Two years ago at our Yoga Therapy Training, I served a gluten-free, dairy-free, no-sugar-added, homemade apple pie. The recipe was requested. It has taken me these years, but at long last, here, finally, it is.
Unfortunately, when I first came to write it up last month I couldn’t find the recipe. Fortunately, that meant I had to try it a few times before it came right again, and that meant a lot of apple pies this autumn. Yes, we are blessed!
The saying An apple a day… is truer than ever. Apples support your liver to help your body process and release toxins in our air, water, and food – more important now than ever. Apples help clear your colon, and also more important than ever – as everyone, even Mother Earth, needs extra support now in eliminating waste.
Apples are good for your blood, eyes, and skin. Apples are cool, so they are Pitta-reducing and anti-inflammatory. They are sweet, so they are Vata-reducing and tonifying – especially when sliced, tossed in fresh lemon juice, and sprinkled with cinnamon, as in this recipe. They are also light enough to be good for Kapha, reducing blood sugar and helping you feel full with less, thanks to so much fabulous fiber.
That makes apple tridoshic, meaning they love everyone, so everyone gets to enjoy this super food, super free, super pie!
Be sure you use your favorite apple. Since they aren’t going to be cooked, they will taste in the pie the way they taste in your hand when you eat straight from the fruit basket. I used “Sweetie” apples, but anything fresh, crunchy, and sweet will be good.
For the decoration, I wanted some red so used a Fuji, but a crispy green apple would give a lovely color, too.
I added a bit of almond butter to make it an extra high protein, high fiber, a high nutritional meal I could have for breakfast, or for the kids as a midday snack. The almond butter makes the filling a bit more caramel-y, but if you feel that is too nutty for you, leave it out. It’s still great.
Also, if you are allergic to nuts you can skip the pecans and just make a crust of dates. Yes, just dates. Or, if it’s safe for you, add a tablespoon of coconut oil, and/or toasted sunflower seeds.
If you want it fully raw, skip the pecan toasting. I’ve done it that way and it works, too. But toasting draws the divine essence from pecans, giving golden, nutty grounding to the crisp, sunburst of the apple.
This doesn’t need a topping, but if you like the apple rose on top, just core an apple and slice very, very thin. To keep the slices from browning as you slice, put each slice as you cut into a bowl with that remaining lemon juice. Once all the pieces are cut and in the bowl, sprinkle a dash or two of cinnamon and toss. Then set each piece, one by one, in an overlapping circle around the outer edge. Continue making smaller circles towards the middle until the pie is covered. Then set a pecan or a few thin slices of lemon rind in the very center.
This is so simple and so quick: apart from the 4 hours in the refrigerator to let the chia seeds do their work, you can make this start-to-finish in 15 minutes.
Pie Crust
Pie Filling
Photos: Food-ALoveStory.com
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