tabbouleh
February 28, 2014 § 90 Comments
If you are experiencing winter right now wouldn’t you agree this is the time of the year when you start dreaming of fresh peas, forget-me-nots, asparagus, mint and chives? Well, the forget-me-nots are barely peeking from the soil out back and I haven’t seen fresh peas yet. I did get a glimpse of some good looking thin asparagus stalks at the market the other day. We are just not quite there yet. It is still cold, snowy, windy, rainy, and dormant.
The other day I was reading a post from lucysfriendlyfoods and when I saw her tabbouleh post I had that glorious feeling spring is here. We may not be there yet, but why not make a nice fresh herbal salad with little tomatoes and roasted chickpeas. Yes, the same roasted chickpeas I posted just the other day. My understanding of tabbouleh is the cracked wheat (bulgur) is meant to be more of a garnish and the herbs play a larger role as the main ingredient. Tabbouleh should be considered a green herbal salad with a touch of cracked wheat. Thank you lucylox for inspiring a pre-spring salad! Now, I’m off to Fiesta Friday, as usual a little late. See you there! And thank you for the spoon Elena!
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
- 2 cups water
- 1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
- Small bunch of mint, finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped (or less depending desired taste)
- 10 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
M e t h o d
Place the bulgur in a medium size bowl with 2 cups of boiling water. Allow it to sit and absorb the liquid. Once liquid is absorbed and bulgur has become soft, place in a sieve and remove any remaining excess water. Place the bulgur in a serving bowl and fluff up with a fork. Pour over the lemon, oil and salt. Mix well. Stir in the parsley, mint, onion and tomatoes. Toss well and serve at room temperature, topped with crispy roasted chickpeas.
crispy roasted chickpeas
February 26, 2014 § 86 Comments
There is a friendly little wine bar close to our house we like to visit on occasion. They serve wine on tap. Apparently, this not only means no waste, but it means taking less of a toll on the environment; less transportation and manufacturing costs, less fuel emissions and no glass and corks heading to the landfill. Seattle is a very environmentally friendly city and needless to say wine on tap is a fair concept for most of us. Well, I prefer wine from an oak barrel. But then, I don’t go along for the wine, it’s the ambiance of the place and more importantly…the crispy roasted chickpeas they serve as an appetizer.
Crispy roasted chickpeas is not a new idea, but a revisited idea. If you haven’t made them, do. If you have made them and it’s been awhile, do it again.
I found a chickpea brand and was pleasantly surprised when I opened the can and found the skins were already taken off of them. Otherwise, to easily remove the skin rub the chickpeas with your fingers in a bowl filled with water. The chickpea skins will float to the top, and you can pour them off to drain. You may use any spice you would like. Experiment! The first time I made these I used sweet smoked paprika and haven’t even considered using anything else.
Here’s the recipe and be warned, you will not stop eating them once your start.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- choice of spices, I used sweet smoked paprika
M e t h o d
Preheat the oven to 400° F. If you open your cans and find the skins on the chickpeas, place the chickpeas in a large bowl and fill with water. Rub the chickpeas with your fingers gently to remove the skins. The skins will float to the surface of the water, pour them off the side of the bowl. Drain the chickpeas and dry well with paper towels. Toss to coat the chickpeas with the olive oil, spices, and sea salt. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until golden and crispy. Enjoy right away while they are warm and crispy!
Serves 4, as an appetizer.
COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE 