This weekend was unusually hot, which for 99.5% of the population is a good thing. But I just spent an undisclosed sum of money on clothing, shoes and accessories to keep my booty warm for my trip to NYC, and I’m just not quite done with justifying my purchases just yet. The wool scarf, earmuffs and gloves still have another 40 or so uses out of them this season, so that I can finally feel good and say, “wow, I’ve gotten my money’s worth!”
Unfortunately, the 85F weather just wasn’t agreeing with my neurotic need to wring every penny’s worth out of the earmuffs and I ended up giving into flip flops and capris — cooking warmer weather foods like this Chicken Sausage with Apple Slaw.
For slaws, the secret is in the cut. I try to get all my vegetables the same shape and size, so that when you take a bite, you’re not dealing with stringy this, knobby that and chunky others.
For celery, I like to run a vegetable peeler lightly over, just to remove some of the stringy bits which get stuck in your teeth.
Then I’ll cut into thin slices, but at a very extreme diagonal to get longer pieces. Cutting them diagonal also keeps the celery more tender/less stringy, as we’re cutting across the “grain”. If you cut your celery like you do for celery sticks, you’ll notice much more stringiness.
Then I just line the celery up lengthwise and run my knife one more time to make julienne strips.
For apples, I cut all the fruit off of each side, discarding the core.
Then I thinly slice.
and then matchstick-like strips.
For carrots, you can purchase matchstick carrots, or julienne them yourself — but only do this if you have a very sharp chef’s knife. Skinny, round hard carrots are difficult to julienne with a dull knife.
The dressing ingredients are simple: plain yogurt, apple cider, mustard, honey and salt.
What make this slaw over the top is the addition of poppy seeds.
What is Poppy Seed?
I’m part of McCormick Gourmet team of bloggers developing recipes featuring their spices and I also on the chef panel to develop McCormick 2011 Flavor Forecast prediecting upcoming flavor trends.
From McCormick Gourmet Enspiceopedia
BOTANICALLY SPEAKING
Although the poppy plant itself is an infamous source of opium, the tiny, dried seeds of the annual Papaver somniferum,
which translates as “sleep bearing,” have no narcotic properties. The
plants produce showy, colorful flowers and richly colored slate-blue
seeds, with a nutty flavor. Poppy seeds are available in the whole form.
YUM FACTOR
Sprinkled on baked goods from breadsticks to cake, whisked into salad
dressings for fruit or greens, swirled into egg or potato dishes… the
many uses of poppy seeds are surprising and delicious. Toasted or not,
the tiny blue-black seeds figure prominently in Eastern European,
German, Indian and Turkish cuisines.
GLOBETROTTER’S GUIDE
Indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean, today’s poppy seeds most
often come from the Netherlands and Australia. The Dutch variety is
especially prized for its uniform slate-blue color.
BELIEVE IT…OR NOT
Cultivated for more than 3,000 years, the deep red flower of the
poppy plant has long been a symbol of esteem for fallen warriors. In the
United States, the flowers are often used to commemorate Veterans Day.
Chicken Sausage with Apple Slaw Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 chicken sausage links
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil
- 1/2 cup liquid: beer, water or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons lowfat or nonfat plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 large carrot, cut into julienne (or 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots)
- 1-2 stalks celery, cut into julienne
- 1 granny smith apple, cut into matchstick
Instructions
- To cook the sausage, grab a large frying pan or saute pan with lid. Turn heat to medium and swirl in the cooking oil. When hot, add the sausage and cook until all sides are browned. Pour in the liquid, cover immediately, turn heat to medium-low and let cook for 3-5 minutes until chicken sausage is cooked through.
- To make the dressing, in a bowl,whisk together the yogurt, mustard, salt, honey, cider and poppy seeds.
- In a large bowl, combine the carrots, celery and apple. Add half of the dressing, toss to combine and taste. Keep adding additional dressing until you get the desired flavor.
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Yummmy..
Simple and good recipe..
