Apple, Fennel, and Onion Slaw

I've been blog cooking Thanksgiving dishes all week and I must say...I'm stuffed! I've gained 5 pounds this week alone and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. I've had to make most of my the recipes twice to tweak it here or there until the flavors are just right. So the day I started this salad was a welcome reprieve from the "Chilaquiles Corn Bread Stuffing, Creamed Corn Casserole, Pumpkin Challah bread, Corn and Squash Casserole, and Pumpkin Pasta Manicotti Eating Extravaganza" of this last week. It's simple, light and loaded with deliciousness. This recipe is so good, I surprised myself. 😋 Besides it's awesome flavor, it's a make-ahead salad so it's super easy and convenient to make and bring to Thanksgiving potlucks or family get-together any time of year. 
Shred up some crunchy green cabbage, slice up some paper-thin red onions, shave up a bulb of fennel, cut up some super sweet crisp apples like Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, or Rockit™ apples toss with a sweet Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and refrigerate overnight! Let the flavors mingle and get to know each other and come morning, you have the perfect blend of fresh and bright, crunchy and sweet Apple, Fennel and Onion Slaw! Happy Thanksgiving!

Apple, Fennel, and Onion Slaw

 Serves 10-12


1 head of cabbage, finely shredded
1 small bulb fennel, cored and thinly shaved
1/4 red onion, thinly shaved
3-4 sweet crisp apples, cut into matchsticks (I used Rockit™ Apples)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup sliced almonds


Maple Dijon Dressing
1 small shallots, finely minced
3 T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2  t.  salt
1/4 t. pepper

Prepare dressing first. Combine all ingredients, adding the oil slowly while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette and set aside. 
Next, prepare the vegetables and apples. Finely shred cabbage, rinse and spin dry and place in a large bowl.Thinly slice about 1/4 cup of red onions and add to cabbage. 

Cut apples into matchsticks and place in another bowl and squeeze with lemon to prevent browning, let apples sit in lemon juice while preparing the fennel. 

Cut fennel in half and remove the core and then finely shave thin slices of fennel placing the shaved fennel in a small bowl with about 2 T of dressing. Stir to coat fennel with dressing to prevent browning, then add it to the bowl with cabbage and onions. 

Now add the apples and almonds to the bowl. Add about half the Maple Dijon dressing using tongs to turn and coat the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Reserve the remaining dressing. The next day, remove slaw from the fridge. Note that the cabbage has softened a bit and some of that water has now collected at the bottom of your bowl. Carefully drain some of that liquid that collected overnight and then toss with more of the reserved dressing and enjoy! Top with more almonds if desired.

More recipes to try:

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Pancetta

Kale Salad with Walnuts and Golden Raisins

Sauteed Collard Greens

Autumn Slaw with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Thanksgiving is all about the sides for me. From garlicky mashed potatoes and gravy, cheesy corn casseroles, savory dressings and bread puddings, to green bean casseroles. All those comforting, rib-sticking side dishes are what I look forward to the most for Thanksgiving. However, I find I still long for fresh veggies on Thanksgiving. This recipe for Autumn Slaw is a delicious way to add a little green to all that comforting, sleep inducing, tryptophan-laced Thanksgiving meal. 

Wait, wait, wait, I know what your thinking...You hate Kale. I know. Kale is a tough sell for my husband too. And my mom, and probably my brother and sister-in-law...and forget about my kids...None of them are friends with Kale. Don't be afraid, here are a few secrets to make kale taste good. 
First, if using it raw in a salad, it needs to be rubbed between your hands and massaged. Gather up a big handful of Kale and rub it back and forth and roll it into a ball and break up all that fibrous toughness. Work in batches rubbing all the leaves, wash and spin and now you're ready to rock your salad.
Next, I think it's best when paired with something sweet, like fruit. Kale can be a bit bitter, so pairing it with fruit or a sweet salad dressing helps balance some it's harsher qualities. One more secret, is to cook it. Braising, roasting or sauteing this green makes it uber delicious. Savory onions, garlic and sweet balsamic butter really makes this wild cabbage sing in my Braised Kale and Onions with Balsamic Butter recipe below.
Anyway back to my kale-hating family, namely my hubby...I had little faith that my husband would touch this salad but to my amazement, he loved this salad and even had two servings. He even ate it for leftovers the next day too. Can you believe it? I love this Autumn Slaw and my husband liked it so I'm going to attempt to bring to Thanksgiving this year and see if the rest of my family will like it too. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Autumn Slaw with Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Serves 8-10
Maple Mustard Dressing
1 small shallot, finely minced (~1 Tbsp)
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup canola oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the shallots mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the canola oil while whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.

