So are you freaking about beach season yet? Because I am! A few years ago, I went on the Fast Metabolism Diet, and I had really great success on it. It was more of a lifestyle change than trying to lose weight. It preaches clean eating and getting your body back in balance. It was very very strict, complicated, and expensive. If I go back on it my husband may divorce me. But since then I have stayed pretty much dairy-free most of the time, and gluten-free (most of the time), and clean eating (most of the time).
But this past year, as I am getting older (cough cough*) I am noticing the pounds coming back. God is really mean when it comes to women’s health and their bodies. Just say’n.
So I am going on Weight Watchers for 6 months to just get back down to my weight I am used to. I will tell you, it is coming off WAY slower than in my past, and I am being so strict! It is really frustrating, but I am sticking to it. Because slow as it is going, the scale is moving in the right direction!
Did I mention getting older really stinks?
Anyway, Sunday I was craving a treat. And not just a thimbleful of almond milk ice cream, but a decent treat. I came up with this versatile crumble. If you use more whole grain in the flour, you can make it even healthier. You could also try using all Monkfruit sweetener to really get the sugar level down, but I am not sure it will macerate the apples. It may be worth a try just to get the refined sugar level down to zero. You can play with a mix of apples and pears, or even some stone fruit.
The pop of ginger in the apples is the secret ingredient that really makes this special. My whole family LOVED it, and had no idea they were eating a healthy dessert. So everyone wins, especially mamma and her scale!
Light and Fit Apple Crisp
Ingredients:
4-5 mixed apples, peeled cored and sliced (I like mixing gala and golden delicious)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
dash of salt
1/4 cup golden Monkfruit sweetener (Lokanto is a fave at our house)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. ginger paste (from a tube) or finely minced fresh peeled ginger
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
a dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour (or GF flour blend, or whole wheat flour to get more fiber)
3 Tbsp. clean label margarine (like Earth Balance)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 2 qt (7″ x 11″) baking dish and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the apples with the salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar and ginger. Let macerate for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the crumble. In a medium bowl mix the oats with the almond meal and flour. Throw in the dash of cinnamon and cut in the margarine until the mixture is crumbly and margarine is well distributed. I use a fork to mash it in, but you may want to use your hands.
After 30 minutes, your apples should have released some juice. Toss the apples with the cornstarch, then layer the apples in the baking pan evenly. Crumble the flour mixture along the top. Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes. The top should be golden and the apples bubbly. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving warm.
(1/2 cup’s worth should be about 3 WW points, but don’t quote me.)
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