How about these apples? 3 apple-icious recipes you won't want to miss

Crunch ... crunch ... sluurrrrpp ... mmm .... There's nothing like the crispy KA-RUNCH of the first juicy apple of the season. Packed with fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, apples make a great on-the-go snack. Adding a protein like nuts, cheese, or peanut butter also helps you feel fuller longer.

Apples can also be part of a main course or appetizer when paired with just a few other ingredients. They're great for kids and adults, and even if you don't eat the skin, you still get plenty of health benefits.

With a fresh fall harvest reaching grocery stores everywhere, it's time to get your bushel baskets and start cooking! The recipes below, courtesy of Whole Foods in Richardson, are a great start to exploring your apple options. (To learn more about different apple varieties, see our article "An Apple a Day" in the Fall 2017 issue of Shine magazine.)

Raw apple crisp

A simple mixture of nuts, raisins, and spices makes a delicious topping for crisp, juicy apples.

Number of servings: 8

Ingredients

4 crisp apples, cored and chopped (try Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp)

¼ cup orange juice

¾ cup pecan halves

¾ cup hazelnuts

¾ cup raisins

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Put apples in an 8-inch square baking dish or 2-quart casserole dish.
• Drizzle with orange juice. Toss until the fruit is coated and smooth the top.
• In a food processor, combine pecans, hazelnuts, raisins, ginger and cinnamon, and pulse just until chopped.
• Spoon the nut mixture over the apple mixture and serve.

Nutrition information

Serving size: about 4oz/106g-wt. Amount per serving: 220 calories (130 from fat); 14g total fat; 1g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 0mg sodium; 25g total carbohydrates (4g dietary fiber, 17g sugar); 3g protein

Apple pear sauce

This colorful sauce highlights fall fruits. Enjoy with pork or chicken, or serve as a dessert or after-school snack.

Number of servings: 10

Serving size: ½ cup

Ingredients

4 small red-skinned apples, cored and cut into eighths (try Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Golden Delicious)

4 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and cut into eighths

1 thick slice lemon

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

½ cup water

Instructions

• Place apples, pears, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and water in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat.
• Simmer, stirring often, until apples are completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the lemon, cinnamon stick and whole cloves. Let sauce cool slightly.
• Transfer to a blender and puree until as smooth as desired.
• Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. Store in your refrigerator.

Apple and fennel salad

Play around with different apples if Honeycrisp aren't available, or try adding shaved radishes and sliced pears.

Number of servings: 2 to 4

Ingredients

Dressing:

1 small shallot, minced

2 navel oranges, juiced

½ navel orange, zested

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

2 crisp apples, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then cut into matchsticks (try Honeycrisp, Gala, or Red Delicious)

1 bulb fennel, thinly shaved with a knife or mandoline (about 2 to 3 cups)

Fennel fronds reserved and chopped for garnish

Instructions

• Combine dressing ingredients in a sealable container and shake to emulsify.
• For the salad, combine apple, shaved fennel, and some of the fronds in a mixing bowl and toss.
• Toss the salad with the dressing and distribute among serving plates.
• Garnish with a few more chopped fennel fronds over the top and serve.

Our dietitians are always looking for fun, seasonal, easy and healthy recipes, so click here to find more.