Sautéed Breakfast Apple

Ingredients

1 Apple, peeled and sliced thin

1 teaspoon Butter

Spices (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice, ground Cumin) or use “Apple Pie Spice”

1 package Artificial Sweetener

Directions

In skillet, place Butter on medium flame.  When Butter is melted, add the slices of Apple, sprinkling Spices and Artificial Sweetener on top.   Stir mixture to cover Apple slices with Spices.  Cover skillet with lid and lower flame to low setting.  Allow to cook for 15 to 20 minutes until Apples are soft.  Add a little water for more moisture if necessary.  Serve warm.

Makes 1 serving

Abstinent Measuring

1 recipe = 1 fruit

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Roasted Chicken with Apple (or Carrot)

Ingredients

1 whole roasting chicken

2 apples

2 onions

2 heads of garlic

fresh rosemary and thyme

salt and pepper (amount per your preference)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Clean chicken and place in a pot.  Loosen skin over breast and place half of the garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme on breast under skin.  Rub the rest of the seasoning into the cavity.  Cut onions and apples into chunks and place around chicken.   Bake the chicken approximately 1 hour until done.  Remove skin and serve.

Abstinent Measuring

4 oz chicken = 1 protein, 1 cup apple/onion = 1 vegetable

Note:

If fruit is not on your meal plan for lunch or dinner, replace Apple with 8 oz diced Carrots.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Liz Pancake with Apple Topping

Ingredients

1 Apple, cored, pared and cut into chunks

3 TBLspoon Oat Bran

¼ teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Artificial Sweetener (Splenda recommended)

¼ cup Egg Substitute

2 oz Ricotta Cheese

¼ teaspoon Baking Powder

Directions

Preheat small shallow pan for Pancake.   Place chopped Apple in microwavable bowl with ½ cup Water, Cinnamon and 1 packet Artificial Sweetener.  Cook in microwave for three minutes and let stand until Pancake is done.  Combine Egg Substitute, Ricotta, Bran and Baking Powder in small bowl and mix well with fork.  Spray pan with nonstick spray and add Egg mixture.  Cover pan to allow Pancake to steam.  Cook over med heat.  Turn Pancake when browned on bottom and remove from heat when cooked to medium brown on both sides.  Serve hot with Apple topping and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving

Abstinent Measuring

One serving = 3 TBLspoon bran, 1 protein and 1 fruit

Notes

Other varieties

·         If you do not want to top with Fruit, try 2 TBLspoon Sugar-free Syrup on top.

·         Try using ½ fruit in pancake by adding ½ c blueberries to the batter – or heating the Blueberries with artificial sweetener and water to make a topping.

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Martha’s Favorite Breakfast

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 big delicious, crisp Apple, sliced however you want

4 oz Brown Rice ( I make rice in very large batches and freeze it )

1 teaspoon Oil

1 cup Cinnamon Water, 1/2 at a time (see separate recipe)

Salt and Pepper. 

Optional

Powered Cinnamon it you want that extra bit of cinnamon flavor. 

Directions

Heat Oil in the skillet on med-high to high heat.  Arrange the Apple slices in nice pattern, I like to go in a circle. Sauté the slices until they get nice and brown and start to caramelize on both sides. This takes about 10-15 minutes on my electric stove. If I am in a hurry I go with a higher heat but have to be careful it doesn't burn. Add 1/2 the Cinnamon water and listen to the sizzle and smell that sweetness as the Apples and Cinnamon become one. A wonderful liquid starts to magically appear as the Cinnamon Water evaporates, oh it is soooo beautiful.

Add the Brown Rice and let it help absorb the remaining liquid. Depending on my time or how hungry I am I could let the Rice cook to the texture of a pilaf by adding more Cinnamon Water, letting it reduce and absorb. Make a nest in the Rice. Add a little more Cinnamon Water.  Add the Eggs, cover the pan and steam the Eggs until the tops of the Eggs are not slimy but Yoke is not hard and a little runny. About 3 minutes. I find this the trickiest part of the recipe --getting the Eggs just so the yoke will run into the rice for a lovely creaminess.  Salt and Pepper the Eggs.

There we have Eggs in a Rice nest surrounded by a ring of caramelized Cinnamon dusted Apples (I don't put the powdered cinnamon on the eggs, you can if you want to) caressed by this amazing sauce.

Abstinent Measuring

1 serving = 1 protein, 1 fruit, 1 starch, 1 teaspoon Oil

Note

Apple: The thinner the slice the quicker it cooks and can get mushy quickly which is no so bad. I usually make my slices as uniform as I can get with a sharp knife cause they cook more even that way. I slice them horizontally so the seed "star" shows then slice in half again so I have nice half moons 

Use a good Skillet, preferably a Teflon one. Skillets are an important. The success of many a dish depends on the tools you use. I love the T-Fal 12" Teflon Professional. I have had it for 6 months and use it nearly every day. The teflon coating is holding up well but they all will wear out within time. Some sooner than others.