Candied Pumpkin Seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter

In a skillet, add pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter and heat over medium heat until sugar is melted and nuts are coated. About 5 minutes. Turn out on a parchment paper to cool. Set aside.

Salad ingredients
3 large bunches of curly kale, chopped and rubbed 
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks (I used purple carrots)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups finely shredded red cabbage 
1 cup candied pumpkin seeds 

The secret to using Kale is to use only the curly parts of the leaves and remove all the fibrous stems. I tear it right from the stems, rather than cutting it. Kale is best when massaged, or rubbed between your hands, like what you do when your hands get cold and you rub them together to heat them up.  Working in batches, grab a handful and rub it back and forth and roll it into a ball in your hands. Then, place the rubbed kale in a salad spinner. It seems like a weird thing to do but it really helps soften the fibrous leaves. Once you rub all the kale, rinse and spin in a salad spinner. 

I used purple carrots for this salad because I like the two toned color of them. When cut into matchsticks they look like flames. Neat-o!

Add Kale, carrots and cranberries to a bowl and coat with about half the dressing. Do not add the red cabbage at this time, you'll add the cabbage right before serving to prevent the color from bleeding and turning everything purple.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. This will help soften the kale further and plump up the dried cranberries just a little. The kale will shrink as the dressing wilts it a bit. Right before serving, add the red cabbage and toss, only adding additional dressing if needed. Top with lots of crunchy candied pumpkin seeds and enjoy! 

Other recipes to try:

Braised Kale and Onions with Balsamic Butter

Spiced Couscous and Carrot Salad

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon Mustard Dressing

Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing

Every once in a while, I'll have an idea for a Halloween dish and after I make it, it ends up being so beautiful and so delicious that I am hard pressed to give it a festive Halloween name. This deconstructed Asian slaw is one of those dishes. It started solidly as a Halloween Salad featuring shaved broccoli stems as the main component of the salad which I intended to name, Shaved Vertebrae Salad. However, as I played around with the idea of a deconstructed Asian-inspired coleslaw, my Shaved Vertebrae Salad became this Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing. 

Instead of having all raw veggies like most slaws, I decided to roast the cabbage and red bell peppers. Lightly roasting cabbage adds sweetness and yet it still maintains the crunchiness expected with a slaw. I kept the broccoli stems crunchy which added a wonderful flavor and texture all on their own. Roasted Red peppers top the salad along with a sweet almond and ramen noodle brittle and an incredible Creamy Sesame Dressing...Yum-O! I could totally do shots of this dressing, it's so good!  So looking at this fancy pants salad...I know what you're thinking... How do I eat it?  Answer: With a knife and fork. Use a knife to cut cabbage into quarters and mix with dressing. Add lots and lots of brittle and dig in...Enjoy!

WANT TO MAKE IT FOR HALLOWEEN?
This salad can be made into a most impressive Blood Clot Salad for Halloween.  The vivid blood-red roasted peppers mimic arteries that make up a monstrous blood clot...yuck! The broccoli stems are sliced at an angle so that they look like cross-sections of vertebrae. And the showstopper of course is the red cabbage when roasted, turns a gorgeously sinister mix of deep purple which makes me think of zombie brains. Top the whole thing off with dried worms and a yummy dressing this salad is perfect for Halloween. What's not to love...Blood clots, Brain cross-sections, vertebrae and worms! Have fun with it and Happy Halloween!  

Try it with my Midnight Sushi with Wasabi Skulls.

