Healthy Snack: Harvest Fruit and Vegetable Strips

My food posts have been in remission since I’ve been traveling. Which means I haven’t been cooking as much as I normally do.  It’s hard when you move around from place to place and while it’s great to eat out I do prefer to make most of my meals at home.  I just started cooking again and trying to incorporate some wholesome meals.  But what about snacks and something sweet?  I love chips, chocolate, gummies, ice cream, popcorn……etc.  Yeah, it’s pretty bad.

Speaking of sweets I’m laughing to myself right now because I just received a text from a friend who read my Palm Springs post and asked “did you really buy a pied-à-terre or was it a Pomme de Terre?” Funny.

Thought I’d re-start my food post with something simple, tasty and with fewer ingredients that are cleaner than most store-bought varieties.  This version taken from Vista Magazine includes vegetables, which don’t really affect the taste but add an extra punch of nutrition.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized apples, peeled and roughly chopped (galas are perfect for their sweetness)

1 small beet, peeled and sliced

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup chopped kale leaves

2 Tbsp. honey

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 200F and line a 12”x18” rimmed baking tray with a Silpat (silicone) baking sheet or parchment paper.
• Put the apples, blueberries, beet, and 2 tablespoons water in a medium sized lidded pot and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, until the apples and beet have softened. Stir occasionally to make sure the fruit doesn’t start to burn on the bottom of the pan.
• Place the cooked fruit and veggies in a blender with the kale and honey and blend until smooth.
• Pour mixture onto your prepared tray and spread evenly. Giving the whole tray a gentle jiggle can help.  (It will look quite thick at this stage but thickness will decrease once it’s dried.)
• Bake in the oven for 5-6 hours, until dry to the touch.
• Allow to cool on the tray, then cut into 2 inch wide strips.
• Roll up the strips and keep in a sealed container at room temperature. They will keep for at least one month.  Makes 6.

Hope you like it.  Your feedback is always appreciated.