Creamy Coleslaw With A Kick

Some people like their coleslaw with oil and vinegar dressing. Some prefer creamy.  We swing both ways.  Our creamy coleslaw dressing has evolved and now it has an extra 'kick'.

I have faithfully been following the directions for Bobby Flay's Creamy Coleslaw Dressing to a tee. Over time though the formula has been shifting to adjust to our own tastes in seasonings and also to deal with substitutions when our pantry has been lacking. Our latest concoction is worthy of repeating.

For the base of my slaw I shred one head of green cabbage and part of a red.  Sometimes as much as half, depending on the size.  The carrots are also size dependent, but usually I grate two or three.  Let your colour sense dictate your blend.  I find the proportions are more about looks than taste. Some think of cabbage as peasant food so I do like it to be a snappy dresser.

How has my latest dressing varied from the original by Bobby Flay?

I have upped the mayonnaise and sour cream to make sure there is enough dressing. Partly because the volume of slaw has increased from adding the red cabbage. And cabbage head sizes can be so unpredictable. I now add celery seeds and less celery salt.  The vinegar is less, as is the sugar.

The latest big change - dry mustard has been reduced to make room for the kick of horseradish. Truth be told, we ran out of dry mustard. The horseradish idea seemed like a stroke of brilliance.  The darling son's idea.  I take no credit. My observation - aversion to last minute grocery store runs can be the mother of invention.

I put the pre-dressed slaw together and store in a Ziploc bag with all the air removed.  I only dress as much slaw as I am using in a serving to keep it crisp. Coleslaw is a wonderful side dish for ham or pork of any kind. Terrific as a picnic food. I like it just as a midday snack.

What makes your creamy coleslaw dressing pack the punch?

Anne and Bobby's Creamy Coleslaw Dressing
Inspired by Bobby Flay, Food Network

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
3/4 teaspoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 teaspoons dry mustard

Combine all the ingredients together and adjust to taste.  The dressing can keep chilled in the fridge for a few days.

Creamy Veal Scallopini Marsala with Local Veggies

The mister has been a super rock husband lately and so I decided that Monday's dinner would have a bit of fuss and fancy. The veal dish is quite easy as was preparing the sides. But I am not going to tell him that. We rounded out are meal with a glass of Amarone.

There is a sense of contentment that comes from using local produce in the summer. Just knowing it is fresh, fresh, fresh.

I dipped into our Roots and Shoots Farm CSA basket in order to make this meal work.


The purple, yellow and green beans create quite a colour statement. However, when they are steamed, the purple beans turn a dark shade of green.


Our veal marsala recipe uses garlic as well as shallots to create extra flavour in the mushroom sauce.


I had no idea what to do with these sexy zucchinis when they came in the basket. I lightly steamed them, cut them in half and then sautéed them to give them a bit of brown and a nutty butter flavour.


I used the brown skinned potatoes for this dish. Peel, roasted, tossed in olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh thyme and then into the oven at 375F for about 45 minutes. When roasting potatoes, I use my 9" x 9" stoneware pan. When there is just two of us, the big roasting pan is too much. The stoneware gives the potatoes a unique crisp.


The small selection of carrots were quartered lengthwise and roasted along with the potatoes.


With just a few tomatoes left, they became the last garnish on the plate.

Where do you get your veal scallopini? My veal scallopini came from the Glebe Meat Market on Bank Street in Ottawa. I usually just go there for their 1/2 litre bags of housemade stock - beef, chicken, vegetable, turkey and veal. I am curious to know where others shop for their veal scallopini. Have you found a favourite?

Creamy Veal Scallopini Marsala
Inspired by Canadian Living, Epicurious and The Food Network

3/4 lb veal scallops, pounded very thin
flour for dusting (salt and pepper incorporated)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp shallots, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cups veal stock
1/4 cups Marsala
1/2 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley (optional)

Once the veal scallops are pounded very thin (using flat side of meat cleaver between 2 sheets of waxed paper), dust veal lightly with flour mix.

In large skillet, heat oil with 1 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the veal for about 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Continue until all the veal is done.

Melt remaining butter in skillet and sauté the mushrooms, for about 3 minutes or just until tender. Let them sit in the pan in order to get colour and caramelized edges. Too much moving will prevent this from happening. Add a little more butter if needed. Remove the mushrooms and place with the veal.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook until softened, usually less than a minute. Stir in the veal stock and Marsala. Reduce by half. Add any juice that has accumulated around the veal and the mushrooms. Add the cream.

Reduce again to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the veal and mushrooms back to the pan to reheat through. If using, sprinkle with parsley and stir in.

Makes 4 servings.

Napa Cabbage Coleslaw from my Roots and Shoots Farm CSA Basket

I love a freshly harvested cabbage for coleslaw. Although napa cabbage is a bit unconventional for slaw, I decided to give it a try since this week's CSA basket from Roots and Shoots Farm had said cabbage, plus a bunch of carrots and also onions.







I used my KitchenAid food processor for shredding the cabbage and grating the carrots. The small cutting blade for the cabbage and the large grating blade for the carrots.

Because napa cabbage does not grow as tightly as a normal head of green cabbage, it can easily catch the dirt from the field, as well as some outdoor creatures. We cut the base of the cabbage off before washing each leave individually.

After it was well dried, I made bundles to push through the food processor.



My favourite dressing is Bobby Flay's Creamy Coleslaw recipe, which I found on the Food Network website a few years ago.



Creamy Coleslaw
adapted from Bobby Flay, Food Network

1 head napa cabbage, finely shredded
1/2 bunch of carrots, cleaned, peeled and grated

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 small onion grated
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon celery salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
sprinkle of celery seeds 



The napa cabbage is structurally a mix of very delicate leaves and a base of typical cabbage density. Although the slaw was lovely when served right away, I am not so optimistic about its beauty when we have it for lunch tomorrow. I would consider just dressing what I would use for the meal and keep extra the cabbage/carrot combo separate from the dressing for later. The shredded cabbage should be well packaged though so it doesn't brown or wilt.

Next time I also want to reduce the salt and will try to make my own celery salt by using celery powder and salt with a lower ratio on the salt.