Unusual Breakfast and Cold Lunch

This morning it was hot outside when we got up. I really don’t enjoy hot food in the summer. Instead of a smoothie I thought I would use the cold brown rice I had leftover from dinner last night. There was also a pound of organic asparagus that I wanted to use. Since asparagus has been shown to fight cancer when consumed raw (and we enjoy it that way) I cut it into thin coins and tossed it with the cold cooked brown rice. I topped this with my Asian walnut dressing and some torn basil leaves. That was breakfast along with a fresh veggie and fruit juice that is. Here are the specifics and nutrition breakdown:

Asparagus and Brown Rice with Walnut Dressing
Serves 3 (meaning a double portion for Dan and a single one for me)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups brown rice, cooked and cold
1 pound of asparagus, cut into 1/16 inch coins
6 tablespoons Asian Walnut dressing (I added sriracha to it today)
6 fresh basil leaves torn

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 198.29
Calories From Fat (28%) - 55.57

Total Fat - 6.68g
Saturated Fat - 0.76g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 76.08mg
Potassium - 431.8mg
Total Carbohydrates - 30.44g
Fiber - 5.59g
Sugar - 3.15g
Protein - 7g

Comments:

While not a typical breakfast we enjoyed it. The best part was that it came together in about 5 minutes. This is why I keep cold cooked grains in the refrigerator all the time. With cooked grains and fresh veggies you can always make a meal very fast. I keep cooked beans on hand for the same reason.

To go with this we had a fresh veggie and fruit juice comprised of: 1 apple, 5 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 2 kale leaves, 1/3 pound spinach, ½ lemon, 1 inch ginger, 2 frozen wheat grass shots. Of course we also had our powdered green drink. Can you ever have too many vegetables? I don’t think so, obviously, LOL.

Next recipe

Since it is a little warm here Dan and I have decided to take it easy again today. We watched something from PBS on Netflix and decided to make another simple and easy cold mid day meal. After much discussion this morning we settled on a cold bulgur and veggie salad and some fresh veggies marinated in lemon juice. I still hadn’t decided how I was using the marinated veggies, whether on a salad, or in a wrap. By the time I needed to make a decision I decided to toss the marinated veggies with spiralized zucchini. Here is what I used:

Lemon Marinated Veggies with Spiralized Zucchini
serves 6

Ingredients:

2 red bell pepper, julienned
3 carrots, julienned
2 collard leaves, julienned
1 lemon juiced and zested
4 cups spinach, julienned
4 zucchini, spiralized
¼ cup pine nuts

Directions:

Combine the red bell pepper, carrots, collard threads, lemon zest and juice in zip top bag. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Turn the bag over periodically to make certain all the veggies are in the juice. The point of the lemon juice is to soften the veggies. Most raw recipes use oil and salt with the lemon juice. Since I have eliminated oil and try to cut back on sodium I don’t use either and it works just fine. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

When you are ready to serve toss the marinated veggies and juice with the spiralized zucchini and spinach. Top with pine nuts and serve cold.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories-  99.87
Calories From Fat (37%) - 37.1

Total Fat - 4.43g
Saturated Fat-  0.37g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 60.26mg
Potassium - 755.94mg
Total Carbohydrates - 14.04g
Fiber - 4.56g
Sugar - 6.91g
Protein - 3.99g

Comments:

This was the hit of the meal. Even my omni parents had seconds. Needless to say both Dan and I were shocked. My father really seemed to enjoy this. It was very light but had good flavor. Some fresh basil would be a nice addition to this if you have it.

Each serving of this dish contains approximately 10,600IU of vitamin A, 100mg of vitamin C, 65mg of calcium, 115mcg of folate, 130mcg of vitamin K, 120mg of phosphorus, and 65mg of magnesium. Pretty amazing nutrition for less than 100 calories.

