By Genevieve
If you read my birthday recap post back in April, you may remember that I was given a fun new kitchen toy that I was really excited about: a spiralizer. Even though I haven't posted any recipes yet using my spiralizer, I have definitely been busy testing it out!
One of my favourite discoveries so far is that it isn't only useful for making noodles out of vegetables - it actually has three different blades ranging from skinny to wide, and the wide blade can be used sort of like a mandolin to make thin shavings.
After brainstorming about what I could make with this handy setting, I remembered an idea I had seen throughout the blogosphere for making apple nachos. The basic idea is to layer thinly sliced apples on a plate, sprinkle them with your choice of sweet toppings, and voila - you have apple nachos!
Most of the recipes that I've seen turn the nachos into more of a dessert with toppings like caramel sauce, chocolate chips, and marshmallows, but I wanted to make a healthier version that could be eaten as an afternoon snack.
For my version, I made a peanut-cinnamon sauce using another one of my birthday gifts, PB2 powdered peanut butter, and used toasted pecans, coconut flakes, and raw cacao nibs as the other toppings.
I actually wasn't even planning on sharing my snack on my blog, but I ended up liking it so much that I had to post the recipe! I loved the texture of the apples - slicing them so thin made them taste extra light and crisp, and they could easily be bent to scoop up the toppings.
I also liked the mixture of crunchy nuts and cacao nibs sprinkled on top, and my favourite part had to be the tasty peanut-cinnamon sauce - yum! I think this would be a fun snack to make with kids, or for anyone looking for a healthy treat that still tastes like dessert.
And stay tuned later this week for another version of raw nachos!
Apple Nachos
Inspired by Manifest Vegan
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp PB2*
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 tbsp chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
- Raw cacao nibs
- Drizzle of pure maple syrup
- 1 medium apple
- Lemon juice
Instructions:
Start by making the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk or stir together the PB2 and almond milk until smooth. Stir in the cinnamon. Set aside. (Note: *If you don't have PB2, I would suggest using 1 tbsp peanut butter and either thinning it with a bit of almond milk or yogurt, or melting it in the microwave as the original recipe suggested).
Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add pecans and toast for a few minutes, until browned and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside. Add the coconut flakes to the skillet and toast briefly, just as soon as they start to turn brown. Remove and set aside.
Slice your apple using the largest blade on a spiralizer (Note: I cut a small slit a few millimeters deep down the length of the apple first, from top to bottom, so that I would end up with separate apple pieces rather than a long unseparated strand). If you don’t have a spiralizer, you could try using a mandolin, or use a knife to get as thin slices as possible.
Once you’ve gone through half of the apple, drizzle the slices with lemon juice to prevent browning. Finish slicing the apple and drizzle more lemon juice over the slices.
Spread the apple slices out on a large plate. Drizzle the peanut sauce over top, then sprinkle the pecans, coconut flakes, and a handful of cacao nibs on top. Finish with a tiny drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
Serves 1-2.
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