Apple Cinnamon Sorbet & GF Onion Rings (but not together!)

Today, I decided I wanted some sort of frozen treat to cool me off but I was too lazy to get my car out of the garage (it's an underground garage and my assigned spot is right between a fancy car and a cement wall so it's hard to get in and out of).  It's also too warm for me to walk down to the store and not have anything frozen completely melt on the walk back home.  So, I decided to make sorbet!  I don't have an ice cream maker, but I think this turned out well.  It requires that you stir every 1/2 - 1 hour for the first few hours so you have to stay fairly close.  You can make this sugar free by using Truvia or Stevia or you can use agave nectar.  This would be a great treat on an Indian-summer day in the fall!  Check further down for my gluten free onion ring recipe!

Apple Cinnamon Sorbet

FYI for those who have a hard time sticking to a serving size when it comes to frozen treats (like me!), use smaller bowls!  I love to use these small prep bowls.

Makes 4 - 1/2 cup servings

Sugar-free version is 84 calories per serving

Agave nectar version is 144 calories per serving.

Ingredients

2 large gala apples, cored and cut into 1/4" chunks*

1 large Bartlett pear, cored and cut into 1/4" chunks*

1 cup water

1/4 cup Truvia -OR- Stevia-based sweetener -OR- Agave Nectar

1 tsp cinnamon (if you are as cinnamon-obsessed as I am, you can use 2 tsp of cinnamon)

Add all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil on the stove top.  Reduce heat and simmer until the apples are very soft.  Take off the stove and puree using an immersion blender or a regular blender.  Place into a freezer safe container and let cool on the counter for a 1/2 hour.  Chill in the freezer for 6 hours, stirring every 1/2 to 1 hours for the first 3 hours.  Enjoy!

*You can peel the fruit if you want a very smooth sorbet.  I prefer to leave it on for a chunkier sorbet as the skins of fruit add extra fiber and nutrients.

Oh...onions!

I love onions!  Since needing to go gluten free, I have missed onion rings.  I don't love fried foods, but onions rings are great!  I have made the following recipe a number of times and, even though the onion rings look a little messy and look a little homely, they are crunchy, fantastic, and completely hit the spot!  You will not want to share these, which is fine because the entire batch is about 240 calories!  Chow down!

Gluten Free Baked Onion Rings

Serves 2, unless your really hungry or craving onion rings, then it only serves 1.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, cut into thick rings and separated

1 egg white

1 tbsp ground flax meal

2 tbsp medium grind corn meal

1 slice gluten free bread, toasted and crumbled (I used Udi's)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Dash smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the egg white and a dash of water into a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, mix the flax, corn meal, crumbled bread, and spices.  Dip the onion rings into the egg white and then into the dry breading mix.  Spread out onto a sprayed (or oiled) baking sheet.  Once done breading all of the onion rings, spray the top of the rings lightly with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the breading is golden brown.