Gentyl & Hyers and John Autry | Cooking Light
Apples are prime for the picking right now, but this fruit is so commonplace their seasonal abundance is almost overshadowed by more flashy fall fruits–like figs and pomegranates. They may not be as exciting, but let’s just take a moment to celebrate some of the apple’s nutritional treasures. One medium-sized fruit packs over 4 grams of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and nearly 15% of your daily Vitamin C–all for just 95 calories.
Depending on where you live, you may find eight different varieties for sale in your grocery store these days, or a dozen or more at a large farmers’ market. The apple’s sweet crispness is a signal of the fleeting passage of fall which can only mean one thing–it’s time to to get cooking!
For those of us celebrating apple season, I’ve pulled together 5 fresh-for-fall apple recipes, including one of my all time favorites, these Brie, Apple and Arugula Quesadillas. Fuji, Honeycrisp and Ambrosia apples pair especially well with creamy cheeses like Brie and Camembert. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner but reheated leftovers also make for a delicious lunch the next day. Just bake one quesadilla in the toaster oven for 4-5 minutes and you’re good to go!
IngredientsÂ
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider
- 3 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 6 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, divided
- 1 Fuji apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 pound), divided
- 3 cups arugula, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Preparation
1. Combine mustard and cider in a small bowl; stir well.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread each tortilla with about 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard mixture. Place 1 tortilla, mustard side up, in pan. Arrange one-third of cheese slices over half of tortilla; cook 1 minute or until cheese begins to melt. Arrange one-third of apple slices over cheese; top with 1 cup arugula. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fold tortilla in half; press gently with a spatula. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining 2 tortillas, cheese, apple slices, 2 cups arugula, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.
Not a brie fan? Try goat cheese with this Apple, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza, or go without cheese altogether and make these Shrimp Tacos with Green Apple Salsa.
For dessert, or a big weekend breakfast, whip up some French Toast with Maple Apple Compote or grab your old-fashioned oats and make this Maple-Walnut Apple Crisp.
For more apple awesomeness, check out these articles from our friends at CookingLight.com:
- A very helpful Guide to Apples
- More of their Best Healthy Apple Recipes
What are some of your favorite apple recipes? Share with us on Facebook or in the comments below!
