Healthy Snack: Apple Chips

Oh the sweets of the holiday season, we all make a conscience effort to watch how many sweets we eat but sometimes pecan or pumpkin pie, iced sugar cookies, fudge, candy canes, chocolate pretzels with crushed peppermints, and cakes of all sorts override our brains efforts and we succumb to the temptation. We fill our tummy full and wind up with belly ache or a sugar rush.
For this holiday season, here’s a much healthier option for your family, children and friends: Apple Chips.

To make apple chips it is much like dehydrating and apple but you let the apple rings bake for a little bit longer until they are crispy.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Chips

4 medium size apples (Gala or Fiji)

3 tbsp cinnamon*
3 tbsp granulated sugar*

*You can purchase the already mixed cinnamon and sugar at your local grocery store

Tools: apple core, sharp knife or mandolin, parchment paper, and cookie sheet

1)      Preheat your oven to 275 degrees, place a piece of parchment paper on your cookie sheet to get it ready for the apple slices

2)      In a bowl combine cinnamon and sugar and use a fork to mix together. (If you have an empty spice box, you can pour the mixture into the container to make it easier to sprinkle on the apple slices)

3)      Give your apples a good washing and twist off the stems

4)      Using the mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the apples into thin slices. You will want to make sure your apple slices are not paper thin but thick as a nickel is too thick.

5)      Once your apples are sliced, place them on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

6)      Give your apple slices a light dusting of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

7)      Place in oven to make for 2 hours.

8)      Once done, let sit for 3 to 5 minutes to cool before serving.

**If you do not like cinnamon you can omit steps 2 &6**

　

Half of these Apple Chips have the cinnamon sugar mix and the other half do not.

You can serve apple chips with a caramel dip or a cream cheese dip if you prefer.

Honey Garlic Pork Cutlets

Story from my past: In the summer of 2002, between my 7th and 8th grade years in middle school I took a trip to Gunpo City, South Korea. Up until that time I had never been out side of the country and I honestly could not wait to go some place I had never been. Not every having had any Korean food before in my life, I was in for a shock...

Upon my arrival there we were treated to a spread sort of like what you would find for Thanksgiving dinner, however, their spread included things I had never even thought about eating. I soon learned that bulgogi (marinated beef that has been grilled or pan-cooked), ours was grilled on an open faced grill right there on our table, and white rice would be most of what I ate on that trip. I tried the kimchi both the cabbage and cucumber kind and numerous other delicacies South Koreans enjoy at meal time.

My inspiration for this dish came from the base ingredients you typically find in a traditional Korean marinade: soy sauce, sugar, oil, pepper, and garlic; except I gave it my twist.


Honey Garlic Pork Cutlets

1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 lbs pork cutlets, about 4 to 6 pork cutlets


In a bowl combine all ingredients and whisk together. Add your pork cutlets and let sit in refrigerator to marinate.

You can marinate the pork for 30 minutes or longer for pork to soak up the flavor.

When you are ready to cook the pork. Preheat over 350 degrees and in a shallow baking dish cover with aluminum foil. Place pork cutlets on the foil and let bake for about 30 minutes.


*** You can use this marinade for pork chops, pork tenderloin, chicken, steaks, or salmon. ***