• 30 ml desiccated coconut
• 30 ml oats
• 60 ml chopped raw almonds
• 30 ml chopped dates
• 15 ml butter
• 5 ml ground cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• 400-600 g small apples with the skin, cored
• 180 ml rooibos tea
• 175 ml plain low-fat yoghurt

Serving size: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ˚C. Mix all the ingredients, except the apples, tea and yoghurt, until well combined.
2. Place apples in an oven dish and fill with the coconut mixture and pour tea over. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon over liquid.
3. Bake for another 10-20 minutes, uncovered, until just soft, but not burst open. The apples shouldn’t fall apart.
4. Serve with 2 tbsp (30 ml) plain low-fat yoghurt per person.

Tip:

1. The same recipe can be used to roast different fruit like pears, pineapple, naartjies or peaches, berries and plums in summer. Use one or a combination of seasonal fruit, cut into wedges, slices or quarters and sprinkle with the coconut mixture. Roast uncovered or until the fruit is cooked, but not mushy.
2. Flavoured Rooibos tea will work well. Whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice or cardamom are all delicious added to the fruit.
3. Low-sugar homemade custard: Prepare custard with 2 cups (500 ml) low-fat milk, 3 tbsp (45 ml) custard powder and 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar by following the cooking instructions on the packaging. Season with vanilla essence and lemon rind to taste. This serves 6 people with ⅓ cup (80 ml) custard per person.

Recipe by Pharma Dynamics
Cooking from the heart