I'm often skeptical when people talk to me about their special versions of classic dishes using top-secret ingredients. Good, solid recipes are so often that way because of their classic simplicity. So months ago when my boyfriend offered to make me his special coleslaw with not one but two secret ingredients, I scoffed.
I do stand corrected on the coleslaw. Sam's version is one that you can actually make a meal of, and we eat it for lunch often regardless of the season. The now not-so-secret ingredients are hard-boiled eggs and poppy seeds: the first giving it a little more heft and a welcome hit of protein, the poppy seeds lending it a delightful crunch. It is strewn with lots of fresh chopped parsley and a few capers so it has a little salty bite to it, too.
It is, hands down, one of my favorite things that Sam makes and ever since beginning to cook with him in the kitchen I've tried to slowly step out of the box and think through traditional dishes and what unlikely ingredients would make them really great.
Do you dress up classic dishes with an unlikely ingredient? Ever tried eggs in coleslaw?
→ Try the Recipe: Sam's Coleslaw
Related: Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Slaw
(Image: Megan Gordon)
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I make a sesame coleslaw that is much better than the mayo versions. Also, adding just a hint of jalapeño also kicks it up a knotch.
The best coleslaw add-in I've ever tasted: shredded tart apples.
@Atniel, do you have a recipe for the coleslaw with shredded apple? I'm looking for something to make for a big fall gathering that we'll be having.
I don't have a recipe. I just add shredded Granny Smith apples to whatever coleslaw (mayo-based) recipe that I use. It's just fantastic, brightens up the coleslaw. I've even added it to a coleslaw kit (with packaged dressing) and it works out beautifully. Just use a tart apple. Sweet apples don't work for some reason, at least with the mayo-based coleslaw. It's just addictive.
I find it a little frustrating that this post links to the author's personal blog. Why couldn't the recipe be included in the post?
I make my everyday coleslaw with shredded cabbage and fresh apple, walnuts, and then dress it with an applesauce viniagrette: applesauce, orange juice, a slosh of vinegar, salt and olive oil.
My special occasion coleslaw is with red cabbage, tart apples, walnuts and bleu cheese dressing made with sour cream thinned with vinegar.
My secret is more technique than ingredient... grill it!! It's So good and adds and AWESOME charred flavor to the dish!
http://kateneschke.com/grilled-flank-steak-southwest-cabbage-avocado/
Here's a recipe I like, via The Daily Spud:
For the dressing:
1 tblsp canola oil
1 tsp cider vinegar plus a bit extra for tossing on the apples
1/2 tsp mustard or more to taste
1/2 tsp honey (I use maple syrup)
For the slaw:
1 med. sized carrot
125g bramley apple (about 1⁄2 a large apple)
approx. 125g savoy cabbage (about 1⁄4 of a small head of cabbage – any dark, tough, outer leaves removed)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2-3 tblsp chopped flat leaf parsley
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
coarse salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peel and grate the carrot and apple and sprinkle the apple with a little cider vinegar. Shred the cabbage, toss together with the carrot, apple, spring onions, parsley and dressing. Brighten with a squeeze of lemon juice if you like.
Eggs? No thank you. Can't stand them.
I hate mayo in colesaw. I just want oil, vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and maybe a bit of celery salt in mine unless I want to get fancy, and then I add a little Dijon mustard. This just gets better every day and I never get sick of it as I am inordinately fond of coleslaw. I can't figure out why I don't make it more often.
Oh, I have to give this a try. Hard boiled eggs? I'm all over that! My special secret coleslaw ingredient is sunflower seeds, roasted and lightly salted. The crunch and the saltiness play so well with the sweet factor in coleslaw.
Best slaw I've ever eaten, hands down, is from the Vegan Supermarket cookbook. It's red cabbage, red onion, and cranberries, dressed in cider vinegar, oil, bit of sweetener, and lots of pepper. Amazingly good!
About using apples in cole slaw. I made a cole slaw with cabbage, fennel bulb, Granny Smith apples, mayo, sour cream (cuts the heavy mayo taste), and dried onions. It tasted amazing at first, and even after a few hours, but about 8 hours after that it tasted fermented and awful. I threw it out. It was refrigerated the whole time, of course. I just think it's something about a cruciferous vegetable combined with apple that makes it go funky. People who drink alcohol regularly might not be bothered by the flavor, but for me it was really terrible.
Required Veggies:
Cabbage
Onion
Pimento Stuffed Olives (thin-sliced or diced)
Celery
Simple vinaigrette:
Canola Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive brine
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder (or Garlic Salt, with less salt)
Optional Veggies:
Carrot
Radish
Turnip
Jalapeño
I can't get on the hard boiled egg wagon unless it is just yolks, but coleslaw is a dish I have deep love for.
I always tended to do a fairly classic version, mayo/vinegar/celery seed/S&P, sugar, maybe a pinch of cayenne.
But after having some leftover vinegar BBQ sauce one time I added that to the finished slaw and it was fantastic.
I have since done it with my vinegar BBQ, my regular BBQ sauce which is more heavy on the tomato, and some bottled sauces (at work) and all are great.
I love vinegar, and the extra hit, with some more spicy and sweet notes, is just delicious.
I now make mine with a bit of BBQ sauce, or add it to slaw I get at gatherings Yum!
My mom adds pomegranate seeds and not only does it look wonderful, but the little pops of flavor and crunch are really nice with the simple cabbage slaw!