Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce – a soothing food for a new bariatric post op!

First Fall Applesauce... make your own!

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce is an ideal texture for even early post-ops, smells like heaven and is super easy to make for even a self proclaimed non-cook. Make a big batch; your family will eat it up. It is sort of a lost art... my grandma and mother both used to make applesauce in the Fall. I bought a 3 pound bag of apples at Trader Joe's the other day and used a little more than half of it to make a big bowl of warm cinnamon apple bliss.

Eat your delicious applesauce plain in a dish, with Fage Greek yogurt, cottage or ricotta cheese, or use to sauce thinly sliced roasted turkey tenderloin or chicken thighs. I serve it with an old fashioned Sunday dinner pork roast or pork chops. Come on... pork chops and applesauce!

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds crisp fall apples - use a blend of apples as they cook down with different textures; McIntosh, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Any zero calorie sweetener to taste... or unsweetened is wonderful too!

Instructions

• Cut each apple into quarters and place into large covered pot with 1/4 cup water.
• Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook apples until very soft and maskable, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from heat and mash apples into a chunky sauce using a potato masher or a wooden spoon.
• If you are a very early post-op, use a food mill or wire mesh sieve to turn apples into a smooth puree. Serve warm or chilled.
• NOTE: If you do not have a food mill or wire sieve, peel and core your apples before cooking.