Roasted Asian Slaw with Creamy Sesame Dressing (Blood Clot Salad)

Serves 6


1 large Red Cabbage, sliced into six ~1/4" slices, core removed
1 T canola oil + 1 T Toasted Sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
3-4 broccoli stems, peeled and sliced very thin (~3 cups)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, cut into thin strips 
Creamy Sesame Dressing (below)
Candied Almond Ramen Noodles (below)
toasted black sesame seeds (garnish)
cilantro leaves (garnish)



Creamy Sesame Dressing (recipe from Cuisine at Home)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
2 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
1 T soy sauce
1/2 T sugar
2 T fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Combine ingredients in a mini food processor and emulsify. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Roast Cabbage
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place slices of red cabbage on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix oil and minced garlic and brush mixture over cabbage slices. Salt and pepper to taste and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Prepare broccoli stems:
Cut off the small broccoli leaves from the stem and set aside for use in your salad. Using a vegetable peeler, peel rough outer stem. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, cut very thin slices of broccoli stem. Tip: I found it easier when using the mandoline, to not cut off the florets from the broccoli crown. Instead, hold the crown of florets as you shave the broccoli stems. It makes for easily handling without the chance of slicing your fingers. Especially, since my mandoline blade was not very sharp.

Candied Almond Ramen Noodles
1-2 packages of ramen noodles, dried and broken up
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a small skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add sliced almonds and cook until lightly browned (~2 minutes). Add sugar and stir until melted and combined. Add ramen noodles and mix until coated. Set aside to cool. 

Assemble Salad:
Spoon about 2-3 T of Creamy Sesame Dressing onto plate. Lay roasted cabbage round in center of dressing using a spatula to keep the cabbage together. Add about 1/2 cup of shaved broccoli stems and leaves to top of cabbage. Top broccoli stems with about 1-2 T roasted red peppers. Add a generous amount of Candied Almond Ramen Noodles. Garnish with black sesame seeds and cilantro leaves.

Corned Beef, Cabbage and Leek Soup

Have you ever had smoked corned beef? I hadn't until this weekend. Our friends had a St. Patrick's day party and they served this amazing smoked corned beef. All I can say is..."Wow! and double Wow!" I told my husband after eating my second plate of this delicious meat, that we have to invest in a smoker and make pounds and pounds of smoked corned beef. It was hands down the best tasting corned beef ever! My new mission in life is to get a smoker and once I do, look out for future blogs on smoked meats. I can't wait. :) Smoked corned beef aside, if you want a delicious and different way to serve the traditional corned beef and cabbage, try your hand at this full flavored soup. It has all the St. Patrick's Day ingredients: corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes in a delicious broth flavored with leeks, yellow peppers and garlic. I love this soup because it's rustic with the traditional ingredients but remains elegant because of the simple but complex tasting broth. It's simply amazing! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

  
Corned Beef, Cabbage and Leek Soup (adapted recipe from Skinnytaste)


1 lb corned beef brisket, cooked, cooled and chopped into small cubes
2 cups reserved braising liquid from corned beef

2 t olive oil
2 cups carrots,sliced*
4 cups leeks, sliced
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
3 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 red potato, chopped 
1/2 T Italian Herb Seasoning
1/4 cup parsley
salt and pepper(to taste)

Cook corned beef and reserve 2 cups of the braising liquid. Cool and chop corned beef into small bite-sized cubes.
In a large dutch oven, saute carrots, leeks, yellow pepper, cabbage and garlic in olive oil until tender soft approximately 10 minutes. Add chicken broth and the two cups of reserved braising liquid, bay leaves, corned beef and heat to a boil for 20 minutes. Add potato, Italian Herb seasoning, parsley and pepper and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Top with additional fresh parsley and serve. 
*Note: I had a bag of frozen Parisian carrots from Trader Joe's that I used instead of peeling and slicing carrots and they were great in this. Velvety texture and a great shape that added interest to the look of the soup. Plus they were a great time saver. 

