June | 2016 | dmarie-dining

Refreshing is the word that kept springing from my mouth when I first tasted my Apple Salad dish and when I described it to my hubby and son. I have been thinking about light and refreshing dishes quite a bit lately since warmer weather has crept into my life. During warmer weather I don’t feel like making heavy or complicated meals. Summer is the time when I am looking for quick recipes and dishes that don’t make me tired or lazy after eating.

My Apple Salad recipe is all the things I just mentioned. It is quick to make. It is light and refreshing. Plus, it does not make me feel heavy, bloated or lazy after eating it. On the contrary. I actually feel energized after eating this salad. Apple Salad is packed with protein from the delicious chopped walnuts and golden raisins and has vitamin C from the apples. Another plus is that the raisins contain antioxidants which helps our bodies to fight against cancer and heart disease. Also, the raisins add a hint of sweetness to counter the tartness of the apples.

Bottom-line… Apple Salad is a low calorie, healthy dish that will leave you feeling refreshed and energetic. Just ask my son. He liked this salad so much that he had it for breakfast and as a snack. If my biggest critic loved my Apple Salad, I think you will too.

Apple Salad

Ingredients:

2 large granny smith apples diced

2 large re crispy apples diced

1 8oz container marscapone cheese

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup sour cream

4 tbsp milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

juice from ½ of a lemon

Place apples in a large bowl and squeeze lemon juice over apples then toss. This will keep the apples from turning brown. Set asides.

In a deep bowl add marscapone cheese, sour cream, milk and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until seasonings are incorporated into mixture. Stir in orange zest. Pour mixture over apples then add walnuts and raisins. Gently mix until the apples are well coated along with the nuts and raisins. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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I have always wondered why advertisers like to use the phrase “new and improved” especially when it is attached to an already popular item. Why mess with a product when it is considered to be wonderful from the very beginning? I thought about that when I decided to tweak my Lemon Squares recipe and created Lemon Squares 2. I won’t say my new recipe Lemon Squares 2 is a “new and improved” version of my original Lemon Squares recipe but it is “new” and it is good.

Like the original recipe Lemon Squares 2 are lemony but have an added layer of flavor because of the cream cheese filling. Yes, I added cream cheese to the mix to create a lemon cheesecake like texture. Good ahead and say it. Yummy! I also added chopped pecans to the crust to make sure there was a contrast of textures. After all, I did not want to have a one note recipe.

For those that are thinking about the calories, take heart in knowing I used low fat cream cheese to lower the calories a little. But, let’s be honest. This is dessert and it is a cheesecake like treat. So go easy on the number of Lemon Squares 2 you decide to eat at one sitting. Spread out the deliciousness and eat them every other day rather than every day. It will be hard but I am sure you can handle it. Of course, if you are like my youngest son, you can eat them everyday and not gain an once. But then again, he works out all the time and has that “young” metabolism I miss so much.

The next time you have a taste for lemons or cheesecake consider making a batch of my Lemon Squares 2. I think you will enjoy them.

Lemon Squares 2

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 ¼ cup all purpose flour

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup granola crumbled

¼ cup + 1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 ¾ cups sugar + ½ cup sugar

¾ cup lemon juice (use meyer lemons if available)

¼ cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour

4 tbsp confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

¼ tsp salt

4 large eggs (room temperature)

1 egg yolk (room temperature)

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Sift flour, salt and confectioner’s sugar into a large bowl. Add pecans, granola and butter. Working quickly, mix butter into flour until butter is broken down into tiny pieces about the size of a large pea (use a food processor if necessary). Press mixture into bottom of the glass dish pushing about one third of the crust up the sides of the dish. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes then bake for 10 – 15 minutes. Crust will be pale.

While crust is baking prepare the lemon filling by whisking together sugar, flour and salt. Add lemon juice, zest and vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Whisk in eggs and egg yolk. Set aside.

In medium bowl cream together cream cheese and ½ cup sugar. Add 1 egg and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Set aside.

When crust is done pour cream cheese mixture over warm crust and spread out evenly over the crust. Next pour lemon filling mixture over the cream cheese mixture. Bake for an additional 35 – 45 minutes. Center should still jiggle a little. Remove and let cool completely before cutting. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and cut into squares.

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