Candy Apples

Candy apples are a Halloween staple. They are super inexpensive, fairly easy, and always look sooooo shiny and cool. 

I did black this year for Halloween as a Poison Apple - which would work well for a snow white theme as well. You can make your candy apples any color you like! Just add your favorite color food gel.

Boiling sugar can be a little terrifying so you want to take all the precautions when making these. Investing in a good candy thermometer will make your life a whole lot easier too! 

I got 12 smallish apples from one recipe with a little candy leftover. If your apples are larger I'd say you should get about 9. 

Tip - pour leftover candy onto a cookie tray lined with parchment paper sprayed with a little cooking spray. You can then break it up and eat it. I used my extra red candy as "broken bloody glass" to decorate some Halloween cupcakes. 

Candy Apples

Ingredients

12 small apples

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup clear corn syrup

1 cup water

1 tsp food coloring

Directions

Wash and thoroughly dry the apples. Push skewers or sticks carefully into each apple.

In a large pot: mix the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat to 300 degrees.

Have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with cooking spray ready for the apples to sit on. I sprinkled a few black sprinkles on top but this is extra and you don't have to do it if you don't want to.

Once sugar mixture reaches 300, remove from heat and stir in food coloring. 

Dip each apple into the candy and swirl to coat. Let the apple drip over the pot while gently shaking for about 30 seconds. Set apple on the prepared cookie tray. Repeat with remaining apples.

You need to work fairly quickly as the candy sets fast. 

Chill to set.

I used a coffin shaped box lined with parchment paper for serving at Halloween.

The sprinkles add a little crunch too the bottom of the apples. Again, not necessary just a fun addition. 

Depending on the type of food coloring you are using, you may need to add more than 1 tsp. The black gel I used 1 tsp and my apples were very black. I needed to add a bit more when I made the red ones. I think about 1 1/2 tsp of red gel. 

Candy apples only take about half an hour to whip up, you just need to be careful around the boiling sugar! FYI - the easiest way to eat them is to cut them into wedges. 

Keto Chicken Ramen

 

If you are doing low carb or keto then you know noodles tend to be off the menu. I found these great konjac noodles that work as a sub in most recipes that have zero net carbs.

Yes, the texture is a little weird...to me anyway.... they are far chewier than "normal" noodles. But in a ramen soup they work very well! I used the Angel hair version from NuPasta but there are many brands out there to try! My recipe makes 3 servings of ramen. The nutritional counts per serving are: 293 calories, 16 fat, 10.3 carbs, 4.3 fiber, and 29 protein. That's 7 net carbs for a hearty bowl of ramen noodles! Perfect for keto or low carb diets or if you just want to try something a little different!

Be sure to enter your ingredients into your own nutritional tracker if you need exact counts - they vary depending on size and brand. 

Keto Chicken Ramen

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

4 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

1 1/4 tsp olive oil

1 1/4 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp tomato paste

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sriracha

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp ginger, minced

1 Tbsp lime juice

Soup

1 cup baby bok choy

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 box Campbell's Pho broth (about 4 cups)

1 box Nupasta Angel Hair konjac noodles, rinsed and set in hot water

3soft boiled eggs, peeled

1 tsp sesame seeds

3/4 cup green onions, diced

1/2 - 1 tsp sriracha

1/2 package dried seaweed

Directions

Prepare chicken - mix all the chicken marinade ingredients together in a large Ziplock bag (or bowl). Shake the chicken in the bag to coat well. Marinade 2 hours up to overnight. 

After marinating for several hours, up to overnight, broil the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side to cook. (You can also grill if you prefer). Slice or chop the chicken after it is cooked.

Assemble the ramen - Stir fry the bok choy in the 1/2 tsp of sesame oil until just wilted. At the same time bring the Pho broth to a boil. Pour into serving bowls. 

Add in the cooked bok choy, broiled chicken, konjac noodles. Top with the boiled egg, green onions, sesame seeds, and seaweed. Season with extra sriracha, if desired.

Serve hot. 

Soy sauce is also a great addition for serving. If you can't get the Pho broth then chicken or pork broth will also work. 

I'm a newcomer when it comes to making ramen but I have to say... I'm a big fan! I can't wait to try different combinations of ingredients.