For another recipe with Corned Beef, try Corned Beef Rolls

 

Sliders with Pickled Onions and Spicy Mayo

 
As I planned our New Year's meal, I struggled with the idea of making a dinner with multiple courses like I did last year. Coming off the stomach flu at Christmas and now having a head cold that's left me with a sore throat for 5 days now, I just didn't have it in me this year to go to all that effort. Plus I'll end up eating too much and feeling fat and miserable the next day. Instead, I decided to go easy on myself and just go for a little comfort food. Something delicious and comforting to ring in the New Year and I thought of these Sliders I made the other night. These are my copy cat version of some amazing Pan Seared Chicken Sliders I had a few weeks ago from a local food truck called Belly BombZ. They were 'out of this world' delicious with some pickled onions, roasted peppers, lettuce and a spicy Korean Mayo, all on a toasted bun. Well, I loved them so much that I decided to try my hand at recreating it so that my husband could try them. Belly BombZ also served this incredible Cabbage Salad that I could've eaten three plates full of this great salad all by itself.  If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, here is my copy cat version of Belly BombZ Pan Seared Chicken Sliders with a side of Cabbage Salad with a Orange Miso Dressing. Happy New Year!

Note: There's a bit of prep for all these ingredients but it is well worth the effort. You will need to make the pickled onions at least a day ahead of time but three days is best. The pickled onions are the key to these sliders if you ask me, please don't leave them out. They are not overpowering and they add a slight acidity with sweetness that goes so well with the mild chicken or turkey burger. Also you will need Miso for the cabbage salad. Miso, or soybean paste, can be found at your local Asian Market or Whole Foods in the refrigerated section. I used white miso in the dressing. Okay here we go...

Sliders with Pickled Onions and Spicy Mayo

Ground chicken or turkey patties (I used turkey)
garlic powder
onion powder
salt and pepper (to taste)

Pickled Onions (recipe link)
Spicy Mayo- 1/2 cup mayo with 1-2 T Garlic Chili Sauce
Roasted red and yellow peppers (how to link or use jarred peppers)
Lettuce
Slider size hamburger buns, toasted

Season meat with garlic and onion powders, salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry. Toast buns and spread both buns with spicy mayo, top burger with roasted red and yellow peppers (I used yellow peppers since that's all I had left in my freezer), lettuce and pickled onions. Enjoy!

Cabbage Salad

4 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced
sesame seeds
Orange Miso Dressing

Orange Miso Dressing (Adapted recipe from Epicurious.com)
1/4 cup white or yellow Miso
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup seasoned Rice vinegar
juice of 1/2 orange
2 t fresh grated ginger
1 t sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil

Combine ingredients in a mini food processor and emulsify. Toss with Cabbage Salad. 

Thai Chicken Enchiladas

I was in the mood for something homey and satisfying for dinner last week. I know I'm crazy for turning on the oven this time of year but the weather was on the cooler side for July and I decided to make these awesome Thai Chicken Enchiladas. Plus, I had leftover Crockpot chicken, a small head of cabbage and the rest of my baby carrots from the garden to incorporate into a meal, so it was practically shouting, "make me for dinner!" I've adapted the recipe from howsweeteats.com just slightly to suit my need for spicy and sweet. (If you don't like spicy foods follow the link to the original recipe for a less spicy version, it's delicious!) I spiced up the chicken and veggie filling to help complement the lightly sweet coconut chili sauce. I've made these many times and I still shake my head in disbelief at how amazingly good these enchiladas are. I had three enchiladas in one sitting. No veggies. No Salad. Just these wonderfully sweet and spicy chicken enchiladas.

There are those days when you happily stumble upon a completely delicious recipe. One that, at first glance you might think may not be that good or has ingredients you're not too sure about. But, you plow ahead and make it and then you're completely floored by it's incredible flavor. This is that dish! Give it a try and let me know how you like it. 

