Savory Baked Stuffed Apples

A family friend forwarded a Vegetarian Times recipe for apples stuffed with wild rice and quinoa. With three half pecks of various apples on the porch, and plenty of rice and quinoa hanging out in the pantry (blacks, reds, whites...), I figured I'd give it a run-through....

The original recipe from VT can be found here.  Below are a few recommended changes to their recipe.  Compare as you will!

VT called for chopped fresh shiitake.  I keep dried mushrooms in my pantry (more economical, and way more flavor and convenience), often buying them in 1/4lb quantities from Oyster Creek Mushroom Co. in Damarascotta, ME.  For this recipe I used both shiitake and wood ear.

First things first:  Before doing anything else, I soaked a good handful of my dried shroomz in 2c of hot water to provide the mushroom "broth" that VT calls for.

I used 6 medium apples, not 4, and had the perfect amount of filling.

Replace the the cream cheese--especially if using that dreaded low-fat waxy stuff.  Cream cheese provides creaminess and acts as a binder, but we found it bland and, well, pasty in this recipe.  Next time I will use shredded cheddar in its place.  I mean, think about it, who doesn't love apple slices paired with cheddar cheese?  Note: VT does include cheddar as an optional garnish, which would've certainly jazzed this recipe up a bit, but it could easily be used in lieu of the cream cheese.  For an alternate garnish, use chopped, toasted nuts (pine nuts would be awesome) instead!

VT's recipe calls for adding 1c of water into the baking dish before baking.  A. Put your baking dish filled with the stuffed apples into the oven before adding the water, and B. Use a 1/2c of water, NOT 1 cup.  Delicious apples, while perfect for baking, still release liquid when baked.  With a cup of water added to the baking dish, my apples were swimming in liquid.  Another tip: you could easily substitute apple juice or cider for the water, providing yet another flavor layer to this dish.

Wait, is that ground hamburger...?

SALT!  VT either forgot about seasoning when writing up this recipe, or they are on the salt-free bandwagon.  Wild rice and quinoa are fine without salt--if having for breakfast with fruit and yogurt!  But in a dish like this, you need to include salt.  I seasoned the mushroom-rice concoction before stirring in the cream cheese and cranberries.  (While cheddar will add depth and some saltiness, it won't provide enough, so still plan on using a bit of salt if you sub out the cream cheese for a sharper variety).

ACID!  VT's lack of acidity resulted in a dull dish.  Brighten yours up with a squeeze of lemon, either directly into the filling, or, preferably, over the apples once they've been cored.

Serve alone as a vegetarian entree, or alongside a protein.  Local, organically raised, heritage breed pork chops happened to be my choice tonight.  Or, eat in huge forkfuls as a midnight snack.  They're actually pretty good at room temperature!  :~)

Local red and golden Delicious apples stuffed with Lundberg's Black Japonica rice, Eden's red quinoa, mushrooms, red onion and fresh sage.  And, yes, alongside a pan-seared bbq-glazed pork chop.

Picture of red quinoa from Wikipedia Commons.  For an excellent article on the 'what' and 'how' of quinoa, click here.