Next Recipe:

To go with the zucchini spaghetti I made a quick bulgur dish. I added the bulgur for fiber and calories. Here is how I made that dish:

Lemon Bulgur with Vegetables and Mint
serves 6

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups bulgur
3 cups water
1 lemon zested and juiced (use 2 if you love lemon)
1 cup edamame
1 cup snow peas, sliced thinly on the diagonal
2 cups spinach, julienned
¼ cup mint, thinly sliced

Directions:

Combine the bulgur and water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice while the bulgur is still hot so it can absorb the lemon flavor. Chill the bulgur until cold. Add the edamame, snow peas, spinach and mint and toss just before serving. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories 161.61
Calories From Fat (10%) - 15.76

Total Fat - 1.88g
Saturated Fat - 0.25g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 19.86mg
Potassium - 354.01mg
Total Carbohydrates - 31.45g
Fiber - 8.47g
Sugar - 1.45g
Protein - 7.78g

Comments:

This cold salad has a subtle flavor and freshness from the mint. You can use any veggies you like with the lemony bulgur. This dish would have been great with the lemon marinated veggies. I added the edamame to this dish for protein. Snap peas were included for texture.

Each serving of this salad contains approximately 1,100IU of vitamin A, 50mg of calcium, 115mcg of folate, 60mcg of vitamin K, 160mg of phosphorus, and 85mg of magnesium.

Unrelated note:

Earlier today we watched a two part documentary which originally ran on PBS. It was called “The New Medicine”. Here is the description from Netflix, “The Before her death in 2006 from lung cancer, Dana Reeve filmed this thought-provoking program exploring the use of holistic remedies in modern medicine. Moving beyond traditional treatments and examining more lifestyle factors, an increasing number of doctors are supplementing their work with a host of healing alternatives -- including meditation, hypnosis and acupuncture -- to treat the whole body and restore their patients' health.” Dan and I both found it fascinating. Some of the scientific information about the mind body connection was very interesting.

For those of you that are wondering yes I am as interested in health and nutrition as it appears. For the last few years it has been my favorite topic of choice which is how I amassed so much information on nutrition. If I am not reading something on the topic of health or nutrition than I watching something on it.

I am going to spend some time with Dan and then make dinner. I will be back later to let you know what I came up with. I hope you are having a great long weekend. Talk to you all later.

Bulgur, Seitan Brats and Eggplant Tomato Sauce

(pictured: bulgur and brats in sauce with vegan mozzarella grated on top - not yet microwaved to melt the cheese)

This morning I decided to use up leftovers for breakfast. I make things like this often for breakfast and lunch. I wanted to use a brat in breakfast this morning since I wanted to see what the texture would be like if they were simmered rather than crispy. My husband and I both agree that we with prefer the brats simmered. We are discussing trying the brats out on the parents this weekend for dinner to see how they work on omnivores. I don’t know that I am feeling that brave yet, but we will see.

Bulgur, Seitan Brats and Eggplant Tomato Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients:

½ cup of bulgur, dry
1 ¼ cups of water, filtered
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 seitan beer brat, sliced thin
1 cup of eggplant tomato sauce
vegan mozzarella, to garnish – optional

Directions:

Combine the bulgur, water and kosher salt in the small pan with a lid. Cover the pan and bring to a boil then reduce the heat so that it is simmering. Cook for 10 – 12 minutes (depending on how long it takes to absorb the water). Leave the lid on the pan and turn the heat. Allow the bulgur to stand for 10 minutes so that it will continue to steam.

While the bulgur is steaming make the brat and sauce topping. Slice the brats thinly and add to the tomato sauce. Simmer the brats and tomatoes until heated through.

Top the bulgur with the brats and tomatoes. Garnish with a little shredded vegan mozzarella if desired. The vegan mozzarella will melt on top if your sauce is hot enough (at least 185 degrees). Or you can pop the dish in the microwave for 30 seconds and that works as well.

