Eat With Me : Stewed Apples
What are the benefits of eating apples?
Apples are considered a nutrient-dense fruit packing Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin K, anti-oxidants, and more. Arguably, the fruit’s real MVP is the amount of fiber that one serving offers. Fiber is beneficial for gut health, feeling satiated after eating, and protection of blood sugar + heart health. Apples are also known to contain anti-inflammatory agents helping to protect immune function and against some inflammatory symptoms.
What is the qualitative nature of an apple?
An apple in raw form is qualitatively described as cold, hard, light, and dry. An apple can be sweet or sour in taste but, also, very astringent. When you cook an apple by stewing, steaming, or pan frying you can change those qualities completely. All of a sudden, our cooked apple is now warm, soft, moist, and maybe oily. Add in spices and plenty of ghee or butter to amplify the warm + oily qualities.
What is the importance of eating warm foods?
We can attempt to do well by our bodies by making better food choices but, without proper knowledge, we may not actually absorb most of what we’re taking in. It all has to do with your bodies ability to digest and the strength of your digestive fire + juices. Unfortunately, many people today suffer from digestive upset and some without even knowing. By choose cooked and warmed food, we are already beginning the digestive process on the stove. The parts of the food that are most difficult to digest are already being broken down through the heat transformation. This makes it easier for us to break down once it hits our stomachs allowing us more energy and time to actually absorb the nutrients versus sending it off to waste too quickly. The heat from the food and any spices that you use (added bonus) help to keep the digestive fire (agni) strong and balanced.
Stewed Apple Recipe :
1 apple (I prefer Gala Apples), cored + sliced
2 tsp ghee or butter
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp cow or goat’s milk, nut milk, or water
1 tbsp raisins, optional
1. Warm the ghee or butter in a pan on the stove on medium-high.
2. Once the ghee or butter is warm, place the apples in the pan and coat with spices.
3. Let fry in the ghee for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Add your milk choice + raisins if using.
5. Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer until apples are tender and have absorb most of the juices (10-15 minutes).
6. Enjoy warmed.
** You can also enjoy this recipe with oats by increasing the milk to 1/2 c + adding 1/4 c oats.