Baked Apple and Cranberries

Baked Apple and Cranberries

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 servings
Serving Size 1 apple
 

Ingredients
1 baking apple (try Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, or Braeburn) dash of cinnamon to taste
1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon margarine or butter

Directions

1. Wash apple and remove core (seed area), leaving the bottom to hold in the filling.
2. Peel a small band of skin from around the top of the apple.
3. Place the apple in a microwave safe container.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon around the top of the apple and into the hole.
5. Fill the center of the apple with cranberries, pressing down if needed.
6. Top the cranberries with the brown sugar and margarine.
7. Cover loosely with wax paper.
8. Microwave on high for about 2 1/2 minutes or until apple is soft when poked through the center hole with a fork. Cool slightly.
9. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

• Try using a corer or a paring knife and a small melon baller or the tip of a vegetable peeler to remove the core.
• Try fresh cranberries, raisins or other dry fruit in the center.
• For additional servings, increase the cooking time about 1 minute for each apple.
• Serve for breakfast or dessert!

Apple Spice Oatmeal

Apple Spice Oatmeal

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Serving Size 1 cup

Ingredients
1 apple
2 cups nonfat or 1% milk or water
1 cup quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse the apple, remove the core and cut into small chunks.
2. Bring the water or milk to a boil in a saucepan.
3. Add the oatmeal, salt and apple chunks. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute if using quick cooking oats or 7 to 10 minutes if using old fashioned rolled oats. Stir a couple times while cooking.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg, if desired.
5. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

• To increase the apple flavor, use apple juice for all or part of the water. Mixing apple juice with milk may cause milk to curdle.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 14 cookies
Serving Size 2 cookies

Ingredients
2 very ripe bananas
1 cup quick oats
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork until mostly smooth.
3. Add oats, cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Mix well.
4. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto lightly sprayed or oiled baking sheet. Flatten with the back of a spoon or bottom of a drinking glass.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Notes

• Texture will be best when freshly made.
• Try dried cranberries or chopped nuts instead of raisins.