Tag Archives: apple season

Sponsored Post: Barley Risotto with Pazazz Apples, Sage, and Leek Butter Sauce

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Caramelized Pazazz apple slices top this hearty, warming barley risotto with a velvety leek butter sauce.
Caramelized Pazazz apple slices top this hearty, warming barley risotto with a velvety leek butter sauce.

Celebrate autumn with a sublime dish that celebrates apple season to the max.

It’s a little sweet, a little savory.

It’s hearty and wholesome, loaded with fiber-rich barley and juicy, fresh Pazazz apples.

But also a bit naughty with a creamy, unctuous leek butter sauce made with a splash of hard apple cider that ties everything together beautifully.

What’s not to love?

“Barley Risotto with Pazazz Apples, Sage, and Leek Butter Sauce” is versatile enough to serve as a meatless first course or entree. Or alongside sausages, ham, roast duck, grilled chicken or Thanksgiving turkey or even leftover turkey the day after.

Crunchy, juicy Pazazz apples.
Crunchy, juicy Pazazz apples.

Good thing it’s prime season now through June for Pazazz apples, a late-season variety that’s related to the Honeycrisp. Grown by a small group of family farmers across North America, these shiny red-skinned apples with yellow-green striations are perfect for snacking out of hand or to feature in all manner of sweet or savory recipes.

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Sponsored Post: Happiness Is Cider Braised Pazazz Apples With Coconut “Bacon,” and Garlic

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Pazazz apples go savory in this delightful wintry side dish.
Pazazz apples go savory in this delightful wintry side dish.

When I say, “apple,” you say…”pie”?

Chances are you automatically do.

Any way you slice it, there’s nothing wrong with sweet apple pie, especially fresh-baked and still warm. But let’s not forget that apples are also sensational starring in savory fare.

Case in point: “Cider Braised Apples with Coconut ‘Bacon,’ and Garlic,” a fabulous accompaniment to roast chicken, Cornish game hens, turkey, pork loin, sausages, duck or even grilled firm tofu planks.

February is the perfect time to tuck into it, too, since it’s National Cancer Prevention Month. I’m proud to partner with the American Institute for Cancer Research and Pazazz Apples to help spread the word about how apples are high in fiber and antioxidants that can help reduce the risks of some cancers. To learn more about how nutritious apples are and to assess how your own lifestyle choices affect your risk of cancer, go to the informative health check here.

What’s more, those antioxidants also fuel neurotransmitters in the brain that trigger the release of dopamine that boosts mood. That makes apples a veritable “happy” fruit.

Yours truly shopping for Pazazz apples at Safeway.
Yours truly shopping for Pazazz apples at Safeway.

And who wouldn’t want more bliss in their lives, right? All it takes is heading to Albertsons, Safeway, or Vons like I did to pick up some Pazazz apples (about $2.99 per pound), now at peak flavor through June.

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