Tag: yummy

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Maple-Apple Cake Donuts

Sure, pumpkin anything is bringing sexy back this fall (and all the falls) but apples have been an autumnal all-star far longer. We could do a comparison table here showcasing everything you can do with apples versus pumpkin and I bet these two tasty ingredients would be neck-and-neck, but that is too much formatting and work for me to handle before my next yoga class (truth be told). So instead, I’m going to tell you about how I turned this delicious Pumpkin Cake Donut recipe from King Arthur Flour into a Maple-Apple Cake Donut using apples I picked from my local Waters Orchard.

Growing up in Massachusetts, my favorite donuts were those powdered cake donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts which inevitably left more sugary dust on your chin and clothes than made it into your mouth. I loved the fluffy texture and sweet remnants you got to lick off your lips after the treat was done. As a nutrition coach, I tend not to eat or recommend too many donuts these days but if you’re going to do it, do it good.

The following Maple-Apple Cake Donut recipe was inspired by sweet apples and a small jar of granulated maple sugar from my parents up in New England. The ingredients did the talking, King Arthur helped me with the baseline, and my creative mind made swaps to cut back on added sugar and fuse these fluffy Os with fall flavor.

Maple-Apple Cake Donuts

MAPLE-APPLE CAKE DONUTS

Makes 12 donuts

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 stick of butter (or 1/4 cup), melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbs maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups 15-minutes homemade apple sauce (recipe follows)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 ts ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, level
  • Granulated maple sugar for dusting

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two donut pans. 
  2. In a large mixer, use the flat beater attachment to combine the oil, butter, eggs, sugars, maple syrup, apple sauce, spices, salt, and baking powder until smooth. (You can also do this by hand with a little elbow grease and a whisk). 
  3. Add the flour, stirring just until smooth.
  4. Fill the wells of the donut pans about  to the top but be careful they don’t overflow.
  5. Bake for ~18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. 
  6. Remove from the oven, let cool a few minutes, loosen the edges (if need be) with a butter knife, and gently flip onto a rack to cool. 
  7. While the doughnuts are still warm generously dust them with granulated maple sugar (or cinnamon sugar).
  8. Let cool completely and store at room temperature for several days. I like to place them on a plate, stick them with toothpicks, and tent them with plastic wrap so they have room to breath.

 

HOMEMADE APPLE SAUCE

Ingredients:

  • 2 extra large or 3 large apples – peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

 

Directions:

  1. In a medium microwavable mixing bowl, combine prepped apples with sugar and cinnamon.
  2. Microwave for 3 minutes, stir, and microwave again another 3-4 minutes until apples are soft (not mushy) when pricked with a fork.
  3. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blender until mostly smooth (any little chunks will taste delicious when you bite into them).

 

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Spring Clean your Diet with this Asparagus Detox Soup

Spring is a time for renewal. Let’s face it, we’d all like to be able to hit the reset button on our lifestyle in one fell swoop but positive change takes hard work. As a nutrition coach, I work with clients one on one to determine how we can make their desired healthy living goals attainable. One way to jumpstart a positive dietary shift is to undergo a detox. It just might be the closest thing to a reset button there is.

While developing my seasonal detoxes, I let the foods that are at the peak of freshness and availability speak to me and inform my culinary creations. Since it’s spring, asparagus is certainly abundant and there are countless ways to use it in healthy, cleansing recipes.

Below is one of my absolute favorite recipes. This soup (which can be served warm or chilled) is refreshing and light. It’s perfect as temperatures start to rise here in the District!

Broccoli Asparagus Miso Spring Detox Soup

[makes 2 meal sized portions or 4 appetizer size]

Ingredients:
− 1 bunch of asparagus
− 1 broccoli crown
− 4 -6 cups of chicken broth
− 1 Tbs white miso paste
− 1 Tbs sherry vinegar
− Juice of half a lemon
− 1 Tbs ghee (or organic unsalted butter)
− 1/2 tsp chili powder
− Sea salt and pepper to taste
− Optional: stir in 1/4 cup nutritional yeast for a more “cheesy” flavor

Directions:
1. Trim woody ends off asparagus and cut broccoli into florets (use the stalks!).
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch trimmed asparagus and broccoli florets for 1-2 minutes. Drain and immediately submerge in an ice bath.
3. Cut off the tips of the asparagus and reserve for future use (I like to scramble mine into a couple eggs).
4. In a blender, blend the blanched asparagus stocks and broccoli with broth, miso, vinegar, lemon, ghee/butter, chili, salt and pepper to taste. Add more stock as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
5. Heat over a medium-low flame (or setting) for 10-15 minutes when you’re ready to eat.

 

Serve warm or chilled. If you like a more creamy or cheesy flavor to your soups (I loved broccoli and cheese soup growing up) add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast to the entire pot and stir well before dishing it out into bowls. You can also add a drizzle of nice olive oil and a hit of freshly ground black pepper for a little flavor enhancement. Bon apetit!