Apple Raspberry Nachos

Whip up these fun apple nachos for dessert or a sweet afternoon snack and don't be afraid to get creative. Toast the nuts and coconut, replace the nuts with granola or crushed graham crackers, drizzle the apples with honey or caramel sauce, top with ice cream, sprinkle with cinnamon. If you have extra raspberry sauce, swirl it into the yogurt dip.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen or fresh raspberries

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

• 2 large Honeycrisp apples, halved, cored and sliced thin

• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

• 2 tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

Preparation

In a small pot, simmer the raspberries and maple syrup for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the raspberry sauce from the heat and pour into a small container through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. (Tip: Use the back of a heavy spoon to push the raspberry sauce through the strainer.) Set aside the finished sauce. Melt the chocolate chips either in a double boiler or by microwaving for about 3 minutes on low, in a microwave-safe bowl. To build the nachos, spread out or overlap the apple slices on a platter or large plate. Lightly drizzle the apple slices with the melted chocolate and raspberry sauce, sprinkle pecans and coconut over the top, and serve with yogurt as a dipping sauce.

Spiced Squash Pancakes

These moist, deep orange cakes are a breakfast treat, and if you like breakfast for dinner, these would be perfect candidates. Walnuts and maple syrup add crunchy sweetness.

Ingredients

Syrup

• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Pancakes

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup squash puree of your choice* (prepared in advance)
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• Vegetable oil spray

Preparation

1. In a 1 quart pot, combine the walnuts and maple syrup, and heat over low heat while you make the cakes. Makes 3/4 cup.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 F to hold the finished pancakes, if desired.
3. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, unbleached flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the squash, milk, oil and egg. Stir the squash mixture into the flour mixture just until all the flour is moistened, don't over-stir.
4. Pre-heat griddle or large non-stick skillets, over high heat. Spray with vegetable oil spray just before adding the batter. Use 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, spreading it out to a 4 inch round with the bottom of the cup. When the batter starts to bubble, turn down the heat to medium. When the edges of the cakes look dry and cooked and the pancake is covered with holes, about 3 minutes, flip the cakes. Cook for a minute or two on the second side, it will not take as long. Flip again and cook for a couple of minutes. Transfer the finished pancakes to a heat safe platter and put in the oven as you finish cooking the rest of the batter.
5. Serve 3 cakes per plate, topped with a tablespoon of syrup per cake.

* Squash Puree

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Using your favorite winter squash (such as butternut, acorn, pumpkin, delicata), halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and place it cut side down on an oiled sheet pan.
3. Roast at 400 F until tender when pierced with a paring knife.
4. With a metal spoon, scrape out the cooked flesh and puree in a blender or food processor or mash with a potato masher until smooth.

Authored by Robin Asbell. Reprinted with permission by strongertogether.coop

Italian Sausage with Fall Veggies

Easy, filling and flexible, this dish takes full advantage of whatever fall root vegetables you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound uncooked Italian sausage links
• 1/2 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, combine the parsnips, sweet potato, red onions, garlic, sage, pepper and salt, and drizzle with vegetable oil. Toss to coat. Pierce each sausage link four times on one side with a paring knife, then turn over and pierce four more times. Place the sausages on the vegetables and cover the pan tightly with foil.
2. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover the pan, stir and turn the sausages, and roast for 15 minutes longer, uncovered. The vegetables should be tender when pierced with a paring knife; if the vegetables are in larger chunks, they may need more time to cook. When the vegetables are tender, add the kale to the hot pan and stir, then roast for 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestion

This is an easy and filling fall dish, and the ingredients are very flexible. Substitute your favorite root vegetables for the parsnip and sweet potato, or use any type of link sausage.

Authored by Stronger Together. Reprinted with permission by www.strongertogether.coop

Photo courtesy of strongertogether.coop