Best Creamy Coleslaw

Best Creamy Coleslaw

We made our cool, crunchy slaw with just the right amount of tang from sour cream and vinegar. A bit of honey balances the acidity. This classic summer side dish would be welcome at any picnic or backyard BBQ.
Ingredients
5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Toss together the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, honey and celery salt in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the shredded vegetables and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper before serving.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

                                                Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
When tomatoes are at their peak, you can always cut them into thick slices and enjoy them atop apiece of toast—with a drizzle of good olive oil and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt. (You should do this!) But when you really want to make a meal of it, this sandwich will elevate those slices of summer's sweetness into a sandwich of your dreams. Take it outside and enjoy!
Makes up to 4 sandwiches on classic sandwich bread or small sandwich rollsor makes 2 large deli-style sandwiches on larger deli rolls.
Ingredients:
10-12 oz green cabbage, shredded
4 cups packed de-stemmed kale leaves, very finely chopped
1/4 cup Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette (plus more as needed), recipe follows
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2-4 soft sandwich rolls or ciabatta rolls, cut in half, or 4-8 slices good-quality sourdough or multigrain bread
8-12 oz feta cheese (or nondairy alternative), sliced in 1/4-inch pieces (make sure to buy a block, not crumbled)
1 large avocado, pitted and cut into thin slices
2-3 heirloom tomatoes (depending on their size), cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices
Pickled Onions, recipe follows

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pickled Onions

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (or wine vinegar)
1/3 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large red onion, sliced to 1/4 inch

Directions:
Toss together the cabbage, kale and ¼ cup of vinaigrette to evenly combine. Season very lightly with salt and pepper, and add more dressing as needed to generously coat the slaw.

If you are using rolls, slice them open. If using sliced sandwich bread, toast it to ensure it can hold up the layers in this sandwich.
Evenly place the feta slices on the bottom half of each sandwich to evenly cover the bread, 2–3 ounces per sandwich.

Add avocado slices, spacing them slightly apart (about¼ of a large avocado per sandwich, or more if you wish). Top with tomato slices (cutting the slices in half if needed to fit the bread), overlapping them in places or stacking them. Give the tomatoes a modest sprinkle of salt.

Place pickled onions evenly over the tomatoes (I suggest being generous). Pile the dressed cabbage and kale slaw over the top. Close the sandwiches and use a serrated knife to carefully and cleanly slice each sandwich in half. Serve immediately or wrap tightly in parchment or other preferred wrap to take these sandwiches on the go.

NOTE: Adjust cuts and the quantities of ingredients for each layer to fit the type of bread that you are using and the number of sandwiches that you are making. Larger, deli-style rolls can accommodate more stacking. If you are using sliced bread, I recommend toasting it.

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette: Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, honey, oil, salt andpepper in a small bowl or 2-cup liquid measure. Refrigerate,covered, for up to 2 weeks.

Pickled Onions: Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes, until the onion just begins to soften.

Add additional water if needed, depending on how large your onion is.
Transfer the onions and liquid to a jar and let stand to cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Cruciferous Salad With Peas And Parmesan

Cruciferous Salad With Peas And Parmesan 

Crunchy cabbage and tender kale come together in this salad that makes a great starter or side dish for a quick weeknight meal. It includes fresh peas, and in the winter, thawed frozen peas make a nice substitute. But the salad is equally delicious if you choose to leave them out altogether. Be generous with the parmesan as it adds a special touch to the vibrant flavor of the greens.

Ingredients:
½ bunch lacinato kale, chopped
1 T plus 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
¾ cup fresh peas, blanched
1 T chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste
¼ cup shaved Parmesan Reggiano
2 T dry roasted sunflower seeds
Directions:
Place the kale in a bowl and add 1 tsp. of the olive oil. Massage the oil into the kale for about 30 seconds with clean or gloved hands.

Add the cabbage and the remaining 1 T of olive oil and toss well. Add the peas, dill, lemon juices and salt. Toss again. Then top with the cheese and sunflower seeds. Serve right away.

Serves 2

Pulled Pork Bar-B-Que

Ingredients
Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pan drippings from the pork
12 hamburger buns
1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Pickle spears, for serving

Cole Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 fresh red chile, sliced

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.

