Rich, I have never liked taking bites out of a whole apple, but I do like good, crisp apples. Therefore, I find creative ways to cut them. This recipe is one way to make them “more acceptable” for a more regular meal and easier to fit in the mouth. I find it is a refreshing summertime replacement for hot side dishes.
The original recipe card that I wrote the first time I prepared this salad does not say where I got the idea from. I am getting better with experimenting out of the blue, so there is a chance I “made it up,” although the ingredients are pretty standard. (Click on this link for an easy printable pdf copy of the recipe Sweet Apple Salad.)
Sweet Apple Salad
6 large, sweet, crisp apples, chopped into approximately 3/4 inch pieces (skin can be left on!)
1 cup juicy raisins
1.5 cups pecans, halved or chopped as desired
(Optional additions: other fruit such as banana, or even celery, or different nuts)
Dressing
2/3 cup sour cream
1.5 cup plain lowfat yogurt ( I am not a “non-fat” person)
1/4 cup loosely measured brown sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (I use Real Lemon concentrate much of the time)
Mix fruit and nut ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together. Add some dressing to salad and mix, a portion at a time until you have the amount of dressing you prefer. Save the rest of the dressing for later leftovers. Salad is about enough for 10-12 one-half cup servings.
My latest variation of the salad was this:
5 cups Gala apples
20 ounce can of pineapple tidbits in natural juices, drained (but juice reserved for family drink mixing later) This ends up being about 1.25 cups of pineapple.
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 slivered almonds
1 cup mini-marshmallows (previously vacuumed sealed and stored in the pantry)
Dressing (same as above)
This turned out scrumpdillyicious! Makes me glad for transportation that gives me affordable access to fresh apples nearly all year long.
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