The "new" slaw

I was back at the grocery store.  Yes “back”.  This morning I had mentally made of list of what I wanted to get done with my day after I got off work.  (Off work early, such bliss!)

Just as I was finishing up my work day (did I say I got off early?!) my younger daughter texted me.  Did I want to do lunch?  It was nice enough out to grill, she said.  Yes, of course!  I would never pass up the opportunity to hang out with either of my daughters and cooking was something we do together often.

So, she met me at my office and we drove to the grocery store for meat and veggies for the grill.  Thin sliced steak, zucchini, mushrooms (portabella!) and peaches for dessert.  We had just tried grilling peaches the week before and decided they were as good as cobbler without all the flour and prep.  I also picked out some broccoli slaw.  I always loved my mother’s coleslaw, especially when she added peanut butter.  She didn’t add it to the dressing; it was lovely little compact islands of smooth peanut butter to contrast with the tang of the dressing.  My mother passed on her less-than-sweet tooth to me.  Tangy, check.  Sour, yes ma’am.  Spicy, heck yeah!  Thanks Mama!

Once at home, we went right to work prepping the food for the grill.  Standard short time marinade for the steak – salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, but this time with a healthy squirt of rooster sauce.  My youngest is not afraid of heat, hence this fiery addition.

She got the grill going with a little help from the dog.  He knows all the places that might yield him a tasty morsel or two and he loves the grill!  Oh, and corn on the cob, almost forgot.  While she tended the grill I gathered what I needed for the slaw.  Slaw, green onions, mayonnaise, fresh lime for the juice and shredded apple.  Wait, we are NOT out of apples, are we?  No apples on the counter. : ( Dang, I guess they are gone.  I stick my head in the fridge but am uninspired as to an apple substitute.  Returning to the counter I spy the box of oranges my husband bought for his lunches. 

No great fan of oranges, they don’t occur to me often.  I love zest – orange, lemon, lime, even grapefruit, but the flesh of oranges can be so unpredictable.  I have been disappointed more than once to cut into an orange only to find it was a bit too ripe for my likes.  I will stick with tangelos and their lovely tart sweetness, thank you.

So, I look at the box of oranges and thought. Hmm…  I was not immediately convinced that oranges would be a good addition to the slaw, but without apples or anything else that spoke to me I grabbed an orange.  I cut the peel off in the fashion of one or more of the Food Network chefs (love that station!) and cut the orange into tiny pieces.  I put just a cup or so of the broccoli slaw in a bowl, chop the green onions very finely, whip up some dressing of mayo and fresh lime juice and plopped the orange into the bowl.  Still remembering the many times of being fooled by the smell of an orange that was not reflected in the taste I took a small bite.  Wow and yum! 

We enjoyed all the grilled goodies, minus the peaches.  No room left in our tummies.  The “new” slaw was a hit.  Anything that gets more veggies on my plate in a tempting fashion is alright with me.  Another recipe for my file!

Anyway, like I said, I was back at the grocery store.  That list I had made mentally earlier in the day?  It was tucked away when I was at the store earlier and I wasn’t thinking about the potato salad I had committed to for tomorrow.  So during my second trip in one day I was thinking about people I know that detest grocery shopping.  I can’t say it is at the top of my list, but I do find a quiet solace in walking the isles imagining meals I want to make.  And, if I forget an item again, who knows?  Another new recipe?  It’s possible, always possible.