Culinary Challenge Winner: Bacon-Wrapped Cosmic Crisp® Apples With Cosmic Crisp Vietnamese Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

Directions:

Recipe by Adrienne Vradenburg, Winner of the Cosmic Crisp® Culinary Challenge Retail Chef Category!

“I was very impressed with the use of the Cosmic Crisp^® apples in a Vietnamese dish. I was even more impressed that the Cosmic Crisp^® apples were cohesively used three different ways in the dish — bacon wrapped, Nuoc Cham sauce and Apple & Bok Choy Slaw.”

– Carla Hall, Chef and Cosmic Crisp^® Culinary Challenge Celebrity Judge

For the Spicy Bacon-Wrapped Cosmic Crisp® Apples

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees F.  Wrap each of the Cosmic Crisp® apple wedges with a bacon slice. Place a serrano pepper slice on top of the bacon-wrapped apples; insert a toothpick through the center of each bacon-wrapped Cosmic Crisp® apple. Arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is slightly crispy.

For the Cosmic Crisp® Apple Vietnamese Nuoc Cham Sauce

In a medium-sized mixing bowl  combine the julienned Cosmic Crisp® apples, serrano slices, minced garlic, lime juice  rice vinegar and fish sauce.  In a separate small bowl, combine the hot water with the palm sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the palm sugar/water mixture into the Cosmic Crisp® apple/serrano mixture; mix until well-combined.

For the Cosmic Crisp® Apple and Bok Choy Slaw

In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the julienned Cosmic Crisp® apples, bok choy, rice vinegar, lime juice and salt; mix until well-incorporated.

To Serve:

Place the Cosmic Crisp® apple and bok choy slaw onto a serving platter. Arrange the bacon-wrapped Cosmic Crisp® apples onto the slaw.  Serve with the Cosmic Crisp® Vietnamese Nuoc Cham Sauce. Enjoy this delicious crowd-pleasing appetizer for your next summer potluck!

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Ingredients:

For the Bacon-wrapped Cosmic Crisp® Apples

• 1 pound thick sliced bacon – cut in half to make 24 slices
• 4 Cosmic Crisp® apples – cut into 24 wedges
• 2 serrano Peppers – cut into thick 1/4″ slices
  

For the Cosmic Crisp® Vietnamese Nuoc Cham Sauce

• 1/4 cup Cosmic Crisp® apples – julienne sliced
• 1 serrano- with seeds and finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves – minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
  

For the Cosmic Crisp® Apple and Bok Choy Slaw

• 1/2 cup Cosmic Crisp® apples – julienned
• 1 cup bok choy- finely chopped (both green leaves and stalks)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt