Celebrate the taste!

Apples - the ultimate fast food.

They taste awesome, are easy to buy, are really good for you and you don't have to do anything to them!

Besides the obvious and the easiest way to eat apples, straight from the fridge or fruit bowl, these are some of the other ways that my family and I really enjoy them.

for breakfast

• for a fantastic weekend treat, pan fry apple wedges or rings with bacon and eggs.
• grate or finely dice apples on top of your cereal.

as a snack

• cut very thin slices of apples and serve on crackers with a slice of your favourite cheese. Also great with hummus or pate.
• for an easy & impressive after-school afternoon tea - serve apple rings, cut just before you need them, with slices of cheese and a few muffins.
• place thin slices of apples, wedges or rings, in sandwiches with shaved ham, lettuce and a dash of wholeseed mustard.

as part of a main meal

• brush slices of apple with vinaigrette and toss through leafy greens.
• add grated apple to stuffings for poultry or pork.
• make a kumara and apple crunch by placing peeled and sliced apple with sliced kumara in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 200oC for about an hour or until the kumara is golden and tender.

as a dessert

• for the best 'comfort food' make stewed apples. Peel, core and roughly chop apples. Place in a microwave proof bowl and add about 2cm of boiling water. Cover and cook on high power allowing about 2 ½ minutes per apple. Taste and sweeten with sugar if necessary. Mash or puree if you want. Serve with custard or ice cream.
• make apple pies in a toasted sandwich maker. Cut a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry in half. Place in the sandwich maker, top with slices of raw apple, sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Fold the pastry over to make a pie. Close the lid and cook for 4 - 5 minutes or until golden brown.

as a drink

• make an apple smoothie by blending an apple, skin on but core removed, milk, ice cream or yoghurt and a dash of cinnamon. If the apples are tart, sweeten with a little honey.

Looking after your apples

" It's a matter of personal preference if you like apples cold from the fridge or at room temperature. I find that it's best to keep the majority in the fridge but I always have some in the fruit bowl to remind/encourage the children to eat them!

Nutritionally

An apple a day keeps the doctor away … and you on target with 5+ A Day!

Apples supply a range of antioxidants particularly the phenolic compounds which are thought to offer protection from heart disease and the flavonoids which are thought to offer protection from some cancers. The highest levels of antioxidants are found in the coloured part of the fruit - both red and green skinned. Research indicates that antioxidants play an important role preventing degenerative diseases of ageing.

Apples are a particularly good source of fibre.

A couple of extra tips

" I recommend you have an apple corer. It's simple to use and you can present apples in a slightly different way - never fails to impress my kids friends!

" I hardly ever peel apples. If you are searching for those health protecting antioxidants, most of them are in greatest concentration in the skin. So don't throw that part away - eat it and boost your intake of 'health-helpers'!

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