It’s incredibly hard for me not to think of desserts over the holidays. I just can’t help myself. The smells of cinnamon and baked goodness in the house on a cold winter’s day just scream, “CHRISTMAS, LOVE, JOY and CELEBRATION.” There is a way, however, to indulge in all things sugar and spice without breaking the calorie bank. With a little ingredient swapping and a sprinkle of ingenuity, many of our favorite comfort foods can slim way down and find a place at our tables without much guilt. I was inspired this weekend by a show called, “Recipe Rehab” on ABC. Mareya Ibrahim, a friend, and R.I.P.P.E.D. enthusiast, is a regular on the show, and she is a recipe makeover genius. Her company, Eat Cleaner, makes products to ensure your food gets clean before you eat it. But it’s her spunky style and creative culinary skills that breathe life into this fun show that has two chefs battle for the best rehabbed recipe. This week was an apple pie showdown between well know Top Chef alum, Spike Mendelsohn and Mareya, our local celeb and big-time entrepreneur. My kids and I watched the episode together, and we were inspired to give her recipe a try. While I had no measurements to follow (I simply made mental notes as I watched), our pie came out delicious, which goes to show you how fool-proof the recipe must be. As a gift to YOU- our R.I.P.P.E.D. lovers, she has generously agreed to share her yummy recipe with us.
Apple Oatmeal Crumb Pie with Whipped Topping
Serves 8 – makes 1 pie
Ingredients
Crust:
1/3 cup rolled oats
8 lowfat graham crackers
1 large egg white
Nonstick cooking spray
Apple Pie Filling:
1 tablespoon nondairy butter spread, such as Earth Balance
6 cups thinly sliced peeled Golden Delicious apples
1/3 cup raisins
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crust ingredients together in a food processor and place in a Pam sprayed pie plate, reserving a few tablespoons to be used as a crumble on top. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add apples and brown sugar and stir for several minutes. Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir until the apples are cooked through and cornstarch has thickened the mixture slightly. Pour into pie plate, top with reserved crumble and bake for 25 minutes. Top with fat-free whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Pulse the crust ingredients together
