CONTRIBUTED BY ACES
BY DUSTIN DUNCAN
AUBURN —
This recipe is perfect for the fall season. Live Well Alabama’s Baked Apples and Squash is a sweet side dish to add to any meal without skipping vegetables. An added bonus: One serving of this recipe provides nearly 40% of the daily vitamin A recommendations.
“Adding apples to a meal is a great way to sweeten a dish and boost fiber without going overboard on added sugar,” said Alabama Cooperative Extension System Specialist and registered dietian Sofia Sanchez.
BAKED APPLES AND SQUASH
INGREDIENTS
2 cups yellow squash, diced
2 cups apple, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
PRO TIPS
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds before dicing. After 15 minutes of baking, sprinkle a tiny amount of orange juice and brown sugar and toss. Then resume baking.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix evenly.
Spread mixture onto metal baking pan.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until squash is soft.
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Live Well Alabama has a secret, and we’re not sure how much longer we can keep it. Live Well Alabama’s Secret Ingredient Fudge Brownies recipe is lower in sugar and higher in fiber than traditional boxed brownies. Okay, we can’t hold it any longer — the secret ingredient is black beans.
“Black beans are a great ingredient to hide in comfort meals to make them secretly healthy. One ½ cup of cooked black beans provides 8 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. It’s also a low-fat food, which makes it ideal for incorporating in other desserts,” Sanchez said.
SECRET INGREDIENT FUDGE BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
One can black beans, 15 ounces, drained and rinsed
Three eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons honey
PRO TIPS
Mix in or top with your favorite dried fruit or nuts. Get creative.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8×8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Use a fork or hand mixer to mash black beans into a smooth paste.
Combine black bean paste with all other ingredients. Pour into baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes or until top is dry and edges start to pull away from sides of the pan.
Want to learn more? Step-by-step instructions for the Baked Apples and Squash and Secret Ingredient Fudge Brownies recipes and an instructional videos are available at LiveWellAlabama.com.
ABOUT LIVE WELL ALABAMA
Live Well Alabama is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) initiative developed by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University. This initiative reaches residents across the state with research-based education.
“Cooking at home on a regular basis is a key ingredient to overall health, and it doesn’t have to be difficult or break the bank,” said Katie Funderburk, Alabama Extension’s SNAP-Ed coordinator.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Live Well Alabama provides numerous recipes that are simple and budget-friendly.
For more information about Live Well Alabama and to find more Live Well Alabama recipes, visit www.LiveWellAlabama.com. Also, check out more Live Well Alabama tips and recipes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.