Nutritional Information (without optional cheese):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 269.45
Calories From Fat (12%) - 32.59

Total Fat - 3.75g
Saturated Fat - 0.56g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 373.63mg
Potassium - 484.69mg
Total Carbohydrates - 40.84g
Fiber - 9.54g
Sugar - 3.98g
Protein - 20.05g

Comments:

The brat texture was quite good simmered in the sauce for a few minutes (about 10). We think the texture of this sausage is closer to real sausage than any other seitan sausage we have tried before. It is still firmer than traditional sausage, but the soaked breadcrumbs do make the texture less firm (which was the point).

In case you are curious I think we have decided on what is for dinner tonight ….crispy baked eggplant slices stuffed with tofu ricotta and pine nuts. This is another dish that has been on my list for a while and since the weather is less than stellar today it is a good day to spend in the kitchen.

Two Whole Grain Bread (Wheat and Millet)

The weather was beautiful and cool this morning so I decided to make a quick whole grain bread for lunch today. My husband loves warm bread out of the oven. In fact, he loves it so much the bread is almost always cut too quickly. One of the best parts of this bread is how quickly it can be prepared. I frequently don’t start his bread until 2 1/2 hours before dinner. If you bake bread you know that is very little time compared to most homemade bread recipes.

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe that was on a bag of organic whole wheat flour. The original used dairy milk and cracked rye. I have substituted almond milk and millet. I also added a little agave to give the yeast a little something to eat since the almond milk is a lower in sugar than dairy milk.

If you like full flavored whole grain breads you will like this recipe. It is a little dense but full of whole grain flavor. We like the added texture the bread has from the bulgur and millet. This bread makes a great sandwich, or toast for breakfast. It also makes nice salad croutons if you can’t eat it all in a few days. I have even used this to make breadcrumbs when it has become a little stale.

Two Whole Grain Bread (Wheat and Millet)
Makes 2 pound loaf – assumes 12 servings below

Ingredients:

¼ cup of millet
¼ cup of bulgur
2 cups of filtered water to cook the millet and bulgur
2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon of active dry yeast (a package is 2-1/4 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon of agave (to give the yeast something to eat)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
4 ½ cups of whole wheat flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and sprouted whole wheat flours)

Directions:

Put millet and bulgur in a saucepan with a lid. Cover with 2 cups of filtered water and bring the water to a boil then turn off the heat. Let the grains sit in the hot water (covered) for 15 minutes. Then drain the grains of the excess water and allow the grains to cool to body temperature.

Warm the almond milk to between 100 and 110 degrees (I use the microwave). Add the yeast and agave to the almond milk and let stand at least 10 minutes for the yeast to activate (begin to bubble and grow).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Add the yeast mixture, flour and salt to a bowl large enough to knead the bread. When the dough comes together add the cooled grains and knead them into the dough. Continue to knead until the dough begins to change texture. This bread dough is wetter than most bread dough. Don’t think you messed it up if it is stickier than normal, which is how this dough is supposed to be.

Move the dough to a greased 2 pound loaf pan and allow to rise until the dough is approximately ½ inch above the top of the pan. This will take about 30 minutes in a draft free location. I place my bread dough in the microwave to rise to avoid drafts (and nosey cats).

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 200 degrees. Place on a wire rack to cool. It is best if you don’t cut the loaf until the bread has cooled at least 30 minutes or it impacts the texture. At our house we are lucky to make 15 minutes before the bread is cut, and it doesn’t seem to suffer too much. Or at least not enough for my husband to want to wait the extra 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information (assuming 12 servings):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 187.89
Calories From Fat (7%) - 13.85

Total Fat - 1.6g
Saturated Fat - 0.19g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 185.12mg
Potassium - 254mg
Total Carbohydrates - 38.62g
Fiber - 6.75g
Sugar - 0.2g
Protein - 7.53g

Comments:

This bread is very quick and easy to make and yet full of whole grain flavor. I tend to make this bread when my husband wants loaf bread instead of flat bread like focaccia. You can vary the grains you use in this bread. I have made this bread with all millet or bulgur, amaranth and quinoa or a combination that adds up to ½ cup of grain.