This recipe looks simple to make and easy to eat too! I would love to try it but I’m not sure I’ll be able to find some of the ingredients down in my neck of the woods. Please what can I use to substitute, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds and celery. Thanks,
I was looking for a salad recipe with apples, and you slaw looks fantastic, so i’ve just made it and it really taste great.
I’m desperately trying to find inspiration for some salads this week…I’m in the mood for slaw. LOVE that this is yogurt based and the apples look so great in it. (and better yet, I think I have some chicken sausages in the freezer!)
I made this dish last week for my family. I tried a different type of chicken sausage, a sun dried tomato chicken sausage, and it was delicious! My daughter loved it. The slaw was a little tedious to cut up, but I cut the julienne pieces perfectly! I didn’t have apple cider vinegar on hand so substituted with rice wine vinegar and it still came out good; slightly more vinegary, but I liked it 🙂 Thanks for a light, yummy recipe.
Found this site when googling for a Chicken recipe.. I must try this one 😀
Your slaw looks beautiful! I love fruit and cabbage salads, but what’s funny is I’ve never tried it with apples before. I gotta try it one day! The sausages look delish too! 🙂
The apple slaw was fantastic. Will make over and over again, I served it with cuban sandwiches, figured it would lighten things up a bit. . .perfect!
wow thanks for answering my question so quickly… can’t wait to make this…..
I recently started eating gluten free and red meat free and this looks like a great recipe to add to my repetoire!
the slaw dressing call for apple cider. is this apple cider vinegar? usually a slaw has something acidic…help
Hi Dorothy, yes, it’s apple cider vinegar. Sorry about that!
This apple slaw looks delicious, and especially perfect for the spring and summer!
My husband has been dying to smoke sausages in his new smoker. This might be the recipe to get me on board.
Yummmmm!!! looks amazing, will try soon.
This looks so delicious, yummmmmmmmmm!!!
This looks delicious. I think I’ll make the salad today:)
This looks tempting, I too used poppyseeds in my Carrot and Orange salad recently, they add a great extra dimension to the raw vegetables. I think I’ll go and buy some sausages (only pork or merguez -spicy lamb- however in Provence).
Oh apple slaw that sounds good and with chicken sausage YUM!
Yum! I make a very similar slaw only I use celery seeds and raisins as well. I love serving it on top of our Chipotle Spiced Pulled Pork. OK, I’m ready for summer…clearly.
Looks delish….my kind of food. And poppy seeds…YEA!!!!! Love them with chicken, cake, bread, pork, you name it.
Your apple slaw sounds so unbelievably tasty! I’m so excited to try!
Looks like a nice lunch recipe and I just love poppy seeds.
Apples go so well in this salad. Throw some cubed Gouda cheese in and it’s even better!
Nice recipe, we’re at the end of summer here now so this would work very well and I love chicken sausages! Lovely rustic looking slaw.
Greetings from the Yangtze!
Looks tasty, but alas I was hoping for how to make the chicken sausage as well. 🙂
that is a good recipe for summer side dish.
For specific recipies like this that require lots of finely jullienned veggies like carrots I use my Japanese Benreiner mandoline now made with a plastic body and three interchangeable vertical blades (including a fine one for making angel hair thin carrots and daikon). I originally got one in Japantown in San Francisco back in the 1960’s that was just like today’s but made from pine and that was adjustible enough to slice french fries. It cost under $10.00. Today’s plastic version runs around $20 and beats the pants off all the metal ones. Find and get one. Makes paper thin potato slices for chips and grated cheese.
Apple slaw sounds so refreshing! Perfect for the upcoming grill season! YAY!!
WOw I would do anything for 85f right now. Thought the weather is been behaving here right now, 50f is also like a blessing. With all those purchase maybe you should come and visit me where you can make maximum use of the earmuffs and scarves. Thanks on the grilling tips. I had really reached the point where I peal the sausages and make them into patties.
This slaw sounds deeeeelicious!