Recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Slaw with Gingered Apples

Instructions: Roasted Root Vegetable Slaw with Gingered Apples, Raisins, and Walnuts,Apple and Rosemary-Scented Barley, and Brown Mustard Dressing.

(This is the full name of the salad.)

Note 1: Original recipe used 1 C walnuts. To make this lower fat and because I am slightly allergic to walnuts I totally eliminated them from the recipe.

Note 2: When reducing the port wine since the alcohol burns out it will reduce the calories by 30

Note 3: Original recipe used 1 Tbsp Safflower oil. To lower the fat I reduced this to 1 tsp

Note 4: Original recipe used spicy brown mustard. I did this and it was almost over-powering. I would use a not spicy mustard for this recipe.

Note 5: Original recipe used regular mayonnaise. I used nonfat.

Note 6: Rutabaga (abt 1 1/2 lbs), ends trimmed, peeled, and cut into sticks 3" long x 1/8" thick

Note 7: Carrots (about 1/2 lb), ends trimmed, peeled, and cut into sticks 3" long x 1/8" thick

Note 8: Original recipe used 4 Tbsp safflower oil. To reduce the fat I gave a nonstick pan a spritz of baking spray and then laid the veggies on the tray, I spritzed them again...I figured it was equivalent to approx 1 Tbsp or less of the oil.

Note 9: Turnips (abt 1/2 lb), ends trimmed, peeled, and cut into sticks 2" long x 1/8" thick

Note 10: Parsnips (abt 6 oz), ends trimmed, peeled, and cut into sticks 3" long x 1/8" thick

Note 11: Original recipe used 1 1/2 C barley. That was way too much. I would only use 3/4 C

Note 12: Green leaf lettuce, cored, separated into leaves, washed and dried

Prepare the gingered apples, raisins, and walnuts: Preheat the oven to 325F.

Toast the walnuts (if you use them) on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 min. Cool the nuts to room temp before chopping them into 1/8" pcs.

Set aside.

Heat the port wine in a 1 1/2 qt saucepan over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 min, until quite thick and reduced to about 2 Tbsp. Remove from the heat and set aside until needed.

In a 3 qt stainless steel bowl, add the lemon juice to 2 qts of cold water.

Core and quarter the apples, then slice each quarter widthwise into 1/4" thick slices. Immediately place the apple slices in the acidulated water to prevent them from discoloring. (You dont want to leave them in too long or they will become too tart by picking up too much of the lemon juice flavor in the apples.)

Heat the safflower oil in a large nonstick saute pan over med heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 min. Drain the apples in a colander, rinse under cold water and shake dry. Add the apples to the onion-celery mixture along with the raisins and cider vinegar. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 min. Add the ginger, stir to combine, and cook for 1 min.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the port wine reduction, and stir to combine. Add the walnuts (if you use them) and combine. Transfer the gingered apple mixture to a 3 qt stainless steel bowl; set aside, uncovered, at room temp for up to 4 hrs. Or cool to room temp and then refrigerate in a covered, noncorrosive container for up to 4 days before serving.

Make the brown mustard dressing:
In a 3 qt stainless steel bowl, whisk together until smooth the mustard, apple juice, nonfat mayo and cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Make the root vegetable slaw:
Preheat the oven to 375F.

(Place the rutabaga and carrot sticks in a 5 qt stainless steel bowl with 1 Tbsp safflower oil. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat the vegetables with the oil. Transfer the parsnips and carrot sticks to a nonstick baking sheet - spreading them in 1 layer over the surface of the pan.) What I did was lay them on the nonstick sprayed cooking sheet and give them a quick spritz of nonstick baking spray. When you remove the baking pan from the oven set it aside for a few minutes.

Repeat this process with the turnips and rutabagas, using the remaining oil. (I did the same thing as above for these veggies.) Place the turnips and parsnips on a separate baking sheet.

Place the baking sheets with the root vegetables in the preheated oven.

Roast the carrots and parsnips for 10 min and the rutabagas and turnips for 15 min. Cool vegetables at room temp for 30 min. Transfer the root vegetables to a 7 qt stainless steel bowl. Add 1/2 C brown mustard dressing and use a rubber spatula to combine (cover the remaining 1/2 C with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed (up to 2 days).

Prepare the apple and rosemary-scented barley: Heat the apple juice, salt and rosemary in a 3 qt saucepan over med-high heat. When the juice boils, add the barley. Return to a boil, then adjust the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 min, until cooked but not mushy.

Drain the barley in a large med-gauge strainer, then cook with cold water.

Transfer the barley to a 5 qt stainless steel bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed (up to 2 days).

Assemble the salad:
Divide and arrange the lettuce leaves on four 10 - 12" room temp plates.

Arrange an equal amount of barley on the lettuce leaves. Use a kitchen spoon or rubber spatula to spread the barley into a ring toward the outside edge of each portion of lettuce. Dress each plate of lettuce and barley with 2 Tbsp of brown mustard dressing. Place an equal amount of root vegetable slaw inside each ring of barley, spreading the slaw to form a 2" diameter well in the center of the slaw. Place an equal amount of gingered apple, raisins and walnuts (if you use them) in each well of slaw. Serve immediately.

This can be served warm or cold.

This recipe can be made up to a couple
days ahead and combined at the time of serving. You can also use any part of this recipe as individual side dishes for any meal or together as this main dish salad.

Serves 4

NOTES : This was incredibly good!! I wouldnt hesitate to serve it to guests.