Welcome to the first Slimspoon blog post! Healthy Apple Crisp (GF/VG)

Welcome to my first blog post! After quite a long hiatus, I thought it was time to give a revamp for those of you who love to read my recipes. Here, I'll post more recipes (of course), which you'll be able to find in my index, but I'll also talk about what's going on in my life, products I love, and other wellness topics recommended by you! Hope you enjoy :)

Yes, yes, I know that it's not fall yet, but apparently the apple season has come earlier to NC this year because of the warm winter we had! I'm going to benefit from that by getting some fresh, local apples from farms like Sky Top or Carrigan Farms to make some delicious, fruit-filled recipes like applesauce, apple spice bread, and of course, APPLE CRISP! Depending on your area, it's really easy to find places that already have varieties to pick with your friends and family. Our local news platform Charlotte Agenda already made a post about it this week. So get picking people!

​Before I get started on the recipe itself let's talk about apples and why they are so good for you.

Of course we all know that I am neither a certified dietitian nor a nutritionist, but I have done lots of research  that works for my health and wellness plan and I want to share it with you!

Here are some health benefits of apples from Dr. Josh Axe, specialist in natural medicine and clinical dietitian:
1. Great source of cancer fighting antioxidants
2.  Helps prevent inflammation
3. Can fight heart disease
4. GREAT source of fiber
5. Good source of vitamin C
6. Aids in weight management
7. Can help fight asthma

In addition to all of these fantastic benefits, apple are one of the cheapest and portable natural energy source out there, making it a great option pre- or post- workout for those quick release sugars that you need for energy. 

On to the crisp...

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I may or may not have made this at 11 PM when I got home from work, but that is not the point. The point here is that it is just THAT good. 

I used my all-time favorite natural sweetener to make this dish: pure organic maple syrup. It is one of the lowest glycemic all-natural sweeteners out there and is easier to digest than many processed and artificial sugars. 

This recipe is also gluten-free! To make the crumble, I used almond flour, oatmeal, and coconut oil, to give you that buttery sweet taste we know you love. 



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​Ingredients
Filling:
5 small fuji apples, peeled and diced
1/4 c water
1/4 c maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
Crumble
1/2 c almond flour 
1 c rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp sea salt 
1/2 c chopped walnuts 
1/4 c coconut oil, melted 
1/4 c maple syrup
More apple pie spice if desired

Directions
Preheat oven to 250. Grease 9" round ceramic pie dish with coconut oil. In large mixing bowl, toss together the filling ingredients until combined and pour into pie dish. Next, using the same bowl, toss together the crumble ingredients until combined and pour on top of apple filling. Using fingers, spread into one even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let cool on rack for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!

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