Green Apple, Marcona Almond & Idiazábal Cheese Slaw

I have never liked cole slaw, the picnic and church social standby side of shredded cabbage, iceberg lettuce and grated carrot in a mayonnaise-based dressing. I don't particularly dislike any one of its elements, but the combination of flavors have never appealed to me.

About five years ago, when I lived in Madrid, I discovered my inspiration for this dish in a tapas bar near the Plaza de Santa Ana. A couple of friends and I were tapeando (going from tapas bar to tapas bar, filling up on small plates and having plenty of wine) a little before midnight, which is when nightlife in Madrid really gets going. Unfortunately, because there are dozens of places like the one I visited, I can't recall exactly which bar it was! The good news is that I have remembered very well the different components of the "salad," as the bar called it: crisp, green apple; rich, nutty Idiazábal cheese, sliced Marcona almonds and a rosemary vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, grated or cut into matchsticks

1 cup Idiazábal (Manchego can be substituted) cheese, grated or cut into matchsticks

1/2-cup Marcona almonds, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons dijon mustard

Rosemary, chopped, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

(1) Combine apple, cheese and almonds in a bowl.

(2) Mix red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, plenty of chopped rosemary and a bit of black pepper in another bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking constantly and rapidly.

(3) Incorporate vinaigrette into other ingredients and serve slaw either immediately or chilled, on its own or over a bed of arugula.

Pan-Sauteed Apples

I often see two-pound bags of apples on sale for $2.00-$2.50. When this is the case, I will almost always buy a bag to make this dish. It is such a natural, wholesome thing to eat and can be served as a side, as dessert, or even as a snack. If you like apples at all, you will love this, and if you don't like raw apples, you should definitely give this dish a try; your opinion will likely change. My favorite part of this dish is the natural caramel sauce that forms at the bottom of the pan- no added sugar is needed; the natural sugars of the apples plus some honey or maple syrup are enough to put this dish over the edge!

Ingredients:
2 pounds apples* - peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
3 tablespoons butter (3/8 of one stick)
Juice of half of a lemon
Honey or maple syrup, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Nutmeg, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

*Certain apples tend to fall apart more easily and thus are more appropriate for making applesauce than for making this dish. I tend to have the best luck with the Granny Smith or McIntosh varieties; pink lady and golden delicious are better suited for applesauce.

Procedure:
(1) Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl.
(2) Peel, core, and cut apples into chunks. Toss the chunks in the lemon juice; this will keep them from oxidizing (this is what causes them to turn brown after sitting exposed).
(3) Melt butter into a deep sautee pan. Introduce apples and any excess lemon juice.
(4) Stir to ensure that all apples become coated with melted butter.
(5) Add honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste.
(6) Stir every minute or so until apples have softened and a thick sauce has formed.
(7) Serve warm alone or with vanilla ice cream and/or pound cake.