While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.

While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

Cole Slaw:
Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Carolina Style Pulled Pork

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

8 hrs

Total Time

8 hrs 15 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Barbecue

Servings: 12 people

Ingredients

• 6-7 pound bone in pork shoulder

For the rub

• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons coarse black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika

For the mop sauce

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup beer
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

For the BBQ sauce

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes

Slaw (optional)

• 1/2 head green cabbage shredded
• 1/4 head purple cabbage shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker for indirect smoking at 250 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the rub and apply liberally on all sides of the pork shoulder. Place the rubbed shoulder in the smoker and close the lid. 
3. In a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients for the mop sauce. Apply the mop sauce to the pulled pork every hour. Smoke the pork shoulder, while mopping hourly, for 8-10 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 200 degrees F.
4. Remove the shoulder from the smoker, cover tightly with foil, and allow to rest for an hour before shredding and serving. 
5. Make that BBQ sauce! In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the BBQ sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Cool completely and set aside to serve with the pork. If you want to make the slaw, pour about a cup of the BBQ sauce over the shredded cabbage in a large bowl and toss gently to combine. 
6. Remove the shoulder from the foil and shred. Discard the bone and any gristly pieces and pull the rest of the meat into shreds. Moisten the meat with some of the BBQ sauce and mix together. Serve with buns, slaw and additional BBQ sauce.

St. Patricks Day Dinner

Corned Beef With A Brown Sugar Glaze 

Serves 6 to 8.
4 lbs. corned beef brisket Seasoning packet from corned beef 1 gallon water or as needed

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown mustard

1. Rinse off the brisket under running water, and then trim off excess fat. Place the meat and enough water to cover it in a stock pot; add the seasonings from the package and bring to a boil. Lower the heat so the water simmers gently.
2. Cook until very tender but not falling apart, about 3 hours. About every half hour, skim the fat from the water's surface with a large spoon and discard. Add more water as needed to keep the brisket submerged.
3. Test the cooked meat for tenderness by piercing the meat with a meat fork. It should meet only slight resistance. Remove the meat and transfer to a parchment- lined baking sheet.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a sauce pot, combine the sugar and water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When the mixture has turned syrupy, after about 5 minutes, stir in the mustard. Continue simmering another
2 to 3 minutes. Paint a thin coating of glaze over the entire brisket. Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, reglazing every 10 minutes. Remove the brisket when the glaze is shiny, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Use a sharp slicing knife to carve thin slices and serve.

Colcannon
Serves 6
4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled
12 T. unsalted butter, divided use
1/2 cup or more half and half
2 lbs. green cabbage, sliced in shreds

1 cup chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1. Quarter potatoes and place in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, add 1 T. salt and then simmer until potatoes are tender. Put through a ricer and stir in 3 T. butter and enough hot half and half to make creamy potatoes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the cabbage and onion in 3 T. butter until tender. Stir into hot potatoes. Stir in green onions and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, pressing an indentation in the center and adding a large dollop of butter. 

Rainbow Slaw

Rainbow Slaw

Salting the cabbage before making the salad draws out excess moisture, so your slaw won’t be watery.

Ingredients:

½ small head green cabbage (about 1 ¼ lb.)
½ small head red cabbage (about 1 ¼ lb.)
1 large carrot, peeled
1 Tbs. kosher or coarse salt
2 Tbs. mustard seeds
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
¼ tsp. chili flakes
½ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 ½ cups)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (about 1 ½ cups)

Directions:
1. Slice cabbage into thin strips. Grate carrot on largest holes of box grater.

2. Combine cabbage, carrot and salt in large colander set over bowl. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours. Rinse off salt under cold water. Pat dry.

3. Put mustard seeds, oil and chili flakes in small skillet; cover and cook over medium-high heat 1 minute, or until seeds start to pop, shaking constantly. Remove from heat and continue shaking pan until popping subsides. Cool in bowl. Whisk in vinegar, sugar and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Combine cabbage, carrot and bell peppers in large bowl. Add dressing, and toss to coat. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately, or store up to 1 day in refrigerator.  Serves 8