Dinner Lately…

I had been in love with Middle Eastern food since I first landed in North America over 8 years ago. Being a vegetarian, having so many choices at a Middle Eastern restaurant feels like gastronomical heaven to me. When I first had tabouleh salad, I had no idea that it was a bunch of chopped up parsley. The flavour was so refreshing (probably because of the lemon juice) that you can feel it’s cleansing effects as you eat them. I have no problem eating a whole plate of tabouleh on its own. I’m pretty sure that it’s choked with vitamins too, which I desperately need because I’ve been bitten by a stubborn cold bug since last week. Andy loved it too, to my big surprise. I didn’t think that he would be a fan of parsley, especially since it made up the bulk of our dinner tonight. Oh well, I’m glad that he’s eating well with me

Tabouleh salad can be used to fill a pita with grilled chicken or falafels to make a killer sandwich .

Greek Tabouleh
(this recipe makes  about 6 cups, enough for a party or for the whole week…)

Ingredients

•  2 bunches flat leaf parsley, chopped finely (makes about 4 cups in the food processor)
• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cooked wholewheat couscous/bulghur (cook according to package)
• 1/2 red onions (if desired), chopped
• 1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cups feta, cubed or crumbled
• 3 lemons, zested and juiced
• 8 tbsp  extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sumac
• Salt to taste

Method

1. The original tabouleh recipes call for bulghur but I opt to use wholewheat couscous instead, just because I tend to have couscous stocked up in the pantry more often than bulghur.
2. Discard hard stems from parsley and mint leaves. Chopped finely and place in a large mixing bowl. I find that using a food processor had saved me tons of time when making this salad.
3. Add diced cucumber, tomatoes and onions to the parsley and mint in the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add feta if desired. Traditional tabouleh does not include feta cheese. I just like how the feta gives the right amount of saltiness to this recipe.
5. Add olive oil, lemon zest and juice and sumac if you have any. I think sumac smells like the Chinese dried plum powder (suen mui fun).
6. Season with salt to taste.

Stuffed Tomatoes

I basically cut a part of the top of the tomatoes on the vine, emptied the insides, and filled them up with tabouleh. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and bake in 400 deg F oven for about 10 minutes.

I’ve always wanted to cook couscous more often but somehow have never gotten to it even though it is extremely easy. I finally found a recipe that I can modify from EatingWell.com so I went ahead to make it and pair it with some vegetarian chicken breast than can be cooked right in the pouch since I needed to get to my first Cooking Club meeting in Windsor. It turned out quite well, even Andy liked it being that it was such a low-fat and healthy meal. Couscous, especially wholewheat couscous is an excellent carbohydrate to pair with your favourite protein dishes like stew or grilled meat.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups finely chopped cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon freshly grate lemon zest
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup raisins or currants
• 2/3 cup whole-wheat couscous
• A dash of white wine
•  A handful of chopped cilantro or scallions
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cauliflower and salt; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add broth, juice, white wine and raisins or currants; bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Stir in zest, couscous and scallions.
4. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
5. Fluff with a fork.
6. Add cilantro/scallions and salt and pepper to taste.