Slaw with Maple Vinaigrette and Spicy Maple Pecans
This salad looks and tastes green and glorious in the early days of spring. The subdued, earthy sweetness of maple syrup is luscious drizzled on desserts or as the foil to salty bacon on a plate of waffles. But it works deliciously, too, as the balancing ingredient in a simple cider vinaigrette. This fabulous maple vinaigrette recipe is perfect to use on a spinach salad with bacon and a hardboiled egg or to dress this crisp slaw recipe below. The dressing’s tangy-sweetness complements the crunchy cabbage and apples, a smidgen of creamy, sharp Gorgonzola and spicy-sweet maple pecans. (Note: Besides being a delicious slaw topper, the maple pecans are irresistible with a glass of white wine, or crushed and baked into homemade shortbread.)
Maple fanatic? Make maple candy and chase it down with some maple lemonade.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- 3 tablespoons Michigan maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups pecan halves
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 1 1/4 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons Michigan maple syrup
- 1/2 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
- 3 Granny Smith apples, julienned
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola crumbles