‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is a saying most of you have heard of. And while there’s much debate about the origins of the phrase, everyone agrees on its general meaning. In short, healthy eating habits help to keep you well.
More specifically, including an apple in your recommended ‘5 A Day’ portion of fruit and vegetables is an easy and convenient way to boost your intake of vitamins, fibre and antioxidants.
If you’re not already ‘an apple a day’ convert, why not start this healthy new habit on 21 October – otherwise known as Apple Day?
This event was created in 1990 by Common Ground as an autumnal holiday. The initiative was intended to be both a celebration of seasonal produce and an attempt to broaden environmental awareness of the richness and diversity of landscape and ecology. It also plays a role in raising awareness of the provenance and traceability of the food we eat.
The first Apple Day celebrations took place in the old Apple Market in London’s Covent Garden to mark the return of the fruit to the location after a 16-year absence. However, Apple Day has since become a focus for activities run by organisations such as The Women’s Institute, the National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts.
“Fancy a brew?”Keen to increase your apple intake? This versatile fruit can be consumed ‘as is’ and incorporated into lots of delicious recipes. So, we asked Southern National Training Manager Jo to share her favourite apple-based dishes with you.
Let’s start off with a sweet treat: Apple Spice Cake. I’m not sure if this is exactly what the originator of the famous ‘an apple a day’ phrase had in mind. But this is one of my favourite ways to include this fruit in my diet!
As with so much in life, moderation is key. I don’t eat cake every day, but this easy bake is perfect for autumnal get-togethers. The combination of ginger, cinnamon and cloves is so warming and comforting as the days get damp and the nights draw in. And the cream cheese frosting complements all the other ingredients beautifully.
A big advantage of this recipe is that you can use a combi steam oven. Cooking with steam has so many benefits. It helps to retain nutrients, colours and flavours. And it’s energy-efficient too, as steamed food cooks faster and at lower temperatures than other methods.
The Microwave + Steam function on our Sense Premium CMS260 Smart Combi Microwave & Steam Oven would be perfect for this recipe. This is such a versatile appliance. In fact, there are 15 different functions, which allow you to steam, grill, bake, defrost and microwave your food. And to make life even easier, it has Wi-Fi capability, meaning you can control it using the CapleHome app (which we designed in-house for the UK market) via your smartphone or tablet.
Slow cooker recipes are ideal for this time of the year. But you can still enjoy all the benefits of this cooking method without splashing out on a kitchen gadget, thanks to the dedicated function on our Sense Premium C2601GM Smart Pyrolytic Single Oven.
I always use it to prepare this Slow cook pork shoulder with butterbeans, apple and sage recipe. It’s a healthy, but filling, way to incorporate ‘an apple a day’ into your mealtimes. I like to serve it with crusty bread and a crisp green salad.
Slow cook is one of just 23 functions we offer in this versatile appliance, which incorporates sleek CapleTouch+ TFT touch controls and Wi-Fi connectivity. Best of all, if there are any unintentional drips or spills, cleaning them is easy. Pyrolytic appliances like this heat up to carbonise spillages into fine ash. Then you simply wipe it all away, with no need to rub and scrub.
You can easily incorporate oven bakes into your ‘apple a day’ routine. This apple and blackberry crumble pie involves a little more effort than some of my ‘entry-level’ desserts. But I promise you it’s worth it!
This delicious dessert combines the best features of pie and crumble to showcase the classic autumnal duo of apple and blackberry.
It’s equally good if you serve it with crème fraîche or warm custard.
I would use the fan oven function on our Sense C2106GM Electric Soft Close Single Oven for this recipe. This appliance features our signature MotionHeat+, which means it reaches the desired temperature more quickly, and also ensures an even bake.
Lots of people find the idea of homemade toffee apples a bit intimidating. But they really aren’t that difficult to make. And they definitely taste so much better than the shop-bought versions.
These are sweet treats I enjoy on special occasions. So, in my home, this recipe always makes an appearance around Halloween and Bonfire Night. Our FOSSO 4in1 Steaming Water Tap Gold makes fast, easy work of prepping the apples. You may need to cover them in almost boiling (98°C) water to remove the waxy coating, which will then help the caramel to stick.
Steaming hot water taps aren’t just for making cups of tea or coffee. I use mine all the time for cooking rice, pasta and vegetables (in addition to prepping toffee apples). Our WRAS-approved FOSSO 4in1 model is our first tap to offer fresh and filtered cold, regular hot and filtered 98°C steaming water within one design. It includes conditioning technology to counter scale and acidity and noticeably improves food and beverage flavour.
This recipe will provide you with a show-stopping starter. The dish combines scallops with apple, black pudding, apple salad, with an apple and vanilla purée. It’s ideal for autumn/winter dinner parties. I love how the sweetness of the apples balances the savouriness of the black pudding.
Sear your scallops perfectly with our C8641IGM Gunmetal 4 Zone Induction Hob. It offers highly efficient cooking and uses automatic pan detection. The sleek, frameless design delivers a sleek, contemporary aesthetic too.
My final suggestion for enjoying ‘an apple a day’ features the Dehydrate function on our Sense Premium C2600 Smart Pyrolytic Single Oven and our clever AIRFRY2.
Dehydrated apples (see my recipe below) are great for snacking on during the day or for adding to breakfast cereals. Dried fruit is rich in antioxidants and fibre, although it tends to have higher sugar levels than its fresh counterpart, so consume sparingly.
You can ‘dry out’ all sorts of fruit using this oven’s Dehydrate function, which removes moisture from foods in order to preserve them and reduce waste. You can also use our dedicated tray (AIRFRY2) to transform your regular Caple oven into an air fryer by harnessing the Fan Heat function.
Ingredients:
Lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid
Apples
Water
Method:
2. Clean off the surface of the apples with a soft brush, then slice them horizontally into pieces no thicker than ½-inch and preferably thinner, if possible, with the aid of a mandolin slicer. Coring is up to you, but peeling and coring are not necessary.
3. Add the apple slices to your pre-treatment bath. After ten minutes of soaking, drain the apple slices into a colander. If you used citric acid, give it a rinse. Otherwise, go ahead and lay the apple pieces out flat and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
4. Evenly space the apple slices on the Air Fry 2 and place this tray onto the telescopic runners. Select the dehydrate function of the oven at 60°C for 2-3 hours.
5. You’ll know your apples are done when they’re dry to touch, but double-check by folding a sample slice in half. If your oven-dried fruit is ready, the pieces won’t stick when you fold them. So, if they do, this will be due to remaining sugar and moisture. You can also tear one piece in half and see if any remaining juices bead up along the torn edge. If so, they need a little more time. Finally, if you’re trying to make chips, you’ll know you’ve done so successfully if they snap when you bend them.
6. Remove your dehydrated apples from the oven and let them cool on the rack for about 30 minutes – this is called conditioning. Then, place them in airtight packaging, preferably a glass jar, in a dark location right away. For the first week, feel free to shake them often to help them to continue to stay dry.
Keen to add more healthy meals to your repertoire? Click here to discover a selection of air fry and steam cooking recipes