Tabbouleh

I would like to start this post by saying: I love Price-Rite and I am infatuated with Middle Eastern cuisine.

I know you're so sick of me waxing on about Price-Rite, and I have tried to not go on and on about it, but I think I love it even more.  The store has recently been updated and they are carrying more and more fabulous merchandise.

Last week I discovered that they are carrying grains in their "bulk" section.  The selections include: jasmine rice, basmati, white and yellow polenta, couscous, bulgur, quinoa,  black lentils, and multi-grain rice.  The prices are at least half of what I had been paying in the organic section of our local grocery store, Giant.

Back to my infatuation with Middle Eastern cuisine - I love it all (the flavors, the spices, etc.).  The nearest Lebanese restaurant is about 45 minutes away and Rob and I were able to visit last summer.  The experience sort of reminded me of a tapas restaurant.  For about $45, we were able to sample 10 appetizers (mezze).  It was all so delicious.  Rob ate most of the meaty dishes and I preferred the vegetarian offerings (hummus, fava beans, baba ghanouj, etc).

One of the plates we enjoyed was the tabbouleh.  Made with bulgur, tabbouleh is a cold salad originally enjoyed by Syrians and Lebanese.  Bulgur is similar to couscous in that it doesn't necessarily need to be cooked.  Boiling water is simply poured over and the mixture is covered for 15 minutes. 

 

I researched recipes for tabbouleh and found this one on epicurious.  I remembered the restaurant version (which was admittedly more authentic than mine) was very heavy on the parsley.  I decided to tweak mine a little to please the palates of our family.  The original recipe was: 1/2 cup bulgur to 2 cups chopped parsley.

 

Tabbouleh

1/2 cup bulgur
3 T olive oil
1 cup boiling water
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled and chopped
1/8 cup chopped parsley
2 scallions, chopped (all parts)
5 roma tomatoes, slow-roasted and chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta
2 T lemon juice

1.  Pour boiling water over bulgur and 2 T olive oil.  Cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. 
2.  Mix remaining ingredients into bulgur. 
3.  Chill and serve

We enjoyed this with balsamic bbq chicken.  I think it would also be fabulous with any sort of grilled dinner - fish, chicken, pork, etc.   Give it a try and imagine you're soaking up the sun on the Mediterranean coast!