Chai Spiced Apples- Phase 1 and Maintenance

 

This compote is good on toast, pancakes, biscuits, oats. Or just to eat with a spoon. In maintenance, add a spoon full of my Coconut Cashew Butter under the warm apples on you pancakes and enjoy the best breakfast ever!

Be sure to use a cooking apple and not a snacking apple. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala are good choices, among others, to cook. Red Delicious are not a good cooking/baking apple- save those to eat fresh. 
I like to use 2 kinds of apples- my favorite blend in Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. 

Chai Spiced Apples
Phase 1 and 4

Makes 2 standard servings of fruit

2 cups of diced apples
1-2 tsp Chai Spice Blend (recipe on the blog)
1-2 whole star anise
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
Pinch of sea salt
Stevia or pure monk fruit
2T Vegan Butter (phase 4 only)

Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat until very warm. Add the spice blend and whole star anise. Stir with rubber spatula for 15020 seconds, to toast, then scrape into small bowl. 

Add the diced apples and return the pan to the heat. If you are in maintenance, add the vegan butter. Add the pinch of salt. Let the apples sit for a minute or so- you want the apple to start to caramelize but not burn. Stir or toss the apples in the pan and allow to lighly brown some more. Add the spices, stir to coat. Then add a splash of water. Stir and cook the apples just until soft. Do not cook to reduce the size/amount of apples. Add vanilla and stir. If you want to sweeten the apples, add as much sweetener as you like. Remove star anise before serving.