urbanfoodie

Tabbouleh / Tab(b)ouli Salad

Among the many treasures of my new neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis is the tabbouleh from Emily’s Lebanese Deli (not to be confused with a lesbian deli). A traditional Lebanese dish, tabbouleh is a salad made with bulgur wheat (warning: not gluten free), a LOT of parsley, mint, tomato, lemon, green onions, olive oil, and salt. Emily’s version plays up the lemon quite a bit and is a light but punchy accompaniment to any of the other meatier main dishes. Or it could stand as the star with some pita or rice. 

I have made tabbouleh a few times at home, and it is a great recipe in the summer time. Light, easy to transport to picnics, and makes use of a lot of items that are in-season at the farmer’s market. Like many other salads, the beauty lies in its abundant returns with respect to flavor and satisfaction, especially given the ease of execution. If you are trying to watch your gluten intake, you can substitute quinoa or brown rice, prepared according to the proper water:grain ratio.

Tabbouleh, from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook

(serves 8)

• 1 c. bulgar wheat (or quinoa)
• 1-1/2 c. boiling water (2:1 ratio of water:quinoa, if you’re subbing)
• 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 c. olive oil 
• 3-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 c. minced green onions/scallions, white and green parts 
• 1 c. chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium diced
• 2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulgar in a large bowl, pour in boiling water, add lemon juice, olive oil, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Add the green onions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 tsp. salt and the pepper. Mix well. Season to taste and serve, or cover and refrigerate. It really tastes best after a few hours in the fridge.

Carrot-and-Chickpea Salad

Hello, June! Picnic potluck season has officially begun, and let’s face it - you probably don’t want to be spending a lot of time in the hot kitchen preparing your contribution. I always turn to salads because they’re usually easy, fast, and can make use of ingredients that are cheap or in season. Here’s a recipe for a carrot and chickpea salad that I brought to a potluck a while back. Smoky paprika and cumin get a punch with cayenne, and the whole thing is leveled out with fresh cilantro. This will be even more awesome when carrots come back into season in a couple of months.

Carrot-and-Chickpea Salad

Recipe from Food & Wine magazine, May 2010

• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds
• 2 packed cups cilantro leaves and stems
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
• 1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Two 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used 1 c. dried chickpeas, soaked overnight then boiled)
• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

1. In a food processor, combine lemon juice with minced garlic and let stand for 15 minutes. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the almonds and toast over moderate heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain the toasted almonds on paper towels and let cool.

2. Transfer half of the almonds to the food processor. Add the cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper and pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and process to a chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas and carrots and toss. Garnish with the remaining almonds and serve. 

This can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight. Garnish with toasted almonds before serving.

Bun - Vietnamese Noodle Salad

On the hottest summer days, I find myself craving food that is light, fresh, and bursting with bright flavors. Salads easily fit the bill, and I am always looking for different takes on the concept. Thankfully, many Asian ethnic cuisines offer a variety of options, incorporating meat, noodles, dressings, and garnishes that are classic to each respective region. One of my favorite salads in the summertime (and well, anytime really) is bun, a Vietnamese noodle salad. A few weeks ago, when it actually felt like summer, I had a craving and set out for my first attempt at this dish.

salad ingredients:

• Fresh rice stick noodles (in the fridge section of Asian grocery)
• Green leaf lettuce, chopped
• carrots, julienned
• 2-3 small cucumbers, peeled and sliced into sticks
• green onions, thinly sliced
• ~2 c. mung bean sprouts
• cilantro and mint, thinly chopped/chiffonade
• handful of crushed peanuts
• optional protein - I made some pan-fried soy sauce tofu slices (let sit under a weight and paper towels to drain out water and make more crispy). Also tasty are lemongrass marinated shrimp, or bbq beef/pork.

nuoc cham dressing - recipe from a colleague who just returned from a trip to Vietnam. She recited it from memory!

• 1/3 c. fish sauce (if using less strong brand, use 1/2 c.)
• 1 cup water
• juice of 1 small lemon
• 6 T. sugar
• 1/2 T. sriracha/rooster chili sauce

Prep all the vegetables. Combine the ingredients of the nuoc cham in a separate bowl. Do these first two steps before cooking the rice noodle because the noodles take less than a minute to cook in boiling water. (You could also buy the dry rice noodles, but I highly recommend tracking down the fresh kind for their more appealing, chewy texture). In your serving bowl, place lettuce first, then noodles, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, protein, herbs, and peanuts. Take photo. You can either pour the dressing in the serving bowl first and mix all together or allow everyone to do their own dressing. If you know that you’ll have leftovers, you might opt this route b/c the dressing will make everything too soggy in the fridge. (Note, this makes A LOT so plan on serving to loved ones, eating this for a week straight, or both in my case).

I’ll admit, this can be a lot of work with the fine chopping and juggling of tasks - esp if you are a haphazard cook like I can be. But it really is simply chopping and mixing for a robust refreshing result, combining all the flavors that make for a balanced palate - spicy, sweet, sour, and savory. I am also a big fan of the layered textures of the noodles, veggies and peanuts.

Almost all the ingredients were from the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market, save for the noodles, mung bean sprouts, tofu, and ingredients for the nuoc cham dressing which I bought from Hai Nguyen Market (2412 Nicollet Ave). Global eating with local consciousness…What a concept! I didn’t really think it was possible, but I’m trying it out.

a couple of years ago, i tried to incorporate more veggies in my diet by eating at least one salad meal per day…this is inspiration to go for it again!

nutritionista: Bittman does it again…

funtime: Tasty summer eating from Mark Bittman: 101 Simple Salads for the Season

Orzo, Feta, and Tomato Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette - original recipe called for marjoram, but I used its herbal cousin, fresh oregano, instead. made this for my brother’s graduation party…a surprisingly light, flavorful salad. would be great for summer picnics!

papaya salad from Siam Terrace in Urbana, IL…so perfect for summer