I’ve been starting to see posts items popping up in my twitter feed and elsewhere across the blogosphere filled with pumpkin and butternut squash and all things fall. You will not find that here. Yet. I am in a bit of denial that summer is over – especially since I first got to the beach this summer on Labor Day – when summer is officially over. Add that to the fact that we’ve had if not the, then one of the hottest weeks all summer this week. It doesn’t feel like fall, I am not ready for fall, thus I am staying in my state of denial. And that means making foods that are not full of fall favorites.

Months ago at dinner club one of the girls ordered a side of Brussels sprout slaw and it was absolutely delicious. Then, the other night I was standing in a super long line at Trader Joe’s – that went right through the produce section – I saw a bag of pre-shredded Brussels sprouts. Instantly I knew I had to make my own slaw. It was too delicious not to try and put my own spin on it. And faced with this bag of making-life-easier sprouts, I just couldn’t pass it up.

I wanted the slaw to be flavorful and have depth. That meant I needed more fixings than just the Brussels sprouts. I wanted something tart yet with a hint of sweet so I decided to add green apples  and dried cranberries to the mix.

I also wanted to make the slaw hearty enough that I could make it into a full salad meal rather than just a side or a topping for veggie burgers. I’m the kind of person that needs a lot of versatility in the foods I cook, because I change my mind pretty much by the hour of what I’m craving and feel like eating. So to add a bit more oomph to the slaw I added slivered almonds to the mix for a bit of crunch and protein. And I found that I did, in fact, eat it as an entire salad once – just by adding half an avocado to one serving size. It was just delicious.

I wanted to add a bit of  tang for the dressing, so I oped to go with a Dijon mustard blend with lemon and a bit of oil. It turned out perfectly – light and flavorful. But enough with the background – we’re all really here for the recipe, right?