Make Some Apple Salsa, Skillet Cabbage Rolls, and Spinach Apple Salad
Have you ever had apple salsa or deconstructed cabbage rolls? They are delicious!
Fall brings the vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow to the leaves! I love hiking in the woods and enjoying the weather outside this time of year. Another joy of the change in season is the availability of local apples and other local food grown in the fall.
We are fortunate in Western North Carolina to have several orchards to visit and a wide variety of apples to choose from, including heirloom ones. We also have several farmers here who grow their apples using organic methods. When you buy local apples, ask how they were grown.
We have all heard the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away!” Here is some nutrition information on apples: They are rich in vitamins C and B, fiber, and a polyphenol called quercetin, a powerful antioxidant.
During normal body functioning, we sometimes are left with undesirable by-products that sometimes linger, and antioxidants help protect us from the damage they can cause. Food and how it works inside our bodies is pretty amazing!
Apples come in different colors, textures, and flavors, including pink, red, green, yellow, crunchy, crisp, soft, sweet, and tart. Some apples are better for cooking and baking, while others are best eaten raw. I love the tarter, crisper apples, but when all varieties are picked fresh off the tree, they taste delicious!
Apples are best-tasting when they are local and in season. Early-season apples include Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Johnagold, and Cameo; middle-season apples include Fuji, Granny Smith, Rome, and Mitsu; and later-season apples include Pink Lady, Gold Rush, Staymen Winsap, and Arkansas Black. A few apples were known as “keeper apples,” lasting through the winter.
Varieties of apples that are great for eating raw include Gala, Honey Crisp, Mitsu, Granny Smith, Fuji, Ruby Hampshire, Golden Delicious, Early Fuji, Cameo, Ginger Gold, Candy Crisp, Ambrosia, Gold Rush, Mackintosh, and Johnathon.
Apples that work well for baking and cooking include Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Early Delicious, Ambrosia, Mitsu, Cameo, Staymen Winsap, Rome, Arkansas Black, Ruby Hampshire, Mackintosh, Golden Rush, Pink Lady, and Johnathon.
Like most growing fruits and vegetables, apple season will be over soon, so eat them while they are fresh and tasty! Preserve some later by making apple sauce, butter, and jelly! Apples can also be canned, and applesauce can be frozen. I have included some of my favorite plant-based recipes using apples. I hope that you try one or all three!
Apples and IBS
For many people who have IBS, the low fodmap diet can be beneficial in reducing symptoms. Apples bothered me because they are high in fructose and sorbitol. I found that if I had small amounts of either Granny Smith or Pink Lady (about two slices) and did not have other fodmap foods simultaneously, it could help reduce symptoms. And my tolerance has gotten even better over time!
Apple Salsa Recipe
Sassy Apple Salsa
When the tomatoes are gone from the garden, and the farmers’ markets, and there is no more pico de gallo, try some fresh, colorful apple salsa for a change of pace!
Makes 12 servings at 1/4 cup each
2 cups diced tart, crisp apple
1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup diced red or yellow onion
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
One tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
One jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Mix the apples, peppers, onions, salt, and honey in a bowl. Serve with corn chips, or try topping over your favorite Mexican supper!
Vegetarian Deconstructed Skillet Cabbage Rolls
Vegetarian Deconstructed Cabbage Rolls with Sausage and Apple
It is deconstructed skillet cabbage rolls with vegan sausage and apples. This quick, healthy meal is a staple at my family’s house all fall and winter when I can get all the ingredients locally! If you miss the usual cabbage roll rice, serve it on the side!
Makes 4-6 servings.
One medium-head cabbage
One small onion
Two tart cooking apples
One Package of Link Sausage, you can use this local one No Evil Foods the Stallion or Smoked Apple & Sage | Field Roast
One tablespoon of olive oil
One teaspoon of thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice onions thin and sausage in diagonal slices. Sauté the onions and sausage in a large skillet, using a little olive oil, until the sausage has browned and the onions have become translucent. Add apples and let them soften slightly.
Add cabbage and 1/3 cup oil. Turn down low and add a lid to steam. Stir all the ingredients together every 5 minutes so the cabbage can soften and the other ingredients do not overcook. Serve in a bowl for a complete meal or on a plate with a few steamed small potatoes or baked sweet potato fries.
My picture shows them with the last of my home-grown tomatoes on the plate!
Spinach Apple Salad
My favorite holiday salad uses apples!
Spinach Apple Salad
This is one of my favorite recipes for a holiday meal. The red, green, and white make me want to celebrate! I hope that it makes you want to make it also!
Makes two servings.
One apple, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion or use the green parts of the green onion if you are sensitive to fructans
1-2 tablespoons dried cranberries or cherries
1/8 cup blue cheese (if you want to use a vegan cheese substitute, you may like Follow Your Heart)
Your choice of locally grown greens or spinach
Balsamic Salad Dressing
Add a small layer of green salad in a bowl or small plate. Top with apple, red onion, blue cheese, walnuts, and cranberries. Drizzle with salad dressing.
Try Some Apple Salsa, Vegetarian Deconstructed Skillet Cabbage Rolls, and Spinach Apple Salad
I hope you are pleasantly surprised by the benefits of apples and that you eat more of them, especially when they are in season! These are some of my favorite ways to fix apples, and I hope you enjoy them too!
As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love teaching clients about the benefits of eating healthy and sharing delicious, easy ways to do it with healthy recipes! Eating in season and focusing on local is a tasty way to do it and support your local economy, too! You also might want to check out my Kale Cabbage Apple Slaw and two other yummy fall salads at Thai Broccoli Salad (vineripenutrition.com)!
If you suffer from IBS like I have, you may benefit from working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with specific training in the low fodmap diet for IBS. I have been trained by the Monash University FODMAP Dietitians Directory – Monash Fodmap, and I have created a Digestive Wellness Program just for you. You can learn more at Fresh Approach Gut Health Diet Plan – Vine Ripe Nutrition .
If you are looking for more fall recipes, you might enjoy these recipes!
