Yogurt Apple Salad

Ages ago, Guestblogger Alita and I had a lunch club. Twice a week we each had a day where we brought lunch to work for the both of us. We had read about this concept in Martha Stewart Living (no surprise there), and loved the idea of bringing a nutritious and inventive lunch for one another to spice up a boring or stressful workday. We were young cooks then and loved trying new recipes out on each other. The joy we took in smugly eating our feasts in front of our co-workers while they heated up Lean Cuisines and microwave popcorn was boundless.

There were many standouts in our lunch club repertoire, one of which was the simplest of all. It was a recipe that came from Cooking Light magazine that combined grapes, yogurt, pecans and cinnamon. It was addictively good and I have adapted it many times over since then. My version uses a nice, crisp Australian Pink Lady apple as well as the tartness of dried cranberries and the extra crunch of sunflower seeds. It's important to use a good quality, preferably organic yogurt here.

This recipe makes a few servings but the quantities can be easily multiplied and would make a nice addition to a brunch menu. It comes together quick and is just plain delicious.

• 1 large apple, cubed
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium bowl, combine the apple, cranberries, pecans and sunflower seeds. Stir in the yogurt and then the cinnamon. Serve immediately or keep covered in the refrigerator for up to one day.