Enjoy!
Lori

Thai Chicken Enchiladas (recipe adapted from howsweeteats.com)
Serves 2-4

8 small flour tortillas
2 chicken breasts, chopped or shredded (~3 cups)
1 T olive oil
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced or shredded
1 bunch green onions, green and white parts chopped (~1 cup)
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 T garlic chili sauce (or more if you want it really spicy)
1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Sauce
2 cans lite coconut milk
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce

Chicken Marinade
1/2 cup yogurt                            1/2 t salt
4 cloves garlic, minced                 juice of one lemon
2 T olive oil                                1 t. hot curry powder(I used Spice Hunter)

1. Marinate chicken overnight or for a few hours. Grill and chop chicken. If you don't have the time to marinate, just use any leftover chicken and shred or chop into small pieces. I've made this with both the marinated chicken and also with some leftover Crockpot chicken. The Crockpot chicken shreds more easily. Set aside cooked chicken and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare all vegetables. Place cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions and garlic in oil in a large skillet and cook on medium heat until vegetables are soft. ~10 minutes. 

3. Add Chicken, chili garlic sauce, sweet chili sauce, cilantro and peanuts. Stir to incorporate with vegetables and heat until hot. About 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

4. In a large bowl add two cans of coconut milk and the sweet chili sauce. Whisk to combine. 

5. Add about a cup of the coconut sweet chili sauce mixture to the bottom of a large baking dish. Enough to fully coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer. Fill flour tortillas with the chicken and vegetable mixture and roll enchilada. Place seam-side down in baking dish. 

6. Once all the enchiladas are rolled, pour the coconut chili sauce over each enchilada to coat. Make sure you don't fully submerge the enchiladas in sauce, the sauce should only come to about half way up the enchiladas in the pan.

7. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. About half way through cooking time, use a spoon to ladle some of the hot coconut chili sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Basting the tops with the sauce helps to crisp up and brown the tortillas. 

8. Remove from oven, let sit for about 5 minutes, top with additional cilantro and peanuts and serve.  

Nappa Cabbage Salad with Ginger Garlic Dressing

Today, I was in the mood for salad, and I LOVE salad. I love all kinds of salads because to me salad is comfort food. I know, most people think salad is the farthest thing from comfort food, but just think of it...Hellooo? You can add bacon and cheese to salad. You can add nuts, croutons, wontons, chow mein noodles, cheese or beans, rice, wheat berries, corn, peas, eggs, did I say cheese?... broccoli, fruit, olives, pasta, flax seeds or even more cheese? Believe me, I can calorie-load a salad that rivals the Big Mac...what part of that isn't comfort food? And then, as if that isn't enough you coat the whole thing in a delicious dressing.  Let's be honest...the dressing is the best part, especially when you get to the bottom of the salad and have all the small bite-sized toppings swimming in deliciousness...yum! 

Okay...back to reality. I also realize salads don't need to be calorically extreme to be comforting because I also like simple salads that just highlight the vegetables. I love veggies. My Nappa Cabbage Salad is very simple and light and showcased by a delicious Ginger Garlic Dressing.  I meant this to be a starter salad at the beginning of a meal, but you can easily make it a filling lunch or a light dinner by adding chicken, beef, fish or tofu.
The salad dressing came about a few months back while I experimented with Trader Joe's Blue Agave Sweetner. It's sweet like honey, but has an incredible depth of flavor. Don't worry, if you don't have agave sweetner on hand, you can substitute it with honey, but if you happen to pick some up you will taste the difference in the salad dressing.

Ginger Garlic Dressing

• 1/3 c rice vinegar
• 1/3 c canola oil
• 1/4 c agave sweetner (or substitute with honey)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T ginger, fresh, grated*
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a air-tight container with lid. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Shake well before serving. Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

*Freezing ginger root makes it a snap to grate for recipes.

Nappa Cabbage Salad

• 1 large head nappa cabbage
• 1 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 cup chow mein noodles

Cut about 2 inches from base of cabbage, separate leaves, rinse and spin in salad spinner to remove water from leaves.

Stack leaves and cut in half lengthwise.

 Then stack halves and rotate to thinly slice leaves.

Add carrots, green onions, cilantro, almonds and chow mein noodles and toss with Ginger Garlic Dressing or if you prefer, have salad dressing on the side (as pictured below).

Enjoy!