Cinnamon Apple Rings with Sweetened Ricotta

If you follow A Kitchen Takes Root on Facebook, you know that I got some Red Ape Cinnamon last week. I've had a cinnamon apple jones ever since!

Make these for brunch, breakfast or dessert. This time I served them as a light breakfast with an organic honey tangerine on the side. The ricotta topping and the yogurt "batter" add some protein to the meal. This time, I used graham cracker crumbs instead of nut flour, but they're great either way.

These are great baked (350 for about 7 minutes) -- but, unless you're cooking a lot of them, it's a waste of energy to heat the oven for so few minutes of cooking time. My solution is to use a skillet with a little oil, (as if you're making pancakes) cover it, and let the apples cook on a medium-low heat until they're tender-crisp.  You'll be surprised at how much these taste like an apple fritter! 

Yield: Serves 2
Level: Easy
Time: 20 minutes 



Ingredients:
1 large apple (any kind)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (or nut flour)
2 tsp oil

Sweetened Ricotta Topping:
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix the ricotta topping. In a small mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.  If necessary, add up to a tsp of milk to make sure you thoroughly blend all ingredients. This topping should be firm enough to scoop so use as little milk as possible.  Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

In another bowl, mix the yogurt, milk and cinnamon.
Put the graham cracker crumbs (or nut flour) in another bowl.
Wash and peel the apples. Slice into 1/4 thick slices. Remove the core and seeds. I used the small end of a melon baller.
Heat half the oil on a medium heat. You wont need much if you're using a non-stick pan. Just enough so the apple wont stick.
Dredge the apples in the yogurt mixture, then dip into the crumbs.  When the oil is hot, put the apples in the pan and cover it for approximately 2 minutes. When they are golden brown, turn them and cover the pan again. You may want to turn the heat down to medium low. When the apples are tender-crisp, (about 2 more minutes) remove from the heat and continue to cook the remaining apples.
Put the apple slices on a plate and top with a scoop of the sweetened ricotta mixture. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Best served warm.