Cooking With Canned Pineapple, "Apple-Pineapple Compote," Corona Lock-down Recipe #2

This is the second in the series of recipes I've been making with the goodies we've received in "care cartons" for senior citizens here in Shiloh during the Corona Lock-down. See, sample and share:

Cooking With Canned Beans, Corona Lock-down Recipe #1



Corona Lock-down Recipe #2:

The box of goodies/staples sic, we received as senior citizens included a few cans of lightly sweetened pineapple. I decided that with the addition of a few apples and a teaspoon of cinnamon, we'd have Apple-Pineapple Compote.

Yes, that's the recipe plus a bit more water than was in the can. I cooked it all up until the apples were soft, and we ate it for dessert on Shabbat.  There's still some leftover. My husband, who's not much of a fruit eater even liked the compote.

The Apple-Pineapple Compote was very easy to make. The most difficult part of the preparation was opening the can. Thank Gd I have an old simple can-opener.

Corona Lock-down Recipe
Apple-Pineapple Compote

Simply Marvelous Apple Compote

Friday afternoon, I decided to make apple compote. I had hoped that it would distract me from eating cake on Shabbat for dessert.

First I cut up a bunch of apples, keeping the peels on, and put them in a pot. Then I added cinnamon bark, though the ground cinnamon would have been fine, too. For a bit more flavor and sweetness I added very little dark brown sugar.

While it was cooking, I got inspired and decided to add some pitted prunes.

Our guest and I absolutely loved it. My husband was happy with the cake and isn't a fruit lover.

The prunes added so much to the richness of the flavor, and to be honest, if you're adding prunes, leave out the sugar. BTW prunes have more flavor than raisins.

Now that I have four burners, bli eyin haraa, I ought to remember to make compote more often.

Ingredients
apples
prunes
cinnamon
dark brown sugar (optional)
water

Directions
slice apples, cutting out core
add cinnamon, prunes and optional sugar
other fruit, fresh and dried, can be included
water, almost to cover
cover pot
bring to boil then simmer until colors change
turn off flame
leave covered until it cools down

Eat warm or cold from fridge.

The Case of the Missing Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls

One nice dessert I can make sans working oven is Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls.

Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls

They are amazingly easy to make and relatively healthy, non-lactose/dairy and totally vegan. All you need is date spread and desiccated coconut. Mix ingredients until you can form into balls, and then freeze. That's it. You can add cinnamon, cocoa powder and other things if you want. I've added sesame paste to make it a "full meal." Since the date spread may be of varying consistency, and you may be adding other things to it, I can't give exact measurements/quantities. 

I made them to serve on Rosh Hashana, at meals with guests.

We had an enjoyable meal, and then it was time for dessert. I took out the cake. No problem. But then I went to the freezer to get the Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls. I couldn't find them. I remembered very distinctly taking out a bag and packing them away into the freezer. I pulled out everything, once and then again. No bag of Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls. Luckily the guests were good friends who had been over many times before. Finally I gave up.

We finished the meal with the chocolate chip cake which I had made with my granddaughter and something else I had in the freezer.

After they left, I reviewed in my mind everything I could possibly have done with the fruit balls. I had used baking paper as the work surface and then got out a clean plastic bag, and... Eureka! I had folded up the paper and bagged them all wrapped. I couldln't find them, because I was looking for a bag with dark balls, not a bagged white paper package.

It was right there on the freezer shelf in front of me all the time. ↓⇓

If I hadn't been so hysterically stressed, I would have easily seen them. ➡➜

This wasn't a disaster. If I had misplaced the main course, that would have been more of a problem.

The following day I saw my neighbor and told her that I found them. OK, next time, Gd willing, I'll serve the Fruit (Date-Coconut) Balls. Actually there are enough for quite a few meals.

Sweet Sugarless Dessert

This is the dessert, all the ingredients, just what you see here. Since we weren't too many for dinner I used:

• 4 small apples
• 1/2 medium orange

slices of apple, slices of orange and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon 

I didn't even add any water. I just covered the Corningware pan, which can be baked or on the stove top, and put it in the oven. I knew that the juices from the fruit would provide concentrated sweet liquid. If I had been making on the stove top, I'd need to add a bit of water, barely enough to cover.

When it began smelling "good," I took it out of the oven, put it on a heat-safe surface and covered it to finish the cooking process without burning.

It was absolutely delicious, as sweet as can be.

Healthy Dessert and Pot-Luck Contribution

One does not need to get all fancy, high calorie when making desserts. This is a photo of what I brought last Saturday night to Pre-Rosh Chodesh celebration at a neighbor's. I make the same sort of fruit plate when I need to contribute to a Kiddush in shul or even when I have guests for a meal. I simply take fruits in season, cut and add toothpicks for easy serving and eating.

This flower-like arrangement has a red grapefruit, an apple and a banana. That's it. You can add more fruit, sprinkle with raisins or other dried fruit, add nuts etc. This sort of fruit plate is relatively hygienic for serving large groups, because almost all of the pieces have their own toothpick, so people don't handle the food.

And obviously, it's not laden with sugars and fats. So it's good for a group trying to stay healthy. And of course it can be made at the very last minute.  I hope this helps you with ideas.

Delicious and Inspiring Melava Malka

The past few months, a neighbor has been organizing a once a month motzei Shabbat, that's after Shabbat on Saturday night get-together. It floats from house to house. Our neighbor Rabbi Dov Berkovits has volunteered to give a shiur, class each month, which is great. He is always interesting and inspiring. And it's basically a "pot luck" menu. Everyone brings something, some healthier and some tastier than others. I must admit that the plate of simple sliced fruit was my contribution. I'm just not very good when it comes to dessert, besides loving to eat...

Those little chocolate things with the cream in the middle were even better than expected, since the chocolate was flavored with mint, and you know about me and mint... I must gt the recipe from my neighbor. And when I do, bli neder, I'll post it.

Simple Winter Compote

The other night I came home from work hankering for a cooked fruit dish, so I quickly cut up an apple and an orange, placed it in a small pot with some water, not much, and cooked it up.

The orange spiced up the apple. And it ended up being absolutely delicious.

The fruits had enough natural sugar, too. They cooked up quickly and hit the spot. I highly recommend this simple, easy to make dessert or just "comfort food."

Great Serving Idea!

A few weeks ago, I visited a friend who was hosting a small gathering in her house. As usual her home was arranged beautifully with lots of tempting food. But what grabbed my eye was this very unique way of presenting apples.

There really wasn't enough room on the table by the time all the food was served for a "proper" fruit bow.  Putting the apples in the large heavy glass vase was totally brilliant!!

Very Healthy Fruit Candies

I've been making a version of these fruit candies for a while and have even blogged about it. But my new version is much healthier than the old one. Now, instead of using the ready-made date spread which has lots of added sugar, I found a block of pitted dates.

Yes, that does mean that I had to "mush it," make it spreadable or pliable. When I was the cook in the local infant daycare center, I was taught to add some boiling water and mix with two forks. We were also told to add some cinnamon.

So that's what I did. Then I added coconut. You can add small seeds or nut flour or unflavored sesame paste. You can also add unsweetened cocoa.

Then I formed balls and put them in a plastic bag with more coconut for coating and gave it a shake.

They keep well in the freezer.

Delicious Watery Watermelon!

We may not have true summer weather yet, but we do have watermelon. I've already bought two this year. One was for a party, and the other was for dessert on Shabbat, since we had invited friends over. Of course there is plenty left over, so I eat it, lots of it.

Schlepping home a watermelon isn't easy when you don't have a car, but I have managed to find them rides.

Many health experts say that watermelon is healthy and good even for dieters. That's good enough for me.

What's your favorite summer fruit?

Unbelievably Easy and Pretty Healthy Candy-like Dessert

I wanted something to serve for dessert on Shabbat since we were having guests. Considering that the guests, my husband and I all try to avoid cakes, I wanted to serve something else. I didn't have melon or watermelon; they seem to be going out of season. Rami Levy didn't have any.

So when I went down to get a package from the mail on Thursday night I went into our local store and bought a large (they didn't have small) bag of coconut and date spread. I decided to make fruit candies. There were only three ingredients:

• date spread
• shredded coconut 
• sunflower seeds, which I had just bought to use in a salad, but didn't 

Sorry, but I can't give exact measurements. I poured a lot of the coconut into a bowl, added the sunflower seeds and date spread and then mixed. You may have to add either more coconut or more date spread until it gets to a consistency like "play dough," easy to shape. 

Then I placed it on some "baking paper."

Then with the help of the paper, very easily rolled it in to a "log."

Then I sliced it, wrapped it again in the paper, put it in a bag and then into the freezer.

On Shabbat I served it to my husband and guests. For some strange reason, they all insisted that it was necessary to sample a few pieces before giving their opinions. And... they all loved it! Yes, even my husband ate more than one piece and he usually doesn't go for fruit.

For variations, you can roll into balls and then roll that in more coconut, ground nuts or even sprinkles... Also, instead of sunflower seeds, you can use any ground nuts.

Enjoy!