Pumpkins and apples & spice, oh my!
I might have a new fall favorite. Scratch the might; I do! It was born October 4th, 2013 right here in my kitchen. I can’t wait to whip these up for my family on Thanksgiving morning! It’ll go great with my mamma’s sweet potato hash!
Apples and pears are my favorite fall fruits. Aside from pumpkins of course. I love apples and pears in the summer but they taste even better when they are at their peak in the fall. Granny smith to honeycrisp…yum! They are rich with nutrients and make the perfect base to any dish.
Yesterday morning I sat and wondered what I’d do with my extra apples, pears, and the can of pumpkin sitting on the counter. I wanted something warm, sweet, rich with nutrients, and comforting. I had quinoa from stuffing peppers the week before, so I thought I’d do a spin-off and use apples to stuff.
This recipe was simple and quick to make. They look so much more complicated than they are. So I got a little carried away with taking pictures of them. They are just so tasty and I couldn’t stop staring at them. I will admit, I was proud of myself for pulling these out of the blue! Or should I say “orange” because after all…it is fall! I felt like a proud mama giving birth to a beautiful creation. Not the same? Okay…forget I said that!
Ingredients *Ground Cinnamon, *Cinnamon Sticks (optional), *Apples or Pears. (I used 1 HoneyCrisp Apple, 1 Granny Smith Apple, and *1 Anjour Pear), *1 Cup Quinoa, *2 Cups Water,*Olive Oil *1/2 Cup Pumpkin Pure, *Honey, *1/4 Cup Walnut Halves, *1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste, *3 Tbsps. Dried Cranberries.
You might have a fancy little apple corer sitting around your house, but unfortunately I don’t, so I had to work with what I had. A knife! I just cut a circle with a knife around the core and scooped it out with a spoon. Mine might not look as pretty, but it works! I placed the apples in a baking pan and drizzled a little honey and olive oil over the top.
Place a cinnamon stick in the center.
(somehow this post was accidentally deleted. I am going to hurry and add the directions at the bottom. I apologize for the quick words or if it sounds cold)
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
Place walnuts in the pan with the apples. The hot honey and oil will glaze them.
The pears will cook much faster than the apples so place the pear in a separate pan. I used my cupcake pan. Prepare the pear the same way you prepared the apples
While the apples are baking cook the quinoa.
The pear should be done in 22- 23 minutes. The pear will turn fall brown.
Take the apples out after 26-28 minutes.
Place the pears and apples on a separate plate.
Mix the walnuts with the leftover glaze at the bottom of the baking pan. Place them back into the oven for 5 more minutes to toast and glaze.
Time to prepare the quinoa!
Add pumpkin.
Mix the pumpkin pure into the quinoa. If you like a strong pumpkin flavor ; you can add more!
Add cinnamon and toss lightly.
Add a tablespoon of unsweetened almond milk if you’d like the quinoa to be creamy. I like it without so the quinoa doesn’t fall apart inside the apples.
Stuff the apples and pear with the pumpkin quinoa.
Top with glazed walnuts.
Top with cranberries.
Add a little cinnamon on top.
Give the tops of the apples a light honey drizzle.
The apples are perfect for any dinner! Especially leftover for breakfast!
Place a cinnamon stick on top for a beautiful garnish!
You can serve them pre cut to make it easier to eat and they look delicious that way!
Cathy says
These sound amazing. Where or when does the vanilla bean paste get added into the recipe? Also, where might I find vanilla bean paste. I’ve never heard of it, but I’m imagining many different uses. Thank you!
Briana says
So glad you reposted this on your Facebook page! Looks amazing and now I have something different to do with all my apples at home 🙂 Can’t wait to try this weekend.