apples, apples everywhere (and we’re not just talking pie!)

With fall around the corner, it’s time to re-adjust our menus for the upcoming season. First up on my shopping list: apples.

› Photo and recipe by Robin Fannon

It’s apple season and time for them to shine. Versatile, low in calories and satisfying, they also pack a nutritional wallop. One baseball-sized apple can flood your body with antioxidants, flavonoids and dietary fiber.

According to the American Pie Council, 186 million apple pies are sold in American grocery stores each year. This does not include our homemade versions or what is consumed in restaurants. Clearly, apple pie is America’s favorite.

But apples can be delicious in salads, slaws, chutney, jellies, stu ngs and soup (yes, soup!), too, and are classically combined in pork and chicken entrées. So for this month’s recipe, we decided to dig deeper into the versatility of this wondrous fruit and explore a savory dish: Brie and apple-stu ed chicken breast with a quick pan sauce that is sure to please all the apple lovers in your family.

p om The Chef

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), conventional apples are a very heavily sprayed crop and have more pesticide residue on them than any other fruit or vegetable. But don’t panic—just go organic!

Apple & ie Stuffed Chicken east

Serves 2

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 small apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)

1⁄2 teaspoon each pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour (optional)

4 slices Brie cheese

1 cup apple cider

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 375°F. › Warm 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil in a pan, and sauté the apple slices until slightly soft. › Remove apples, and set aside to cool. › Wash and dry the chicken breast, and slice a pocket into each breast.

› Layer slices of Brie and apple slices into the pocket of the chicken breast. › Season rsvprobin.com chicken with salt and pepper, and dredge in all-purpose flour. › This step is optional, but it helps it to brown the breasts and thicken the pan sauce. › In the sauté pan, warm 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (or a combination of both) over medium heat. › Add chicken breasts, and brown them on both sides. › Transfer browned chicken breasts to an oven-proof baking dish, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. › In the same pan you browned the chicken in, make a quick pan sauce. › Pour the cider and broth into the sauté pan, and boil over medium-high heat (scraping up the brown bits in the pan from the chicken) until reduced to about 1 cup. › Whisk in a pat of butter to finish the sauce. › Serve with whipped sweet potatoes and a green vegetable.