Sauced Apples and Granola for Breakfast

It had been three weeks since the last grocery stop and I was running out of some favorite foodstuffs, important things like milk, good bread and fresh produce. Now I wish I had run up to the makeshift Band store when we were in Bella Bella. The morning breakfast choices were limited to sourdough pancakes or waffles… again. I would have settled for an egg dish, any eggy creation, but that’s never a popular choice with the Capt. so forget eggs. Apples to the rescue! Some Granny Smith apples remained in good condition, unrefrigerated but outlasting any other fruit purchased so long ago in Campbell River.

A dish of microwaved apple slices with a lemony syrup sauce and granola for crunch was a welcome breakfast treat guaranteed to keep hunger at bay while we waited for the sourdough bread to finish its second rise and bake off in time for lunch. This impromptu creation was good enough to repeat again and again.

The galley pantry always holds packaged powdered milk, shelf-stable cartons of milk (Tetra-paks), dried fruit, canned fruit, etc. for emergencies, but fresh is always better. We’re due for a grocery run soon, hoping for fresh dairy and produce… and more apples, of course.

Hot Sliced Apples with Maple Syrup, Lemon and Granola

 Serves 2

2 extra large Granny Smith apples, cored,and sliced, peeled or not

¼ cup (2 oz) Maple Syrup

sprinkle or two of cinnamon (optional)

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon (approx. 2 Tablespoons)

Generous ½ cup Granola

1. Cut the apple slices in half (bite size is good) and arrange in circles in a large glass pie plate.
2. Combine the syrup, cinnamon, lemon zest and lemon juice and drizzle evenly over the top of the apples.
3. Scatter the Granola over the top.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Test for tenderness with the tip of a knife or a fork, the apples should be soft but not mushy. Add additional time as needed.
5. Serve immediately, or cool and enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Add a dollop of honey Greek yogurt and this breakfast dish will taste like a dessert, in case you really want dessert instead of breakfast.