Lunch: Brown Sugar and Oat Baked Apples

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Apples, Nuts, Walnuts

Health and fertility benefits of Brown Sugar and Oat Baked Apples

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full) Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity. Walnuts are low on the glycemic index. What’s more, they also lower the glycemic index of other foods that you eat in conjunction with these nuts. Any kind of nuts provide a healthy source of fat and a great way to encourage PCOS weight loss.

Ingredients

Canola spray
4 apples, such as Gala or Pink Lady, cored
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the apples: Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with canola spray and set the cored apples in the dish. In a small mixing bowl, combine the oats, walnuts, melted butter, brown sugar, flaxseed meal, cinnamon and salt. Fill the apples with the mixture. Pour 1/2 cup hot water around the apples and cover the baking dish with foil. Transfer to the oven and bake until the apples are easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour. Tent with foil to keep warm until ready to serve. For the caramel: In the meantime, place a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sugar to a boil; take care not to stir the bubbling sugar. If you get any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan, just brush them back in with a water-soaked pastry brush to prevent the sugar from burning. Cook the sugar to a deep amber color, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla extract; they will bubble up, so be careful. Whisk until completely combined, then whisk in the milk. To serve, set an apple on a plate and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the caramel sauce. Add a scoop of ice cream if desired.
NotesIf the caramel sauce thickens up too much before serving, heat it over medium-low heat until it returns to a pourable consistency.

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