First a warning. If you like purple cabbage in your slaw; it might be best to serve and use it immediately. How do I know this? Well, I made the slaw for this post yesterday. I combined green and purple cabbage, carrots and julienned apple with the dressing ingredients, covered them and popped them in the fridge to await photos this morning. I have a posting time of 10AM each Thursday for the group effort I do with the Food Network so I know I'll have enough time in the morning to take photos and write my post. So then tell me Barb, where is the purple in this Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw?
Well, the purple was EVERYWHERE actually. I'm not sure I've made a cold version of coleslaw with purple cabbage before; typically using it for my favorite warm version and I was unprepared for how it had 'colorized' the entire mixture leaving the entire slaw with a pinkish hue. I tried to convince myself it was OK but when you try as hard as I did you know you've got a problem so I had to punt. Only this time punting wasn't just making a slight adjustment of a pantry ingredient like I would normally do, nope...it was starting over. And by starting over, I mean I was headed to the grocery store at 6:30 this morning!
If I hadn't made a previous commitment with the Food Network to publish today I would have said forget it, but I had and time was 'a-wasting' so I made another quick decision too. Instead of buying a head of cabbage that was HUGE and using half of it, I spied a ready made coleslaw mixture and it was perfect. Not a purple strand in sight and at that moment purple was not getting another chance. Truth is after this fix today I might never buy whole cabbage for coleslaw again...wow, was this easy.
Cutting up the apple into julienne strips was the hardest part...which means this slaw came together quickly. I had made some pulled pork the other day and I NEEDED slaw and am so glad I went a different route with this than my standard recipe; the apple added a bright color and crunch and just the right flavor for my pork.
I changed up the dressing a bit too and am so glad I did...I decided that a bit of honey/mustard flavor might be nice and since I opted for a Dijon this time around and not my favorite whole grain mustard, I had to throw in some poppy seeds...I missed the visual of those little seeds! All things considered, after I was done, I have to say that I loved this result better than yesterday's. My post is a bit tardy but maybe it's all for the best; I just loved this slaw.
I'll be sharing the pulled pork next week; my new favorite and if you can believe it, made without one spoonful of barbecue sauce...no I am not kidding! Just brown sugar and apple cider, onions and garlic. So perfect with this tangy slaw; it's a must make and both would be great for a barbecue or picnic this summer.
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Need more slaw? Check out these fabulous recipes from my friends who post with me on the Food Network!
Creative Culinary: Apple and Poppy Seed Coleslaw
The Mediterranean Dish: Mediterranean Coleslaw and Salmon Bowl
The Mom 100: Spicy Coleslaw
Devour: 5 Ways to Make Your Picnic Slawsome
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Vegan Mango - Melon Slaw with Ginger and Lime
The Heritage Cook: Variations on Coleslaw - How To Make It Your Own (Gluten-Free)
Taste with the Eyes: Ode to the Fish Taco - Fancy Halibut with Cabbage Slaw
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Raw Papaya and Green Mango Slaw
Healthy Eats: 7 Summer Slaws That Put the Store-Bought Stuff to Shame
In Jennie's Kitchen: Fennel & Mint Slaw
FN Dish: 8 Ways to Be in Awe of Slaw
