These days I’m going to the grocery store twice a month. I used to go once a week. For the time being, I’m trying to reduce as much crowd exposure as possible. Thing is, of course, making fewer trips means I need to buy about twice as much per visit, a cumbersome chore. Several friends are ordering and picking up, but I do like to peruse and pick. On my last few visits, I’ve been drawn to the shiny Red Delicious apples piled in the bins. They’re hard for me to resist. I’ve recently resurrected making an apple salad my aunt used to prepare when we’d visit. It was a simple version — chopped apples, mayo, walnuts or pecans, sometimes grapes or raisins. As a child, I loved it. As an adult, I still do. And I’ve been searching out other ways to use apples in salads this fall. Adding apples makes us feel like we’re eating a bit healthier and delivers a crisp, sweet flavor.
Recipes today celebrate the apples of autumn. I hope you’ll pick one out to try soon.
APPLE AND CHICKEN SALAD
2 red apples (such as Cameo Apples)
2 celery stalks (diced)
2 chicken breasts (skinless, cooked, diced, about 2 cups)
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 lettuce leaves (Bibb, Romaine, green or red leaf)
(Source: Produce for Better Health Foundation, choosemyplate.gov)
WINTER APPLE SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups spinach and romaine lettuce mixture
1 large apple, cored and chopped (Honey Crisp, Fuji or Gala)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
1/2 cup toasted, roughly chopped walnuts 6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
(Source: extension.tennessee.edu)
CARAMEL APPLE SALAD
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping (or syrup)
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 tart apples, cored and chopped
4 Payday candy bars
combined.
(Source: extension.tennessee.edu)
APPLE, CHEESE AND WALNUT SALAD
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
Black pepper to taste
8 cups torn mixed lettuce
2 medium Fuji apples, halved, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
(extension.tennessee.edu)
CHEDDAR APPLE SALAD WITH MAPLE DRESSING
4 cups torn Boston Bibb lettuce
Maple Poppy Seed Dressing (see below)
4 ounces white Cheddar cheese, cut into short, thick matchsticks
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into short, thick matchsticks
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Maple glazed pecans (see below)
FOR THE MAPLE POPPY SEED DRESSING
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon minced dried onion
1/3 cup vegetable oil
FOR THE MAPLE GLAZED PECANS
3 cups pecans
1 tablespoon imitation maple extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
(Source: extension.tennessee.edu)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.