cooked Almonds provide a bit of texture and nuttiness. It's fairly easy to make and you don't need to worry about rolling out pie crusts or getting the consistency of the "crisp" layer just right. The Oatmeal finishes off in the juices of the Apple and becomes moist.
The Apples are baked with Almonds at the beginning to get the juices flowing. This is a "healthier" option to several desserts as it doesn't have a lot of added fat or sugar. Something 2016 has taught me, is that no matter what the latest "Healthy" Food, Diet or Supplement is, we are better to be mindful of what we eat over a week and reduce our intake of Processed Food over all. I've touched on that previously and will go into detail in a different post.
I've noted substitutions below for those who wish to reduce Sugar further.
Apple Oatmeal and Almond Bake
6 to 7 Large Apples Apples - Peeled and Sliced
3/4 Cup Almonds, Whole or Sliced
Lemon Juice from a Full Lemon
1/4 Cup Butter
(If using Salted Butter, no additional Salt is required. Add a 1/4 TSP to the Oatmeal Mixture if using unsalted.)
1 1/4 Cup Oatmeal (Rolled Oats)
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar *Substitutions noted below
1 TSP Ground Cinnamon
1/4 TSP Nutmeg
1/4 TSP All Spice (Optional)
1/4 TSP Sumac or Mace
1 Baking Dish 12" x 8"
Coat the Baking Dish with approximately 2 TSPS of Butter
Combine Spices, Oatmeal, Butter in a bowl and work the rest of the Butter through the Mixture with your finger tips until evenly distributed.
Peel and Slice Apples.
Add the Apples to a Bowl and Coat with Lemon or Orange Juice
Add Peeled and Sliced Apple Wedges to the baking dish.
Sprinkle the Almonds over top
Cook for 10 minutes at 350 F
Remove from oven, and stir or toss the Apple Wedges.
Sprinkle Oatmeal Mixture over the Apples
Return to oven and Bake 20 to 25 minutes more.
Remove From Oven and stir once again.
All done, let sit for 10 minutes prior to serving and it is best served warm.
I've mentioned before I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I do appreciate Apples in almost any form, even as a savoury side dish, and having a portion of Apple Almond Bake sometimes just hits the right spot for me.
NOTE: This recipe is Gluten Free if you use Oatmeal which is certified to be so. * You can substitute Sugar for Unsweetened Apple Sauce as well.
Desserts are subjective to your taste buds and sweetness levels, this dish is also eaten as a quick breakfast, I don't add a huge amount of Sugar. I do use Butter too, you can use Ghee or Clarified Butter to make it Lactose Free.
A simple dish, and very satisfying.
I am all about food and my interest in it's overall history has been rekindled since I started blogging. I think we could all have a look at how Food has changed over the last few hundred years and have our eyes opened. There are several foods I thought were bad for me as a child and several others I was taught to believe were a healthy food choice.
Things have changed and much of what we "learned" is now being looked at and proving to be wrong. Again, a topic for an upcoming post. It's really quite fascinating how we have changed how we eat, and why.
Please enjoy and have a wonderful New Year!
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