Oh summer, why must you be so painfully hot? We are on our third week straight of unbearably hot and humid weather in Chicago. It's awful and has me counting the days until fall (56 days). The forecast shows no end to this heat in sight which is the worst news you could give me. Even though I am anti-heat, summer carries one of my favorite flavors and that is barbecue. There's nothing like the smell of a juicy steak on a grill. Well, I don't have a steak recipe for you today (although there is one coming soon) but I do have a recipe for pulled pork that might just make your dinner menu next week.

How do you feel about slaw? I've recently jumped onto the slaw bandwagon which is pretty surprising for me. I never particularly enjoyed the condiment or side, whatever you call it, because I didn't like the creamy version and the non-creamy version was to vinegar-y for me. My obsession with the Food Network has taught me that like any other food, slaws are customizable. So I dove head first.

I wanted a refreshing bite to the rich flavor of barbecue and what better to do that than cucumber. It's such a mild ingredient that you can really use it with anything and it pairs well with other ingredients like tangy Granny Smith Apples. Add some red onion and you've got yourself one delicious summer slaw. This is a non-dairy recipe so it's forgiving and not dense and easy on the tummy. The downside of whipping up a slaw is all the shredding. If you have a food processor, simply use the shredder blade. It's effective and it's quick. You'll cut your time tremendously and the labor is all done by machine. Get the recipe below!

PULLED PORK PITA POCKETS WITH CUCUMBER APPLE SLAW
For the slaw:
2 medium Cucumbers, peeled
1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled and cored
1/2 small Red Onion
1 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp. Honey
3 tbsp. Olive OIl
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh Mint, chopped
2 tbsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Sugar

For the pockets:
1 lb. BBQ Pulled Pork
4 Pita Pockets
1 cup Slaw

Directions:
1. Peel the cucumbers. Peel and core the Granny Smith Apple. Using the grater blade on a food processor, grate the cucumbers, apple and onion. Squeeze extra liquid out with a paper towel and place in a strainer with salt and sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes with the strainer in the sink or over a bowl. Squeeze out remaining excess liquid and place into a bowl.

2. While the cucumber mixture sits, mix your dressing. Whisk together red wine vinegar, dijon mustard and honey until emulsified. Slowly whisk in olive oil until smooth and add a half teaspoon of chili powder.

3. Mix 1 teaspoon of the vinaigrette at a time into the cucumber mixture up to 2 teaspoons. Slow mix in the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and adjust any seasonings as you prefer. Add mint and toss one more time.