Baked Cinnamon Apples with Ricotta filling and Dried Plums

Finally the last weekend it warm in Hamburg!!!! On Saturday we even opened a Grill season in the park nearby and it was amazing. We grilled our favourite squids as in the recipe here. And also made mackerel as in the easy recipe here. This method is suitable for any type of fish you like. An tastes sooooo good. This week though the weather changed day by day to a rainy changeable one. These are the days when you wake up from the sun rays creeping into your window, happily take your sun glasses and on your way to bus stop realise that it starts raining and gets really dark. Then approximately 5 times a day you observe the same phenomenon. "Hello April!" - in other words. 

The changes in the weather also inspired me to make a change in my nutrition. This week I live without meat. And I have to say that I feel myself perfectly good. I am not saying that I am getting vegan. No! But a little break from time to time is needed. Besides, fish did a good job this week for me. 

As you remember from my autumn posts about "I quit sugar" our bodies are able to live without processed food, empty calories from sugar and other harmful ingredients. So as summer is coming let us try again. Sugar free life brings much more benefits!!! Usually with hiden sugar from processed food we consume around 25 and more tea spoons of sugar daily. Did you know that American Heart Assosiation recommends women to consume maximum 6 tsp of sugar (24g), men - 9 tsp (36g) and children - 3 tsp (12g)? So grab your friend, partner, colleague and take the challenge. Are you with me?

Let us start from limiting sugar in the first week. Try to avoid adding sugar to coffee, tea and food. OR at least reduce the amout of it in comparison to your regular intake. For more recipes and inspiration see also Home made peanut butter and other healthy sugar free recipes and Wholewheat Banana-Date Bread with Walnuts. And here is one more recipe to make your detox time a big pleasure.

Ingredients:
5 medium apples
5 dried plums
1 tbsp honey or agave syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup ricotta cheese (250g)
1/3 tsp vanilla seeds
allspice for decorating

Preheat the oven to 180C. Accurately cut off the apple tops. Using a potato peeler cut out the core scooping out all the seeds. Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon. Into each of them push one dried plum. Place the apples in a baking pan or form. Place the apple tops on the apples. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Baking time depends on the size of apples. Check them from time to time not to overbake. From outside they should become shiny and a bit soft. Do not overbake.

Meanwhile place the ricotta cheese and 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup and vanilla into a small bowl. Mix well.

Once the apples are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. 

Then open the lids and fill the center of each apple with ricotta cheese filling. Sprinkle the apples with allspice and couple drops of agave syrup.

Place the apple tops back on the apples and serve. 

And what is your favorite sugar free recipe? 

How much sugar do you consume daily? 

How long can you keep your nutrition plan sugar free?

Let me know in the comments below.

Apple pie with crispy filo pastry

Home made pies - what can be better?! It reminds me of those weekends in my childhood, when mother baked and the charming smell made me wake up... It is an opportunity to spread pleasant flavor around and enjoy the moment we are in.

Of course, I usually advise to prepare everything on your own. Then you know what you combine in the recipe and you are sure that artificial flavors and ingredients are avoided. But when you are in a rush and have only twenty minutes, you can always choose this magic and easy recipe with Filo pastry.

Filo (from Greek "leaf") is typical type of dough usually used to make baklava. This is product number 1 (after dried dates, of course), that I usually buy in Turkish shops here:) To tell the truth it can be used for sweet pastry, as well as for salty pies or little snacks. 

Ingredients:

filo pastry - about 10 sheets
2 big apples
3 tbsp raisins
Christmas spices (or mix of ground cinnamon, anis, cloves etc.)
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp almond leaves

When working with filo, make sure the surface is clean and dry. The pastry should be kept in the fridge in vacuum package, and if taken out  - should be covered by wet towel and not kept reachable to fresh air. It gets dry very fast and might crack before you prepare the pie :) But no stress. It is not a big deal. You will definitely handle it.

Before putting everything together wash the apples and cut them thin. Pour some lemon juice that will save them from getting darker. Soak raisins in hot water for 15 minutes and drain them well. Take about 6 sheets of dough and put them on the baking paper. Make first layer from apples in the center. Put the raisins and spices on the apples. Make one more layer from apples and spice them.

Melt some butter and oil the ends of the filo sheets and using your hands form some folds around the apple layers as shown below.

The rest of the sheets take together and butter the upper sheet and only ends of the other sheets as possible. Form the top of the pie and put it on the apples. Put almond leaves all over the pie for extra nutty note.

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180C.

Here you go. Perfect, easy and tasty pie! And the biggest benefit - quickly:)

Apple flower tart with cinnamon

When the holidays with a big variety of fatty food are left in the past and cold winter already there in the window, the only escape seems to be impossible. But we sometimes overreact a lot. A sweet-home-atmosphere is always a good escape. Especially when with light cinnamon flavor:) Apple tart means - minimum dough and maximum apples. Therefore it is a good choice of dessert at any time. Apples are available all year long and the recipe is absolutely easy. So let's start.

Ingredients:

3 middle apples

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp coconut oil (may be any other kind of healthy oil you have - walnut, flax seed etc.)

1/2 middle-sized mashed banana

1-2 tbsp cold water

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

pinch of salt

Tip!

The traditional recipe of a crust is high in saturated fat from butter and sugar. Therefore I strongly advise to use substitutes instead and as a result reduce unhealthy empty calories. Banana is a good alternative to sugar, when mashed. Extra virgin oil and some water will replace butter and add healthy fats.

In a bowl mix both types of flour, salt and grated nutmeg. Add oil and mashed banana. Add one tablespoon of water so that the dough stays together when pressed. If it seems too dry add another tablespoon of cold water.

Mix well and form a ball. Wrap it with plastic foil and put into a fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180° C.

A tart pan 24 cm in diameter would be just perfect for this pie. As I'm only planning to buy one, I used a pizza form and made the pie flatter. Tasty, anyway!

In case you are lucky to have a fluted tart pan, make bigger amount of dough in order to decorate a pie with nice curly sides. In both sides, butter the pan well in advance.

Take dough out of the fridge and make a thin layer in the tart pan.

Wash the apples and peel them. Slice thinly. Put all over the dough layer in a nice flower-form manner beginning from the sides and moving to the centre.

Mix nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apple flower.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the apple layer begins to get softer and a bit darker.