Apple Pan Dowdy - 1973

One thing I have noticed as I've flipped through countless magazines from the late 1960's and early 1970's is the emphasis on diets and losing weight. Recipes from throughout these years often focus on low-calorie dishes. However, since many women were working outside of the home during this period, convenience and quickness were also required of a recipe.

This page of recipes is just one example of the kinds of things you'll find from magazines of these years. For instance, the article suggests that "you can add the flavor of butter without the butter calories simply by shaking on some butter-flavored salt or a few drops of liquid butter flavoring." Sugar substitutes, low-fat cheese, and evaporated skim milk are also commonly called upon to erase some of the sugar and fat that cause weight gain. The taste of the recipes that result may be debatable, but it's fascinating to get a 35-year old view of what healthy eating was.

Apple Pan Dowdy - 1973

8 slices thin-cut diet or protein bread
6 apples, pared, cored, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 tbsp brown sugar OR sugar substitute to equal 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp diet margarine

1. Lightly toast bread; trim crusts. Cut each slice diagonally into 2 triangles.
2. Arrange 8 triangles in bottom of an 8-inch, square baking dish. Combine sliced apples, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar and sugar substitute; turn into dish over toast points. Pour boiling water over apples.
3. Spread remaining 8 toast triangles with diet margarine; arrange over apples, margarine side up. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 30 minutes; remove foil. Bake 20 minutes longer, or until apples are tender and toast is golden brown. Serve slightly warm.
Makes 8 servings at 137 calories each.