Fall is just around the corner here in mid-Michigan. Already, I can see some trees turning russet brown and orange. I love this time of year, when the woods behind our house turns into a rainbow of colors and the air is crisp and cool for my fitness walks. The apples in our mini-orchard are just about ready for the picking. And I can’t wait to make homemade applesauce.
I use apples a lot in my New Start kitchen. It’s one of my fruits of choice because of their high fiber content. I chop them up and add them to my oatmeal or munch on them for my light supper in the evening. But there’s so many other ways to enjoy this wonderful fruit–so good for preventing diabetes and reducing inflammation! Apple-Broccoli Salad is one of my favorite dishes. I just can’t get enough of this salad.
We served it this month at our “Eat-2-Beat Diabetes” cooking class and it was enjoyed by all our club members. It is so easy to make and has a wonderful creamy dressing that you can use in many salads. But it really shines in this one.
Apple-Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups of broccoli cut into bite size pieces
- 3 apples of your choice washed and diced (I used Gala apples)
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 cup of Sour Cream dressing see below
Instructions
- To prepare the salad, wash the broccoli under running water. Cut the florets from the stalks and set these aside. Cut the florets into bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Cut the hard, outer skin off the broccoli stems. Discard the peelings. Cut the tender insides into match-size sticks. Some food processors also have an attachment that will cut them into long pieces. Add these match-sticks to the salad bowl with the florets. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir together.
- To make the dressing, start by making our sour cream--Add 12-14 ounces of soft or firm tofu to a blender along with 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vegetable broth, 1 tsp salt or salt substitute, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, For a more golden color, you can add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Blend all these in the blender until smooth and creamy. I like to use soft tofu as it makes the smoothest sour cream. You can adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. Scoop the sour cream out of the blender. If desired, you can add a tablespoon of snipped chives or green onion. Then chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- When I use the sour cream for the dressing for Apple-Broccoli Salad, I mix 1 cup of the sour cream with 2 more tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of cane sugar. I just mix them all together in a bowl, then pour the dressing over the salad and stir it all together.
- CHEF'S NOTE: If you have leftovers the 2nd day of the salad, you will need to stir it up as some of the dressing will be absorbed by the fruit and veggies. Add a little water to the salad and mix, if needed. And your salad will be smooth and creamy once again.
