This year, New York Apple Association is celebrating 25 years of championing New York State apples and apple growers. To mark the occasion, the association is sharing 25 of the best apple recipes around—showcasing all the delicious ways to enjoy the bounty of New York’s orchards.
The celebration kicked off with five mouthwatering apple breakfast recipes worth getting out of bed for. Now let’s fast forward to lunch, when your stomach is growling for some sustenance. Make New York apples part of your midday meal and you’ll stay full and satisfied all afternoon!
Swap chicken for chickpeas and mayonnaise for yogurt in this healthy, vegetarian-friendly take on a classic. New York apples, celery and walnuts lend a hearty crunch, while red onion, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar give this salad a flavorful depth. Serve over fresh spinach leaves for a one-two punch of vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients:
· ½ cup plain full-fat yogurt
· 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
· 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
· 1 tsp. honey
· ½ tsp. fine sea salt
· ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
· ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
· 1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
· 2 ribs celery, fine chopped
· 1 medium NY apple, chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
· 1 cup red grapes
· ½ cup red onion
· ¼ cup chopped parsley
· ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
· 4 cups fresh spinach
Directions:
1. Prepare the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until well-combined.
2. Combine chickpeas, celery, NY apple, grapes, onion, parsley and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and toss until evenly coated.
3. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving, or up to five days.
4. Serve over fresh spinach.
Recipe courtesy of The Kitchn
Grain-based salads are a great way to shake up lunchtime—plus they keep well in the refrigerator, making them a great make-ahead meal option. This recipe makes six servings, so you can whip up a batch on Sunday and enjoy it during the week. (Be sure to refrigerate without the pine nuts, however, or they will lose their crunch. Add them right before serving.)
Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup pine nuts
· ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
· 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
· 1 small shallot, minced
· 4 cups pearled barley, cooked
· 1 large NY apple
· ½ cup pomegranate seeds
· ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about five minutes. Let cool.
2. In a bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Add the barley, pine nuts, NY apple, pomegranate seeds and parsley; toss before serving.
Recipe courtesy of Food and Wine
This simple yet elegant sandwich is sure to make your lunches feel positively Parisian. Zippy Dijon mustard, creamy Brie and crunchy New York apple slices are all that’s needed to elevate your sandwich from ordinary to extraordinary.
Ingredients:
· 1 ciabatta roll, halved
· 2 tsp. hot pepper jelly
· 2 ½ ounces sliced roasted turkey
· 3 slices NY apple
· 1 oz. Brie cheese, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
· ½ ounce baby arugula
· 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place ciabatta halves on a small baking sheet. Spread bottom half with hot pepper jelly.
3. Place turkey, apple and Brie on top of jelly.
4. Bake in preheated oven until Brie melts and top half of roll is light golden brown, about 3 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and place arugula on top of Brie.
6. Brush top half of roll with mustard and place on top of arugula to make a sandwich.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
The classic combo of ham and cheese gets a makeover with these easy quesadillas. This recipe is a great way to use holiday leftovers, but you can also use sliced deli ham for an everyday treat.
Ingredients:
· Eight 6-inch whole-wheat tortillas
· Cooking spray or olive oil, for oiling tortillas
· 1 tbsp. spicy brown or Dijon mustard
· 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
· 4 ounces very thinly sliced Black Forest or Virginia ham
· ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
· Freshly ground black pepper
· 1½ tbsps. apple butter, plus more for topping
· 2 small NY apples, cut into thin sticks
· Lemon juice and ground cinnamon for tossing
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
2. Spray 4 of the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush with olive oil). Lay tortillas on a large cutting board oiled-side down. Brush with the mustard and sprinkle with about half of the cheese. Top each evenly with a thin layer of ham, onions and some pepper, then finish with remaining cheese.
3. Brush the apple butter evenly on the remaining tortillas. Place one apple-butter tortilla on top of a ham-and-cheese tortilla (filling sides in) and firmly press the tortillas together to make a quesadilla.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lay a quesadilla oiled-side down in the pan and cook until golden brown and the cheese starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Spray the top of the quesadilla with cooking spray, turn and cook until the other side browns and the cheese is melted, 2-3 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
5. Cut the quesadillas into four wedges and arrange on plates. Toss the apples with lemon and juice and cinnamon to taste. Serve quesadillas with the apple slices.
Recipe courtesy of Food Network
Turn your usual tuna salad into a lunch you’ll look forward to all morning long with the addition of crunchy apple chunks. Swapping sandwich bread for pita pockets ensures not a single morsel escapes!
Ingredients:
· 1 small NY apple
· 1 small celery rib, sliced
· 1 tsp. lemon juice
· 1 small onion, chopped
· 1 7-oz. can tuna
· 1 tbsp. fresh dill weed (or 1 tsp. dried dill weed)
· ½ cup mayonnaise
· 4 small pita pockets
· 4 large lettuce leaves
Directions:
1. Core and chop the NY apple into a medium-size bowl.
2. Add celery and sprinkle with lemon juice. Add onion.
3. Drain tuna and add to bowl with dill and mayonnaise. Mix well.
4. Cut the top off each pita pocket and place a lettuce leaf in each.
5. Stuff the pita pocket with tuna mixture and serve.
Recipe courtesy of NYAA