Funny, how when we think apples, we automatically think Autumn. And yet, we have fabulous apples available to us all through the Winter months, especially here in Ontario.
The other week I had the fun experience of joining a boisterous group of fellow food bloggers at an Iron Chef style cooking event hosted by Ontario Apples and Produce Made Simple. Produce Made Simple is a non-profit association responsible for facilitating trade and promoting the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables here in Ontario. They share tips and recipes on making the most of what is grown here in Ontario.
We all met up at Dish, a great, interactive cooking venue in downtown Toronto. What a cool spot to take a class, host a cooking event, and learn more about the ins and outs of the kitchen. They did a wonderful job hosting us, feeding us and guiding us as we were divided up into two teams to create meals showcasing Ontario apples.
Our team was headed up by Cara, who had decided that we should have an Asian inspired theme for our meal. And what a great call that was. Ginger, spices, a bit of heat with pepper etc all joined the apples and cider in our various dishes. Roasted chicken breasts, a veggie and apple slaw, a vegetable purée with ginger and cider, and even fried apple chips to garnish the finished plate. Each component of the meal ended up with layers of flavours, totally juicy and tender, and aromatic. And in the end, our team won the competition! Yay us!!
So, I decided that I should share with you all the dish that I worked on. The Apple and Root Veg Purée. We didn’t really use a recipe, just the platters of fresh veg and herbs and spices in front of us at our station. So this recipe is more of reflection of that evening, with me now actually taking the time to write down the measurements etc. I think I totally captured the flavours and essence of the dish. And you won’t be disappointed, I promise.
We started by chopping up the sweet potatoes, the carrots, red onion, apples, garlic and ginger. It all got tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and put into the oven to start baking. I always like to bake up any veg, even if it is going to get all blended up in a soup etc. The time in the oven creates that special caramelization that adds so much flavour to each vegetable.
After about 20 minutes in a 425F oven, you will start to see that golden brown exterior show up. Time to move everything to a pot on the stove, along with some vegetable stock and apple cider. Cook until the sweet potato and carrot are suitably softened. Then purée everything up in a blender or food processor. Return it all to the pot to keep warm. Taste and re-season if necessary. I finish it all off with a good grind of red peppercorns. I’m very proud of myself, this recipe is gluten free, vegan, dairy free, Whole 30, and everything else people are eating these days! 😀
I decided to garnish the dish with apple chips. But instead of frying mine up like we did that evening, I think baking is a whole lot easier, and less messy. But of course, it does take more time. In fact, you can do this step first, earlier in the day. Make heaps for snacking on! Usually I just sprinkle the thinly sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar before putting the baking sheet of them into the 200F oven for a few hours. This time however, I sprinkled them with ground coriander and ginger. This way they would be a great accompaniment to the purée and the Mojo Pork roast I decided to serve it all with.
I’ll add a quick recipe for the apple chips below as well.
So keep eating apples, they’re loaded with fibre and nutrients. They are full of flavour and crunch. They make a perfect snack with cheddar cheese or nut butter. And of course, there is always a crisp or crumble that can be made as well!
Love Jen
Apple and Root Veg Purée with Ginger and Red Peppercorns
Creamy, aromatic, and yet light in texture, this lovely root vegetable and apple purée is a perfect side to roast chicken or pork. Ginger, apple cider and apple chips all add their flavours and crunch for contrast.
Ingredients
Apple Vegetable Purée
- 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed, peeled and cubed, 3/4 inch cubes
- 2 medium carrots peeled and coarsely chopped, 3/4 inch cubes
- 2 apples cored and cut into cubes, 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 red onion trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch of ginger chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock can substitute chicken stock, or my faux chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 cup apple cider plus more if needed
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- red peppercorns
Apple Chips
- 2 Honeycrisp or Gala Apples
- ground coriander
- ground ginger
Instructions
Apple Vegetable Purée
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Preheat the oven to 425F
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Combine the sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, onion, garlic and ginger on a large baking sheet. If necessary, use two baking sheet to ensure that the vegetables can all sit in one layer.
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Drizzle the olive oil over it all. Toss to evenly coat with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1 tsp of each.
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Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, rotating sheets if using more than one. Once you start to see the touches of golden brown starting to happen, you can remove from the oven. The potatoes and carrots will not be soft yet, even if the apples are.
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Transfer everything to a medium large stock pot. Add the stock, cider, and rosemary sprigs. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer till everything is softened. If you find that the liquid is evaporating before the veggies are soft, add more cider. There should still be visible liquid when ready for the next step. Remove the rosemary twigs
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Transfer everything to a blender or food processor. Alternatively you may use an immersion blender if you desire.
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Blend until smooth. If you find that it is too stiff to blend, thin out with more stock or cider.
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Return everything to the pot. Taste, and re-season with more salt and pepper as desired. Finish with a good grinding of red peppercorns.
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Garnish with Coriander Apple Chips.
Apple Chips
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Preheat the oven to 200F.
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Slice the apples, crosswise, into 1/8 inch thickness. I find a mandolin does the best job here. If you don't have one, use a very sharp knife and steady hand.
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Lay them out onto a parchment lined baking sheet, in one layer. Sprinkle with ground coriander and ground ginger.
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Bake for 2 hours, or until the apples have curled appropriately, and have dried out. They should feel dry and almost crisp. They will continue to crisp up on the cooling rack. Store in a sealed container.
Recipe Notes
Since you really aren't using a lot of stock in this recipe, this would be a great opportunity to pull out my Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder. It is vegan, and easy to use!
This dish works wonderfully as a side to any roasted meat.
The apple chip recipe can be adjusted to be a great kid's snack using just cinnamon and a bit of sugar.
I state that this feeds four, but it could feed as many as six, depending on appetites.
Have extra stock or cider on hand to thin it out if necessary.
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