Pink applesauce, sweetened by strawberries alone

3 ingredients, no added sweetener at all, and a soft pink color that comes entirely from real strawberries. This is a small sweet comfort built from whole fruit, worth keeping on hand.

Apples are a source of pectin, a soluble fiber that feeds the gut community you are working to rebuild, and the gentle cooking makes them easy on a sensitive digestive system. Strawberries are a source of vitamin C, involved in the everyday repair of connective tissue.

This is a make-ahead anchor: cook a batch, keep it in the fridge, and a sweet reach-for is already settled. Spoon it into a small bowl, let the pink of it be lovely, and eat it without rushing.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs apples, cored and quartered (a sweet red variety like Pink Lady works well)
• 1.5 cups strawberries
• 1 cup water

Optional, once you are past elimination or testing reintroductions: a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, a pinch of cinnamon, or a few leaves of basil.

Method

Put the apples, strawberries, and water in a stockpot and bring it to a boil.

Drop the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fruit is soft and breaking down.

Mash by hand for a rustic texture, or blend for something smooth. Chill before serving.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*