Fresh apples, lemon perk up traditional coleslaw recipe

The huge bushel basket of apples (both of the cooking and eating variety) seems to be getting no smaller. I brought it home from our recent farm-stand visit and have used numerous apples for dishes as well as have given several away, but the pile seems to be enlarging! So once again I’m on the hunt for apple recipes—not a bad position to be in, since the apple is the signature fruit of fall.

This recipe for Lemon-Apple Coleslaw from myrecipes.com is an enjoyable mixture that is a cross between traditional slaw and apple-laden Waldorf Salad. Tossing apples and lemon rind into the traditional shredded carrots/cabbage mixture brought delightful results. I love the apple-y crunch that the apple addition brings. With the use of a food processor to do the chopping, this slaw gets done fast. Chilling for 1 hour before you serve is recommended for the dressing to permeate. 

My food-processor blade chopped up the veggies fairly fine; the photo that appeared with the online recipe showed the cabbage and carrots in longer shreds than mine turned out. This is an appearance-only matter; to me, the flavor of the finely ground carrots and cabbage (with the apples still left in fairly large chunks, skin on) was smooth and tangy.  

I’ve never met a variety of coleslaw I didn’t like. I was happy to have this one (which myrecipes.com says appeared in Southern Living in Feburary 2005) to add to my idea stash.

Lemon-Apple Coleslaw

1 small cabbage, shredded (8 cups)

2 apples, chopped (I used the Golden Delicious from my barrel of mixed varieties)

2 carrots, shredded

1/3 cup mayonnaise (I used the lite variety)

1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl combine cabbage, apples, and carrots. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 6 ingredients; toss with cabbage mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Cranberry show-stopper perfect, healthy jewel for Christmas bring-a-dish evet

Want an absolute show-stopper for a Christmas bring-a-dish event? This one can't be beat—and to think it's been languishing in my Christmas recipe file (untried) for years on end. What was I thinking?

Waldorf Salad was a biggie in my growing-up family, so the very idea of preparing this dish was akin to comfort food for me. But the addition of cranberries lifted this past the prosaic and made it an exceptional creation. Thanks to Mature Living magazine for this recipe that I clipped out and saved for—well, just for this very day.

The cranberries' slightly tart taste are a nice counterpoint to the sweet grapes, apples, and the dressing created simply from nonfat vanilla yogurt, sugar substitute, and cinnamon.

The combination of the greens and reds from the fruit mixture make a perfect Christmas accompaniment. Tucked in a pretty cut-glass pedestal bowl of my mother's, I can't imagine anything more party-worthy.

Cranberry Waldorf Salad

1 1/2 cups chopped cranberries

1 cup chopped red apple

1 cup chopped cleery

1 cup seedless green grapes, halves

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons sugar (or sugar substitute)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

8 ounces nonfat vanilla yogurt

Combine all the ingredients. Toss to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours. Stir just before serving. Makes 8 servings.