By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

Hello, readers! I hope you’ve all made it through summer, and are ready to jump into autumn. How about a new twist on coleslaw to go with a little different grilled cheese sandwich and a popular party dessert?  

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Happy cooking!

HONEY MUSTARD COLESLAW
1 head (2 pounds) green cabbage, quartered, cored, and very thinly sliced
1-3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

Toss cabbage, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Transfer to a colander; place the colander in an empty bowl. Stir and press occasionally with a spoon or spatula, let stand about one hour or until cabbage has wilted and released about two tablespoons of liquid. Discard liquid and wipe the bowl clean with paper towels. Whisk mustard, honey, chives, mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a now-empty bowl until well combined. Stir in cabbage and then refrigerate, covered, until chilled (about an hour). Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Store in refrigerator for up to two days.

GRILLED CHEESE WITH HAM AND APPLES
1/4 apple, thinly sliced
2 slice cinnamon-raisin bread
1 slice cheese of choice
Several slices of fresh deli ham

Assemble sandwich. Spread softened butter on the outside of the sandwich and grill until both sides are golden brown.

BROWNIE CHEESECAKE BALL
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter softened strawberries
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups brownies, coarsely crumbled and divided
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups crumbled brownies with mixer until blended. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until firm. Combine nuts and remaining crumbled brownies in a shallow dish. Shape cream cheese mixture into a ball; roll in the nut mixture until evenly coated. Refrigerate for two hours. Serve with vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, pretzel sticks, and/or strawberries.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.