Cranberry Apple Crisp

Cranberry Apple Crisp

This weekend I was wanted to come up with a fall dessert that not only tasted great but also was mostly “clean.” Here is what I came up with.

In order to like this dish you need to enjoy the flavor of cranberries. I enjoyed the tangy flavor but my husband was wishing it were a bit sweeter. This turned out great as a hot dish but also tasted delicious when I had it as a morning snack today!

It would make a nice side for a Thanksgiving of fall gathering. Here is what you will need:

3 medium to large crisp red apples, peeled and sliced
1 dry pint of fresh cranberries ( I used organic )

1 lemon

¼ cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon
2 cups of old fashioned oats

¼ cup

2 – 3 small pads of butter to put on the top for baking

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the apples and cranberries and pour into an eight inch-square baking dish.

Squeeze lemon over mixture

Sprinkle pumpkin pie seasoning, cinnamon and brown sugar over mixture and stir.

In a small bowl combine oats, flour and another teaspoon of cinnamon as well as pumpkin pie spice. Mix and then coat mixture with this. Add butter pads over the top to be melted into mixture.

Bake for 40 – 45 minutes uncovered until bubbly and fruit is soft.

Serves 4 - 5

Clean Eating Pumpkin Ice Cream

Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

My family on my dad’s side is huge – he is one of 9 and they tend to host the most fabulous thanksgiving! One of the best parts is always dessert. A staple item is this delicious pumpkin ice cream. It is hands down my favorite. Now that version is true ice cream and it also has a piecrust so this is not quite the same. However, this was pretty delicious and reminded me of the ice cream we have there, although this ice cream is probably just a bit healthier. I was amazed how easy this treat was to make! My little boy LOVED it! He actually ate a bowl of it before I even froze it. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

·       1 cup pumpkin puree
1  1/3 cup maple syrup

·       1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

·       4 medium bananas, sliced and frozen overnight

Directions

Using a food processor, blend the bananas, pumpkin, maple syrup, and pumpkin spice thoroughly. Couldn’t be any easier! Stick in the freezer and enjoy 12 – 24 hours later!

Serves 6

Calories: 131 per serving
Total Fat: 1 gm
Saturated Fats: 0 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 5 mg
Carbohydrates: 33 gm
Dietary fiber: 3 gm
Sugars: 23 gm
Protein: 1 gm

Recipe found on The Gracious Pantry.com

Orange Zest Cranberry Relish

Fall Harvest Orange Zest Cranberry Relish 

I will be the first to admit when I was younger I hated cranberries. They looked great but I just wasn’t all that in to them ever. I won’t lie I grew up with the circular can of cranberries, we sliced them up, served it on a plate and called it a side dish. I have since learned that cranberries can taste better than this. Now that I am a bit older I decided I wanted to try to make them myself.  Since I love to cook, I decided to take on my own cranberry relish creation. It is a perfect combination of tangy cranberries and sweet orange flavors. Perfect for your upcoming fall dinners.

Makes 32 ounces

Ingredients

12 ounces of fresh cranberries

3 fl ounces of fresh orange juice (freshly squeezed or 100% orange juice)

3 fl ounces of Triple Sec

3 oz of Sugar or Stevia- add in more if the final product is not sweet enough for you

1 oz of orange zest

10 oz of orange supreme’s (diced up scored orange pieces)

Directions

1.     Combine the cranberries, orange juice, triple sec sugar, and zest in a saucepan and stir to combine.

2.     Cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, stir occasionally

3.     When the berries burst and the liquid starts to thicken; remove the saucepan from the heat and add the supreme’s (diced oranges).  Taste and add in more sugar or Stevia if it is not sweet enough for your liking.

4.     Now ready to serve and enjoy. Tastes great warm or cold.