Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Apple Salad from Riley Adams

MLK pics 004It’s apple season! And my family couldn’t be happier. We love going to the store or the farmers’ market and seeing so many varieties of apples.

For a while I can get away with just putting an apple in my kids’ lunchboxes, but it doesn’t take long for them to want something a little different. The recipe below keeps well for days and is good in a lunchbox next to some blue ice or a frozen juice box.

RileyAdamsFoodBlogPostpic_thumb_thumb[3]I’m sharing a recipe for what the old Southern cookbooks call “apple salad,” which is very similar to Waldorf, but uses vanilla yogurt instead of mayonnaise.

This variety is super-easy, but you could play with it a variety of different ways. Many of the cookbooks I’ve got from the 1970s would add miniature marshmallows and vanilla pudding to it. You could use walnuts instead of pecans, use different types of apples, use dried cranberries instead of raisins, etc.

If you’ve got little ones eating this salad, I’d probably cut up the grapes and apples pretty well to keep the risk of choking down (says a mom who knows!)

MLK pics 002

Apple Salad

6 medium Granny Smith apples, diced
Small bunch of seedless grapes, halved
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 8-oz. carton of vanilla yogurt

Mix all the ingredients together, being sure to coat the fruit with the yogurt. Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge.

hickorysmokedhomicidehighresEnjoy apple season! And just a quick note—the third book in the Memphis Barbeque series releases November 1! Hope you’ll pick up a copy if you enjoy mysteries. :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Finger Lickin’ Dead (Riley Adams)
Hickory Smoked Homicide (preorder book 3!)

Progressive Dinner Deadly

9 comments:

  1. This sounds yummy. There's a huge apple festival about a 2 hour drive from us and it's wonderful to visit each year. I've gotten carried away making apple cobblers and drying apples for fried apple pies, I'll have to give this a try for a good change of pace. Looking forward to reading HICKORY SMOKED HOMICIDE.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress
    Freelance Editing By Mason

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  2. I have always seen recipes for slaws, salads and soups make with apples but never actually ever tasted or made them.

    This recipe is easy and I think I will try it :)

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  3. Mason--Ooh..an apple festival! And fried apple pies--yum! There's just so much we can do with apples. :)

    Shawn--This one is really easy. Especially if you have one of those little food chopper things. I used my Pampered Chef one for the apples and the nuts and it was done in a flash.

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  4. Perfect! Just what I needed. I have loads of fresh apples and this is a great way to use them. Love the yogurt instead of mayo.

    I'm making your Cheese Monkey this weekend! Yum!

    ~ Krista

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  5. A tasty fresh apple salad at this time of year is deliciously useful; and I'm counting down the days to your 3rd Memphis BBQ mystery! Woot! Love the title and the cover, and I can't wait to see how the plot unfolds in Hickory Smoked Homicide.

    ~ Cleo

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  6. This salad is new to me! I love vanilla yogurt and easy, healthy recipes.

    Thanks!

    MJ (also looking forward to Hickory Smoked Homicide)

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  7. Krista--It gives it a nice, sweet taste that really goes well with the tangy Granny Smiths, I think. Good luck with the cheese monkey! Ha!

    Cleo--Thanks! I'm starting to really get excited, too. :)

    Mary Jane--Me too! Hope you'll enjoy it. :)

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  8. Wow, Elizabeth, is this simple, easy. Kids (and everyone) will love this!

    ~Avery

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