No, not that kind of getting baked, silly!  I’m talking about apples! Remember how I said that I was slacking in the apple recipe making/baking department in comparison to some of my fellow food bloggers?  Well, slow and steady wins the race and I’m making a go at the apple recipe cooking finish line (if there is such a thing?).  Because I used only one apple in my previous recipe and still have a million (not a lie) left in my crisper, I wanted to find a dish that would call for the usage of multiple apples.  Hence, I scoured the internet and did hours of research (total lie) until I found this gem…

Getting Baked Apples
Adapted from SimplyRecipes.com
Serves 4

• 4 large good baking apples (I bucked the trend and used McIntosh apples, which is not recommended for baking)
• 1/4 cup of rolled oats
• 1 TBSP of evaporated cane juice (I used Florida Crystals, feel free to use dry sweetener of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• sprinkle of nutmeg
• 14 raw almonds, chopped (you could use pecans, walnuts or no nuts)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped (dried apricots, raisins, dried figs would be good here, too)
• 1 TBSP of peanut butter (I used Trader Joe’s Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds)
• 3/4 cup boiling water

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash and dry your apples.  Using an apple corer or paring knife, remove the cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples.  Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom (I confess, I did this once)!  Then, use a paring knife to widen the cavity and a spoon to scoop out the seeds.  It’s a tad tricky at first, but you’ll get the hang of it.  Make the cavity about 3/4 inch to an inch wide.

2) In a small bowl, combine the oats, evaporated cane juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds and dried cranberries.

3) Place the apples in an 8 x 8 baking dish.  Fill each apple with the mixture and then dot the top of each apple with 1/4 of the TBSP of peanut butter.

4) Pour the boiling water into the baking dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples can be easily pierced with a knife, but not mushy.  While the apples are baking, be sure to baste the apples with the dish juices (I repeated this three different times).

5) Serve hot!

These baked apples were like whoa! I couldn’t believe how good they tasted for something that was so simple to make.  I really liked the fact that even though the apples were stuffed with goodies like cinnamon, nutmeg and dried cranberries, the natural sweetness of my personally picked produce still shined through.  And, the McIntosh apples stood up quite well in the oven.  They came out tender and did not fall apart.  So take that, you online apple experts (whoever the heck you are)!  This is one of the best DPAABs (dessert-parading-around-as-breakfast) I’ve had in a long time.  While it’s quite similar in taste to the healthified fruit crisp I made a few weeks ago, the sheer fact that I was eating a whole piece of baked fruit made this dish stand out from anything else I have ever made.  Plus, having to eat this dessert/breakfast with a fork and knife made me feel as if I was having an entire meal, versus just a snack.

And because this is a healthy food blog and I like to give recipes my own little twist, I decided to substitute the brown sugar for evaporated cane juice and reduce the amount.  And to make the dish even heartier, I decided to add one of my favorite foods, oatmeal! Instead of dabbing the tops of the apples with butter, I used a natural peanut butter.  It’s less greasy and adds more flavor to the recipe.  The original recipe called for serving this dish with vanilla ice cream, which is a tremendous call.  However, I didn’t have any on hand (just cookies and cream ) and figured a dollop of thick greek yogurt would be the next best thing.  You could also drizzle some honey or agave nectar over the entire apple for some additional sweetness, but my apples didn’t require it.  Plus, I had some of the oatmeal mixture leftover, so I sprinkled some over the greek yogurt.  I’m not gonna lie, it was a stroke of genius on my behalf…just sayin’.

Who says eating food can’t get you high?

Random question: Is there a recipe or dish that you are intimidated to make?  Or, what is the one recipe you’ve been dying to make but just haven’t had the chance to do so?

Namasté,
Nicole

When I think of foods that must be eaten in the summertime, especially in the New England area, there is only one thing that comes to mind. And that is…the lobster roll.  If the months of July and August could have a taste, it would be lightly seasoned chilled lobster meat dressed in a thin coating of mayonnaise on delicately toasted and buttered bread.  Period.

