Braised Apples and Sweet Potato in Spiced Honey over Grainless Granola

Breakfast sets the course of food choices for the rest of the day. Set up success with a nutritious, healthy, hearty start. Make a batch of this satisfying stew so you have something to pull out of the refrigerator in the morning. You can put it on top of grainless granola, or you can simply heat, eat, and go. The braised apples and sweet potatoes also make a delicious side to pork.

Serves 4

Braised Apples and Sweet Potato in Spiced Honey

1 Tbsp (15 ml) each, extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut in ½-inch cubes, about 2 cups (480 ml)

1 medium yam, peeled and cut in ½-inch cubes, about 2 cups (480 ml)

1/3 cup (720 ml) honey

2 cinnamon sticks

½ tsp allspice

½ star anise

4 cups (960 ml) apple cider or apple juice

2 cups (480 ml) grain-free granola

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Sauté the apple and yam cubes about 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, add honey and let it slightly caramelize (turns copper color). Slowly stir in apple cider or juice, add spices, and reduce by one-third.
3. Lower heat to medium-low. Pour mixture over the apples and yams, and continue to cook until yams and apple cubes are tender but not falling apart. Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise before serving.

Grainless Granola

½ cup coconut oil

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp (5 ml) honey

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup raw sesame seeds

¼ cup almond slivers

½ cup shredded coconut

1. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Pour into large bowl. Add vanilla and honey, and stir. In a large frying pan on medium heat, roast pumpkin seeds until they pop, 2-3 minutes.
2. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel. In the same pan, roast sesame seeds, almond slivers, and coconut until slightly brown, 2-3 minutes. Add pumpkin seeds and nut mixture to liquids and mix.

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Braised apples and sweet potato in spiced honey over grainless granola is dessert that flirts with breakfast. Cubes of Granny Smith apple and yam braise in honey and apple cider with cinnamon, allspice, and star anise until tender but not collapsing. A crunchy pile of grainless granola — pumpkin seeds, sesame, almonds, and coconut roasted in vanilla honey — makes the whole thing sing.

Pro Tips

• Let the honey caramelize to a copper color before adding the cider. That first caramel stage is where the deep, toffee-like flavor comes from.
• Keep the apple and yam cubes intact — pull the pan off the heat while they are still tender-firm, because they carry on softening in the hot syrup.
• Fish out the cinnamon sticks and star anise before serving. Half a star anise is plenty; a whole one will perfume the syrup into potpourri.
• Roast each seed and nut type separately in the dry pan. The pumpkin seeds need two to three minutes alone, while the coconut burns in half that time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the granola ahead of time?

Yes. The grainless granola keeps for weeks in an airtight jar at room temperature, so make a full batch and use the leftovers for yogurt or snacking.

Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider?

Either works, since the liquid reduces by a third into a spiced syrup either way. Cider gives a slightly deeper, more autumnal flavor if you can get it.

Does this dish keep as leftovers?

The braised fruit and yam keep for three days refrigerated, but store the granola separately so it stays crunchy, and reheat the braise gently on the stove.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Braised Apples and Sweet Potato in Spiced Honey over Grainless Granola

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 Tbsp each, extra-virgin olive oil and unsalted butter
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut in ½-inch cubes, about 2 cups
• 1 medium yam, peeled and cut in ½-inch cubes, about 2 cups
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ star anise
• 4 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 2 cups grain-free granola
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp honey
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup raw sesame seeds
• ¼ cup almond slivers
• ½ cup shredded coconut

Method

 

1. In a large sauté pan, heat oil and butter over medium heat.
2. Sauté the apple and yam cubes about 5 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat, add honey and let it slightly caramelize (turns copper color). Slowly stir in apple cider or juice, add spices, and reduce by one-third.
4. Lower heat to medium-low.
5. Pour mixture over the apples and yams, and continue to cook until yams and apple cubes are tender but not falling apart.
6. Remove cinnamon sticks and star anise before serving.
7. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil.
8. Pour into large bowl.
9. Add vanilla and honey, and stir.
10. In a large frying pan on medium heat, roast pumpkin seeds until they pop, 2-3 minutes.
11. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towel.
12. In the same pan, roast sesame seeds, almond slivers, and coconut until slightly brown, 2-3 minutes.
13. Add pumpkin seeds and nut mixture to liquids and mix.

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