I call this my Omega-Boosted, Fall Holiday Fruit Salad because it is perfect on fall mornings when special guests are visiting. Or just any day, really. It is fast, easy and kinda cozy. The spice-and-citrus aroma that fills the kitchen when making this bowl is dreamy..
Fresh, bright oranges, sliced into tender thick morsels. Sweet, crisp, green and honeycrisp fall apples as fresh as can be. Fresh lemon juice. Warm, soothing cinnamon. A few peeks of sweet raisins. Crunchy, buttery, raw walnuts. And a slow sweet accent of grade B maple syrup. All these ingredients are delicious on their own, but mix them together and a blissful NEW flavor is born. And the uses for this salad are vast...
You can eat it as is or use it as a hot cereal topper for Apple Citrus Cinnamon Oats. Paired with warm oats, farro porridge, quinoa cereal or rice pudding would be lovely. You could also serve it with some almond butter toast or alongside a fall breakfast sandwich of truffled tofu scramble. And trust me, make this stuff and you will be nibbling all the way through because it smells so irresistible!
Oh! And there is a great big boost of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in there too! Even better. Enjoy..
Raise your hand if you find yourself eating more healthy fats lately?
*raises hand*
If you are too, good for you! And if you simply haven't thought about it or are still 'afraid of fat' you may want to read this post where I discuss omega-3 fatty acids a bit. Then read about my fat-phobia story.
THEN. Make this salad. Or just skip to the salad 🙂 It is so refreshing and delicious!
This vibrant fruit salad is filled with a few simple flavors like organic orange, organic honeycrisp apple, organic Granny Smith apple, cinnamon, organic California walnuts, maple syrup, organic lemon juice and a splash of organic cold-pressed flax oil.
Do you see a small organic trend here? These ingredients were mostly bought at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. On Saturdays they do an organic market with all organic or pesticide-free (some vendors are not USDA certified) produce and goods. Quite a lovely way to start your weekend.
A few of the honeycrisp apples I picked up were marked 'ugly' because they had some spots and blemishes on their surface. But slice inside and they were pure heaven. Yes, there is one thing I have learned about food.. (And people too..)
"Sometimes the best apples are the ones with the spots."
Fall Holiday Fruit Salad: Apple Citrus Cinnamon
makes 4 cups
1 large honeycrisp apple, organic
1 large Granny Smith apple, organic
2 medium oranges, organic + ¼ teaspoon orange zest (zest is optional)
2 large lemons, juiced
¾ teaspoon cinnamon (add more if you'd like)
2 tablespoon grade B maple syrup (or to taste)
½ - ¾ cup raw walnuts, organic
3 tablespoon raisins (black or gold or mixed)
2-3 teaspoon cold pressed flax oil, organic / unfiltered
optional additions:
* a dash or cayenne for a spicy accent
* a chopped avocado for even more healthy fats
* some more chopped seasonal fruit like persimmon, pomegranate, pear, grapefruit.
* A few drops of real vanilla extract
* a few chia or flax seeds
TIP! To quickly soften hard, chewy raisins, run them under hot water for a few seconds.
Directions:
1. Dice your apples, add to a large mixing bowl. Add in the lemon juice.
2. Peel and slice up your orange. Add orange and a bit of grated orange zest (optional) to the bowl.
3. Add in the raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup and walnuts. Toss everything very well.
4. Add in the flax oil one teaspoon at a time - tossing AND tasting after each addition. You do not want to overwhelm the fruit with flax, so taste as your go. I like a nice amount of oil, but you may be more sensitive to the flavor.
5. Chill and serve. Tip: for quicker serving, make sure your fruit is chilled before making salad. Then you can serve right away.