*contribution from Martha W

Baked Apple

Ingredients

1 whole Apple

1 teaspoon Artificial Sweetener

½ teaspoon Apple Pie Spice

2 Tblspoon Water

Directions

Core and dice 1 whole apple (you may leave on the peel); Add ½ tsp apple pie spice and 2 tbsp of water; Microwave on high for 4 minutes in a covered dish; Sprinkle on artificial sweetener (amount to your preference) after cooking.

Abstinent Measuring

1 serving = 1 fruit

Make It A Meal:

For breakfast: 

Serve mixed into 1/2 C Cottage cheesee

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

        

Fruit Tarts

I’ve been working on a Fruit Tart recipe to have with my breakfast for some time. After trying various combinations I’ve found it! My goal was no sugar substitutes—to let the ingredients be tasty enough to stand on their own with perhaps a few spices and that’s it. Below is the “ultimate” recipe and a few of the combinations that I used on the way.

Ingredients

Spray Olive Oil

Crust

1 cup Yellow Corn Grits

½ teaspoon Sea Salt

½ cup Coconut Cream

Fruit Topping

4 ½ - 5 cups fresh Mango, chopped small

1 lb bag of frozen Mixed Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries & Blackberries)

Optional

Crust

Exchange Coconut Cream for 4 teaspoons Butter (pulsed into dry Corn Grits) and ½ cup Evaporated Milk

Other Fruit Topping Combinations

All of these tasted good! How can you go wrong with fresh fruit. But I thought they would all need at least a little artificial sweetener to satisfy most peoples taste… so I kept looking.

• 1 Pineapple, 4 Pear, 2 Navel Oranges, ¼ t Cloves, ½ t Nutmeg, 1 t Vanilla flavor, 1 T fresh Lemon Zest, ½ t Orange flavor, Artificial Sweetener (optional)
• 4 Apple, 3 Pear, 2 Apricot, 2 Banana (mashed), 1 T Apple Pie Spice, 1 ½ t Vanilla flavor, ½ t Maple flavor, Artificial Sweetener (optional)
• 1 Pineapple, 3 Apple, 2 Mango, 1 c Red Seedless Grapes (cut in half), 1 Banana(mashed), 1 T fresh Lemon Zest, 1 t Vanilla flavor, ½ t Cloves, ½ t Cinnamon, Artificial Sweetener (optional)
• The first one I tried and probably the second best result: 5 Apples, 4 Pears, 1 Banana(mashed), 1 T Vanilla flavor, ¼ t Maple flavor, 1 T Apple Pie Spice, Artificial Sweetener (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F

Crust

Lightly coat 6 tart baking dishes with the Olive Oil spray. Combine Crust ingredients. Divide results evenly and pat into smooth layer on bottom of each tart baking dish.

Filling

Mix all Fruit together. Measure 1 cup into each tart baking dish. Lightly spray top of fruit with Olive Oil Spray. The oil coating helps keep the moisture from escaping and the top fruits from browning to crisps.

Baking

Place all 6 tart baking dishes on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. This is to catch any spillage caused during baking. Place in oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove from oven and allow to cool some before eating.

These store reasonably well for a week or so in the fridge. I use ceramic tart dishes and cover with plastic wrap I stack them in a back corner of the fridge and pull them out one at a time to reheat and consume. see Notes for more comments.

Abstinent Measuring

1 Fruit Tart = 1 Fruit, 1 Starch, 1 teaspoon Oil

Note

• The smaller you can chop the fruit the better. But don’t get nuts and mince it! lol
• The size of any particular piece of fruit is variable from season to season and even grocery store to grocery store on the same day. So I aim at 6 or better cups of chopped fruit. Seems I always have some left over. I just save the remainder and have a ready-made mixed fruit salad…more options to choose from when I’m pulling together a quick meal.
• Unless you are up darn early, you will probably be making these tarts the day (or days) before you plan to eat them for breakfast. I make the tarts in ceramic tart dishes (after trying metal dishes of various kinds.) The first step in my breakfast and morning tea routine is to pop and un-covered tart into the toaster oven—350 degrees for 15 minutes. By the time my eggs, beans and thermos of hot tea is made, the tart has warmed in its ceramic container. It will stay warm in there until I’m ready to eat it. Much better results than microwaving—it heats more evenly. I couldn’t use the microwave anyway when I tried metal dishes or I’d have to dump the tart into a new bowl for nuking… etc, etc. too many steps. Best plan = ceramic dish in toaster oven while I prepare other things J

Serving Suggestions

Fruit tarts are great with

1 cup Yogurt (tryFat-free Chobani brand of greek yogurt if you haven’t already)

Or 1 egg, ½ cup Breakfast Beans ¼ c Salsa

If you are consuming fruit other than at Breakfast, these Fruit Tarts would be a great “dessert.”