Green Salad with Bulgur and Dukkah

Salads are a mainstay of our diet. We eat them everyday, but salads can sometimes be boring. This salad is anything but your usual green salad. The bulgur is an interesting addition, but the Middle Eastern dukkah takes the salad over the top. This may be my new favorite green salad. I hope my husband likes it as much as I do.

Green Salad with Bulgur and Dukkah
Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
½ tablespoon of sherry vinegar
kosher salt, to taste (numbers assume ¼ teaspoon)
black pepper, to taste
4 cups of mesclun greens, torn into bite sized pieces
6 grape tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters
2 inches of cucumber, halved and cut into thin half moons
4 tablespoons of cold cooked bulgur
½ tablespoon of dukkah, for garnish

Directions:

Combine the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper) in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the remaining ingredients, except the dukkah. Toss to thoroughly combine the ingredients. You want the bulgur to be evenly distributed and to lightly coat the leaves.

Put the dressing salad into a bowl and sprinkle with dukkah and enjoy.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 183.22
Calories From Fat (46%) - 84.83

Total Fat - 9.82g
Saturated Fat - 1.28g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 504.1mg
Potassium - 752.05mg
Total Carbohydrates - 21.13g
Fiber - 7.42g
Sugar - 1.13g
Protein - 5.79g

Comments:

I love salads, but unless you change them frequently they can be the least interesting part of the meal. Since salads are good to include in a meal, I am always looking for ways to make my salads a little unusual. The cooked bulgur adds protein, texture and color. The addition of bulgur is unusual enough to take this otherwise typical green salad to a new level. About a month ago I made some dukkah for bread and pasta topping. I thought why not add the dukkah to the salad. It turns out that dukkah is a fantastic salad topping. I don’t know if this is normally what they do with dukkah, but it is my favorite way to use it so far. The dukkah adds healthy fat and crunchy texture that I like. It also adds a subtle Middle Eastern note to the salad. If you are looking for a different salad from your usual give this one a try.

Bulgur and Vegetable Salad

I love a cold grain and vegetable salad. This one combines the benefits of whole grain with added nutrition from the raw vegetables. This salad is packed with vegetables and flavor. It has a little heat from the hot crushed peppers and flavor from the lemon juice and zest. The crunch of the cold vegetables add a nice textural counterpoint to the cooked grain.

Bulgur and Vegetable Salad
Serves 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups of bulgur, uncooked
4 cups of water
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
2 lemons, juice and zest
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of edamame, shelled
1 seedless cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise and then sliced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, grated
2 tablespoons of hot crushed peppers
½ teaspoon of dulse granules
1 pound of raw asparagus, sliced fine
½ pound of sugar snap peas, sliced

Directions:

Cook bulgur in water with salt in a covered pan until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes on medium heat). Add lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil to warm bulgur. When salad has cooled, add the prepared vegetables and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 205.31
Calories From Fat (14%) - 29.71

Total Fat - 3.46g
Saturated Fat - 0.49g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 148.35mg
Potassium - 589.13mg
Total Carbohydrates - 38.44g
Fiber - 10.82g
Sugar - 5.49g
Protein - 9.15g

Comments:

This salad has a little heat from the hot crushed peppers, and plenty of flavor. It travels well, and makes a great lunch with some raw baby spinach, broccoli sprouts and sunflower seeds. I added the spinach and broccoli sprouts for the additional cancer fighting benefits.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Broccoli and Bean and Bulgur Balls

(pictured: whole wheat spaghetti with basic tomato sauce, lightly cooked broccoli and bean and bulgur balls)

Pasta with tomato sauce was on our dinner table tonight. I love a big steaming bowl of pasta. When I want comfort food, pasta is my dinner of choice. I try to always have tomato sauce in my freezer for nights when pasta is the only thing that I want. I find it works well to freeze the sauce in four serving bags so I can make dinner and lunch quickly when I don’t have a lot of time.