Now I know this may not be the ‘healthiest’ meal, but the summer days are coveted here (especially the ones that are hot and rain free this year).  Also, I’m a firm believer in enjoying life’s indulgences and satisfying an undying craving.  So if you’re going to splurge, you might as well do it right.  That said, Patrick and I ventured out a couple of weeks ago to find the perfect lobster roll…and boy, did we find it!

Alive & Kicking Lobsters in Cambridge, MA is a tiny little storefront/market that sells fresh seafood.  You’d almost walk by this little shanty if you didn’t already know it was there.  The only reason Patrick and I knew of its location is because we had just seen Alive & Kicking featured on the local restaurant and food review tv show, Phantom Gourmet.  It’s one of those places you’ve walked by and driven by 1000’s of times but never really knew what it was or thought too much about it since it’s so obscure.  But now that you know it’s there, you ask yourself why you’ve never been there before?

Fresh seafood on ice…

When we first walked into Alive & Kicking, I was a tad thrown off by the fact that the restaurant looked as if it was part of a house.  I mean, we were going to eat seafood so quality and freshness were somewhat key factors.  Well, you can chop that one up as another thing I was worried about that was completely unnecessary (as you come to learn more about me, you’ll see that there are a lot of those).  The seafood is delivered fresh daily and Louie, the owner, walks around talking to the patrons making sure everyone’s appetite has been completely satisfied.  He even recommends you try some of his famous root beer!

Lunch is in the blue buckets…poor little lobsters, lucky little Nicole!

As we sauntered up to the counter, we were greeted my Gina.  She’s a friendly and vivacious person who immediately wins you over with her charm.  When she noticed that I was a bit confused by the fact that they only had one item on their menu, she quickly helped to dissolve my hesitation by saying with a huge smile, “Don’t worry, I know you’ll like our lobster sandwich.  Everyone does.  Trust me.  Some people even order two at a time.”  How could I not believe those words?  With that, Patrick and I placed our orders for two lobster sandwiches (notice they are not the usual lobster ‘rolls’) and looked for a table outside.

The outdoor eating area (actually, the only eating area) is really cute.  There are picnic tables with rolls of paper towels and charming beach-y/seafood-y/crustacean-y decorations strewn about.  If Alive & Kicking was going for a casual, dining al fresco on the Cape’s beaches kind of atmosphere, they nailed it.  The only thing that was missing at our picnic table was a big seagull looking for any dropped morsel of food.

Doesn’t this cry ‘beach’?

If you listen closely, the lobster is saying, “eat more chicken…”

Within minutes, the lovely Gina walked over with our lunches.  The sandwiches came toasted on buttered scali bread with a side of potato chips on these kitschy plastic lobster plates.  It was too adorable! I think I had more fun staring at the plate than I did eating.  Ok, that was a complete joke!  Once I bit into the sandwich, I was on cloud nine.  WOW!  It was incredible.  The sammie was packed with large chunks of succulent lobster meat that was softly coated in mayonnaise and salt and pepper.  The scali bread was airy and crispy and just dry enough to soak up the lobster goodness.  On top of that, you got a nice little complimentary bag of potato chips.  How can a summer lunch get any better than that?  Oh wait, it can get better.  The sandwich was only $13!  Insane in the membrane!

Love the plate!

Rated XXX (food porn joke)

So, I got my ‘taste of summer’ in and it was well worth it.  The service at Alive & Kicking was fast and friendly.  The dining area was comfortable, shaded and so apropos for the meal.  But, the food steals the show.  Usually, when I get a lobster roll (or sandwich), it’s overpriced, skimpy and way too greasy.  And, my tummy doesn’t feel 100% afterward.  Not with this sandwich.  I felt good.  I was full and I didn’t feel weighed down (maybe it was because I still had money left in my wallet – cha cha cha cha cha!)

Are there any foods that signify ’summer’ or any of the other seasons to you?

Namasté,
Nicole