Why hello, everyone!
I’m sure that most of you know the drill by this point. Every month, I participate in a Recipe Swap that is organized by the lovely Christianna from Burwell General Store. If my memory serves me correctly, I’ve been participating in this swap since last November – which means it’s almost been a year (!). How time flies when you’re having fun…
And I certainly always have fun with the recipe swap. Last month I managed to turn a recipe for Wild Rabbit with Vegetables into a recipe for a Bloody Mary(with lots of gratuitous pictures of my cute bunny rabbit, of course).
But that was last month! This month, Christianna sent out a doozy of a recipe. She asked us to re-interpret a recipe for Hot Slaw.
This recipe cracks me up. I think that the words “coddled” and “custard” should never be used with cabbage. Ever. I can’t even begin to imagine what this hot slaw tastes like, but it certainly doesn’t sound especially appetizing.
So, my basic goal with this particular swap was to make something that sounded a bit more appetizing than coddled cabbage custard (I dare you to say that five times fast!). I chose to use Brussels sprouts as the base of my slaw because I LOVE Brussels sprouts and I happen to think that they look (and taste) like miniature cabbages.
So, in a sense, I made a miniature cabbage slaw. A miniature cabbage slaw with bacon, blue cheese, pears and hazelnuts. Essentially, I took everything I love and combined them together to make one delicious slaw. This slaw is a great fall dish, as Brussels sprouts and pears are currently in season. The flavors are bold, and yet everything works together so nicely. I was really pleased with how it turned out.
Below is my recipe for the slaw, but please be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post so you can see all the other amazing creations from my fellow swappers.
BRUSSELS SPROUT SLAW (WITH BACON, BLUE CHEESE, AND PEAR)
Adapted from The Family Kitchen
1.5 pounds of Brussels sprouts
4 strips of bacon
1 ripe pear
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 high quality blue cheese (such as Rogue Creamery Oregon Blue)
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quickly blanch Brussels sprouts in the boiling water (3-5 minutes). Remove from boiling water and rinse with cold water (or plunge into an ice bath) to stop cooking. Pat Brussels sprouts dry. Trim ends (‘stems’) off the brussels sprout and slice very thinly by hand.
In a small bowl, mix together dressing ingredients. Toss dressing with Brussels sprouts, and refrigerate for at least an hour (to allow flavors to develop).
Meanwhile, cook strips in a skillet over medium heat. I like my bacon crispy for this salad, so I cook my bacon a little longer than usual. Remove bacon to a plate (lined with paper towels) and set aside until cool. Once cooled, slice (or crumble) bacon into small pieces.
When the Brussels & dressing have sat for an hour, remove from the fridge. Slice the pear thinly and toss with the Brussels sprout mixture. Sprinkle roasted hazelnuts, blue cheese crumbles, and bacon over the top of the slaw. Serve immediately.
Vintage Recipe Redo and Swap Project: This recipe redo/swap idea was brought to life by Christiana of Burwell General Store upon finding a cool vintage hymnal/recipe book at a swap meet in Arizona. She had the vision of bringing those recipes back to life with a twist. We swappers must change at least three things to make it our own and stay true to the intent of the recipe. There is a growing group of international talent wielding their monthly vision in our recipe swap. You can check them out by clicking their links below or via the link for Christianna’s blog above. All recipes will be posted by 6 p.m. PST on Sunday October 2, 2011.
See below (or visit the Recipe Swap page) to see all the other great interpretations of Hot Slaw! Happy swapping, y’all!
I so love you! This vintage recipe was knarly in my book. I agree completely on the word ‘coddled’ in association with cabbage (frankly it should never be uttered unless it is about an egg). This is visionary! A mini cabbage….you thinker you. This sounds really delicious. My mouth was watering with the tags of bacon and blue cheese (still is). And I do love Brussel Sprouts. Love it. It really brought this swap to a new level. I was scared when seeing the initial recipe…..
One year of swapping! Wow!
Your “mini cabbage slaw” looks great! I know even I was stumped when I read coddled- really?is the cookbook actually saying it should look like that!! As always great interpretation of the challenge recipe!
P.S: I couldn’t say coddled cabbage custard five times!
I LOVE this! we would totally eat this in my house! yum! I love everything about it!
Hahahah! I love that you just flipped cabbage the bird but still managed to honor the recipe. Your ingredients list reads like a Favorite Ingredients Ever list, too, so I can’t wait to serve this up on the side of another favorite item of mine; steak. :)
And yes, the next swap will be our one-year anniversary!!
I love brussel sprouts just on their own. But to add blue cheese, bacon, pears and hazelnuts…..wow….this is something special! Looking forward to trying this as a side to my fall and winter meals!
ooooh oooh I love brussels sprouts too! I’m also with you on the word “coddled” in this context. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.
Your slaw looks fantastic – now I have another recipe to feed my brussels sprouts addition!
Um, yummy! I could eat this salad every day. I love brussels sprouts and actually one of my first thoughts was to use them in this swap, but like cabbage, they are not in season yet in CA. Again, our little brains were thinking alike.
XO
S
Yum I love brussel sprout slaws! This sounds super yummy with the hazelnuts and pears.
Yay! I’m running into a lot of these recipe swaps today! I love, Love, LOVE what you did with yours! Buzzed it!
Love this recipe for brussel sprouts! I only ever make them boiled and then sauteed in butter, it is nice to have great tasting alternatives. And with blue cheese they can only be tasty!
Great twist on the original. Classic, but still modern!
Mmmm…Brussels Sprouts are my favorite veggie and I”m SO excited they’re back in their glorious bounty. Add BACON and CHEESE to them and I want to walk them down the aisle. Think this recipe (with only a slight adaptation of swapping cow cheese for goat) is happening in my apt ASAP.
I cannot wait to go back to the U.S. to try this one! There is not an ingredient in this salad that I don’t adore! Two out of three of my girls love Brussels sprouts, and compare them to small cabbages. The last one, the oldest, still detests them, but I am determined to convert her. As she loves blue cheese and hazelnuts i might have a chance.
Great dish!
I am SO making this. thanks!
Um YUM I totally need to make this. I love brussels sprouts and bacon with cheese and pear what a great spin on a regular slaw.
Oh my! My husband is going to love this – Brussels Sprouts are his favourite! What a great swap.
ok, I’m lovin’ this entry into the swap! No matter how hard I try I can’t always come up with new ideas for brussel sprouts (which I love), bacon, blue cheese, and pears…oh, my! I think this would make a great composed salad for my salad bar, maybe I can get my girls to eat brussels sprouts!
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Too words: DEEE – LICIOUS! lol … what a great contribution to the recipe swap
As a child I refused to eat Brussels sprouts…oh I did the requisite bite but I thought they were disgusting. Pretty much the same with peas and broccoli. Then one day I discovered the wonderfulness of not cooking them to death…all three as a matter of fact and now they reign where they belong; some of my most favorite veggies. This looks amazing. My favorite salad in the world marries pear with bleu cheese so this was not a hard sell here!
I always call brusse; sprouts ‘mini cabbages’! And I agree, coddled was not speaking my language. The pear and hazelnut are superb additions to the salad. Fantastic swap!
What a great spin to use Brussels sprouts…AND blue cheese….AND bacon! Holy moly must try soon!