creamy winter coleslaw and the most romantic of all…

In two weeks my daughter will be married. She’s lived with her partner for a long time and yet the idea of her being married feels different to me. Although she’ll always be part of my immediate family, I’ll be superfluous to hers. I’ll be part of her extended family. Yikes! I think I like the idea of Granny living in their spare room. Wait Theo don’t run!

I’m teasing about living down the hall from her but her marriage will change our inner sanctum forever. Our family, like any family, is comfortable with all our crazy. Each one of us, intuitively, understand our family vibe. If we go too long without it, our world’s feel tipped. When we’re together, everything’s on the table. There’s no topic off-limits. Sour moods are not tolerated and bad energy is kicked to the curb so that we can spend our time filling each other up with meaningful and thoughtful discussion and positive energy.

Ever since Meggie was little she’s described our family time as “romantic”. She sees romance all around her. It’s part of her magic. In her gentle way, she’ll guide Theo through the kindred’s landmines – I wasn’t for a second insinuating that we don’t have any – we just know where to step…

She’ll bring the love of her life into the most sacred place in our universe – our family. Happily for us, Theo is a remarkable young man. His values are grounded in common sense. His moral compass is true. Ralph and I feel blessed to have him as a son and the girls are delighted to have him as a brother.  For Meg, that will be the most romantic of all…

The colors in this coleslaw and the fresh horseradish in the dressing will make this salad a spectacular addition to a pot luck or buffet dinner over the holidays! It’s delicious served immediately or made in advance. However, if you do make it in advance wait until the last minutes to add the apple pieces. That way they won’t have time to turn brown.

Creamy Winter Coleslaw
Serves 6

2 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup thick Greek yoghurt
½ white cabbage, outer leaves and core removed then thinly sliced
½ red cabbage, outer leaves and core removed then thinly sliced
1 tart apple, julienned
¼ cup cashews, toasted and chopped
½ cup pomegranate seeds
1 medium carrots, sliced in thin rounds
Juice of 1 lemon

THE STEPS:

• Place julienned apple pieces in a bowl with the juice from the lemon and enough water to cover the apple.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together horseradish, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, salt, pepper and garlic.
• Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly to make a thick dressing.
• Stir in yoghurt.
• Add prepared vegetables and toss well.
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.

THE LOVE: Take the time to grate your own horseradish rather than using prepared horseradish. Makes all the difference in the world!

printable recipe

one year ago: banana muffins

two years ago: roast chicken wrapped in peppered bacon and sage

Thanks for reading.

click on my suggestions for creating a dinner menu around today’s post:

http://wp.me/p1tsyU-Zv

http://wp.me/p1tsyU-1u4