Use apple juice for tasty dishes

Cookbook author Caprial Pence and her husband John Pence have been using apple juice in their summer cooking, and three of their recipes follow for home cooks to try.

"Apple juice is a great ingredient for recipes because it provides a nice, sweet note of flavor with just the right balance," they say. Apples and their flavor lend themselves to so many applications, too, they find.

Caprial's cookbooks include "Caprial! Cooking for Friends" and "Cooking With Caprial." Her first PBS-TV cooking series "Cooking With Caprial," has been followed by "Cooking With Caprial & John" — on which her husband joins her as host. The Pences are based in Portland, Ore., where they own a bistro and cooking school.

These recipes produce a salad, a main dish and a dessert, to serve together or to team with other dishes, as desired. The flavors are versatile and preparation is straightforward.

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This refreshing salad would be easy to put together any time of year. The balance of apple juice, vinegar and olive oil minimizes any sharpness in the spinach. The dressing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.

SPINACH SALAD WITH APPLE HAZELNUT DRESSING

Preparation time 20 minutes

8 ounces apple juice

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

6 ounces extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, chopped

3 bunches spinach, washed and drained

Salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

1 apple, cored and sliced