Marinated Apple with Plum-Cashew Dip

While King of Pippins and Rubinettes are good eating apples, this recipe makes them great. The juicy, sweet and tart plums supply carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and silica.

Marinated Apple:
2 large King of Pippins or Rubinette apples, sliced
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) honey
1 free-range egg, beaten
1 Tbsp (15 ml) cold water
1/2 cup (125 ml) breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly ground flax seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole-wheat flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter

Plum-Cashew Dip:
2 lbs (500 g) black plums, cut in half and pitted
1/4 cup (60 ml) Rapadura sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch
Pinch ground clove
Pinch ground star anise
Pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (60 ml) cashews, roasted and crumbled

To marinate the apples, combine water, lime juice and honey in a bowl then add apples and soak for one hour in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, prepare the dip. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place plums in a baking dish, sprinkle with Rapadura and dust with cornstarch, clove, anise and cinnamon. Bake in oven for one hour until plums are soft and liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove from oven then crumble cashew nuts over top. Set aside.

Combine egg and one tablespoon of cold water in a bowl. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs and flax seeds. Pat apples dry with a paper towel then dip into the flour, then the egg wash, then the breadcrumb-flax seed mixture.

In a pan, heat olive oil and butter on medium and saut?pples until both sides are golden brown. Arrange on plates and serve with the dip.

Source: alive #218, December 2000