Raspberry & Apple Granola Crumble

Disclaimer:  Lisa and I are consulting dietitians for the National Processed Raspberry Council.

I mentioned on Tuesday that I’ve been spending the week in Delburne, the small town in Alberta that harbors some of my fondest memories.

Aside from having some focused work time, enjoying nourishing family-style meals in the evenings, and finding a new show that’s gotten my attention on Netflix (Bloodline), we’ve laughed a lot. There’s a lot I appreciate my family, but their sense of humor rate among the top. 

Earlier this week, for example, what we thought would be a reflective and meditative walk turned into honing in on my horse wrangling skills. To make 45 minutes into a few short sentences, envision five horses, a donkey, and a llama, named Bugsie, fleeing for their freedom. The adventure started with our adorable host 'rancherette' graciously letting us roam her beautiful property; on our way to the walking trail, a few horses snuck out of the gate. In the initial moments, we were panicked, but as soon as we realized everything was okay and the animals returned to their home, we all shared some good belly laughs.

Before I head back to the city today, I wanted to share a recipe that’s perfect for gatherings with family and friends. Crumbles have always been one of my favorite desserts – they’re not overly complicated and still have room to pack in some nutrition with the goodness of fruit. This crumble is entirely plant-based, and utilizes date paste, which are dried dates, soaked in warm water and pureed; it’s a naturally sweet way to sweeten your desserts.

Have a great weekend!

Raspberry & Apple Granola Crumble

Raspberries and apples make a great pairing in this wholesome dessert, which only calls for a little bit of added sugar and a variety of good-for-you ingredients! Top with a scoop of Greek yogurt or serve plain for a nutritious, sweet treat.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups oats

2 tablespoons ground flax seeds

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ slivered or sliced almonds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

dash of salt

4 tablespoons date paste, divided*

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 bag frozen raspberries

2 sweet apples, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ orange juiced

*Make the date paste by soaking dried dates in warm water and pureeing.

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2.     Mix dry granola ingredients (oats, seeds, nuts, cinnamon, and salt) and set aside.

3.     In a large bowl, toss diced apples and frozen raspberries with vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, orange juice and 2 Tablespoons date paste.

4.     In another large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons date paste, agave nectar, coconut oil, ½ teaspoon cinnamon; mix in dry ingredients.

5.     In a medium baking dish, add raspberry apple mixture. Top with granola mixture

6.     Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

An Angelcot Crumble

I think it’s safe to say that most people love the ocean. There’s a reason people flock to the beach on the weekends; it’s hard to beat the sound of ocean waves, the sunset (or sunrise) over the water, or even the healing power of ocean air.

Every time I see the ocean, it takes a lot of self-control not to jump in. But I jump in a lot. I’m happiest in the water.

Not only do I love the feeling of being in the water, I love how I feel for the rest of the day. You know that feeling you got as a kid after spending an entire day in the swimming pool with your friends? You’re tired, you’re hungry, you’re happy.

And those feelings call for comfort food.

Since it’s been over 100 degrees LA this week, most rich comfort foods don’t sound too appetizing. Enter the fruit crumble: summertime’s comfort food. This Angelcot Fruit Crumble is a comforting dish to share on your patio after the sun has set. Bring along a couple extra spoons or forks for sharing with those you love.

If you don’t have access to Angelcots – white-fleshed apricots grown exclusively in northern California – other stone fruit, such as apricots, peaches or nectarines will certainly do the trick!

Ingredients:

For Fruit Filling:

11-12 Angelcots

Juice of ½ Meyer Lemon

Pinch of salt

1/8 cup whole wheat flour

For the Crumble:

¼ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup whole rolled oats

1 stick organic unsalted butter, softened (not melted!)

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup slivered almonds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2.      Dice Angelcots into equal-sized pieces.

3.      In a medium bowl, combine Angelcots, lemon juice, salt, and whole wheat flour. Stir ingredients together. Set aside.

4.      In another medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla. (You may want to use your hands to mix the ingredients together.)

5.      Spread fruit filling into a small casserole dish and top with the crumble.

6.      Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and topping is golden brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy, preferably with those you love.

Disclaimer: We were not compensated by Frieda’s Specialty Produce for this post. But, they did provide us samples. And that made us very happy!