Apple Fennel Slaw

Apple and fennel are a match made in heaven. My Apple Fennel Slaw is sweet, crisp and slightly tart and has only 5 ingredients. The produce selection during the winter months can be quite heavy with can leave you feeling loaded down and weighty. Apples and fennel are in peak season right now and they are light and refreshing on the palate.

Start by slicing the fennel bulb in very thin slices. I find it easiest to cut the fennel in half through the center, remove the core and then cut into quarters. Then slice each quarter very thinly. This will result in nice bite-sized pieces.

Cut the apple into matchsticks or julienne pieces. A quick way to do this is to cut the apple into thin slices, stack the slices and cut once more into thin matchsticks. Mix the apple and fennel together, add red wine vinegar, salt and a small drizzle of olive oil and serve. The slaw's flavors will begin to fuse together the longer it sits so it's even better a few hours later which makes it a great "make ahead" side dish. This slaw is also great with BBQ ribs or on top of pulled pork sandwiches.

Apple Fennel Slaw
Ingredients:
1 large honey crisp apple, julienned
1 bulb fennel. very thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
pinch of salt

Combine apple and fennel in a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and olive oil with a pinch of salt. Mix until salt is dissolved. Pour over apples and fennel and toss to coat evenly. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Homestyle Baked Beans

These Homestyle Baked Beans pair perfectly with my BBQ Ribs and they cook in the oven with the ribs making your life so much easier. I typically use canned beans for this recipe because I almost always forget to soak my beans overnight, and let's be honest opening up a can is so much easier. This recipe couldn't be any easier, it's just pouring all of the ingredients into an ovenproof pot like a Le Creuset or Staub, mixing and letting the oven work it's magic. This can even be made in a slow cooker, cooked on low for 3-4 hours.

The base flavors for these beans are some of my favorite - BACON and onions. Everything tastes better with bacon, right? 

Homestyle Baked Beans

Ingredients:

3 (15 ounce) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 sweet onion, diced

4 slices bacon (4 ounces), cut into lardons

2 Tbs. dark molasses

1/4 cup spicy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. tomato paste

3 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 cup favorite barbecue sauce

1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place all ingredients into an ovenproof enameled cast iron pot. Stir thoroughly to combine and season with salt and pepper. Cover with tight fitting lid and bake for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. If the beans become too thick while cooking, add more chicken stock a 1/4 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached. 

Serve with BBQ Ribs or your favorite hamburgers or grilled dish.