Whether you made the trek to Highland Orchards in West Chester, Vollmecke Orchards in Coatesville, or Linvilla Orchards in Media, chances are you came home with way too many apples than you needed. After crunching through as many as you could, you might be looking for some ideas of what to do with all of those extras.
This week, The Wildflower Chef team put our heads together and came up with our favorite solutions to the surplus apple “problem”. We’ve got suggestions for every meal of the day, plus we’ve included an incredible side-dish recipe that would make a perfect turkey-dinner accompaniment this Thanksgiving. Happy cooking!
Salads:
- Green Salads: Try tossing sliced fuji apples over arugula with shaved fennel, pomegranate seeds, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette.
- Grain Salads: We love mixing the autumn flavors of apples, pecans, and cranberries into a warming and filling wild rice pilaf.
- Waldorf Salad: try making a lightened-up version with yogurt in place of some or all of the mayonnaise.
Proteins:
- Apple Cider Chicken: This is the perfect recipe to use up those apples, plus any leftover cider you may have. Grab the recipe in our Autumn Recipe Guide.
- Autumn Pork Stew: Apples and pork are a classic combination - our recipe can be found in the Autumn Recipe guide, link above.
- Seared Pork or Chicken Sausages. In the same pan, saute some sliced apples in the drippings and serve these alongside your sausages. (Enjoy with a big helping of sauteed kale or a crispy salad!)
Drinks:
- Juice: For the most refreshing and vitamin-packed drink, juice one ½ inch piece of ginger, 1 sweet apple, and 2-3 leaves of kale. Makes 1 serving.
- Smoothies: Try blending 2 large apples with a frozen banana, 1-2 cups almond milk, a touch of maple syrup, and warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg for a delicious Apple Pie Smoothie. Makes 2 servings.
Breakfasts:
- Baked Apples: Core apples and place in a greased baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until tender. (Extra-delicious when stuffed with sugar, spices, oats, and/or some coconut oil or butter before baking!)
- Oatmeal: Add some diced apples to your steel-cut oatmeal - simply add raw apple to your water and raw oats and cook as usual. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Sauteed apples: These make any breakfast feel extra-special, from pancakes, to french toast, to hot cereal. Simply peel and slice apples, then saute in coconut oil and brown sugar until tender and caramelized. Add a touch of cinnamon and vanilla, if you like.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Apples
Serves 4-6
Pre-order Thanksgiving sides just like this one by emailing Chef Emily!
1 butternut squash, medium dice
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved and cored
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, medium dice
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 tbsp oil of choice
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or maple sugar
½ tsp curry powder (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread squash, sprouts, cranberries, apple, and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, brown sugar and curry powder. Drizzle over vegetable mixture and toss to coat.
Roast for 45 minutes, gently stirring halfway through cooking time. Continue to roast until vegetables are tender and browned. Recipe inspiration from The Comfort of Cooking.
Calling all Thanksgiving hosts!!! Want to make life easier this year? Let us help. We’re offering loads of options for Thanksgiving sides, delivered right to your home, to make the holiday a breeze. From mashed potatoes to sweet potatoes, stuffing to cranberry sauce, we’ll do all the work so you can spend your time on more important things. Vegan and allergy-friendly options available. Contact Chef Emily to order.