Apple sauce! Everyone knows how to make it, I have found a way to do it with minimum processing and I love to add lots of spices to my apple sauce. This is great for Almond Pancakes or for Apple Sauce Souffle.

• 5 lb organic apples
• water to cover the bottom of the pan
• vanilla pod
• 1 inch ginger root, sliced
• 1 stick cinnamon bark
• 4-5 cloves, whole
• 4-5 cardamom pods, whole
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 handfuls of pitted dates

Method:
Cut the apples into quarters and core them. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan and the spices and vanilla pod. Allow to simmer covered until the apples are very soft (I let mine simmer on low for a few hours, the smell of apples cooking lowers blood pressure and smells fantastic). When the apples are nearly ready add the dates and cook until soft.

Let the apples cool and then peel the skin from the apples and remove all of the whole spices. Mash the apples with a potato masher or moulie. This combination of spices gives the apple sauce a chai flavor.