I combined broccoli and tomatoes tonight since they are more powerful (nutritionally) together than they are apart, particularly in terms of fighting prostate cancer. I find that broccoli and tomato sauce has become one of my favorite flavor combinations.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce, Broccoli and Bean and Bulgur Balls
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of basic tomato sauce
8 bean and bulgur balls
4 cups of frozen broccoli
8 ounces of whole wheat spaghetti
5 quarts of salted water

Directions:

Cook the broccoli in the microwave, so you retain the maximum amount of nutrition. Cook your whole wheat spaghetti until al dente. Warm the tomato sauce and put that in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked broccoli. Toss the cooked spaghetti with the tomato sauce and broccoli. Top the dressed pasta with the bean and bulgur balls.

Nutritional Information per serving:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 653.34
Calories From Fat (8%) - 50.15

Total Fat - 5.84g
Saturated Fat - 0.79g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 902.05mg
Potassium - 1358.73mg
Total Carbohydrates - 124.07g
Fiber - 7.77g
Sugar - 5.74g
Protein - 31.87g

Comments:

This pasta has a nice amount of heat in the background. I like the tender crispness of the broccoli with the relative softness of the whole wheat pasta. If you have any almond feta in your refrigerator a nice dollop of that on top of this pasta would be perfect.

Bean and Bulgur Balls

(pictured: Bean and Bulgur Balls fresh out of the oven)

Meatballs are almost a religion to Italians. Everyone thinks their family meatball recipe is the best. We discuss meatballs like they are people. Can you tell I really miss meatballs? I love them when they are so tender that they almost collapse under the weight of my fork. Yes, I am somewhat meatball obsessed.

Sometimes I “need” a meatball. Today is one of those days. I am always playing around with new combinations of beans, grains and gluten to come up with the perfect faux meatball. I have my favorites, but the perfect faux meatball has still alluded me, but we are making progress.

This faux meatball has a nice mild flavor. The texture holds together like meat but is still a little firmer than I like it. But, I have a very defined opinion on the proper meatball texture. There are few meatballs that meet my standards. If you are Italian you understand this nuance. Most non-Italians find this meatball obsession to be absurd.

Unlike the traditional veal, cheese and fresh breadcrumb meatball this one won’t clog your arteries with plague and elevate your probability of a cancer diagnosis. The fiber from the beans, bulgur and oatmeal all work together to create a complete protein and keep you full longer and well as reduce your probability of colon cancer.

Bean and Bulgur Balls
Makes 50 balls

Ingredients:

2 cups of kidney beans, soaked in 4 cups water at least 5 hours
1 cup of bulgur
2 cups of water
pinch of kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of oregano, dried
½ tablespoon of thyme, dried
1 tablespoon of hot crushed peppers (wet hots)
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 cup of rolled oats (uncooked)
2 teaspoons of koshers salt
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
10 tablespoons of vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (to spray on balls before cooking)

Directions:

On the morning I want to make spaghetti I put the kidney beans in a quart jar and cover with water. If it isn’t too hot I let this sit on the counter until a couple of hours before dinner. You can also soak the beans in the refrigerator if it is hot.

About an hour before you are going to need to make the balls cook the bulgur. I put one cup of bulgur in a covered saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cook (covered) on medium low for 15 – 20 minutes (or until water is absorbed). Then turn off the heat and allow the bulgur to stand (still covered) for another 10 minutes.

To cook the beans I strain them of their liquid and give them a thorough rinse. Then I put them in a heavy bottomed pan with at least 4 inches of water. I cook them over medium for 30 minutes before I check their texture with a fork. When they are very soft drain them and move them to the food processor. Save a cup of bean cooking liquid in case you need it in the next few steps.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add everything else to the food processor, except the bulgur and vital wheat gluten. Process until the components are evenly distributed in the bean mixture. You may need to add a few tablespoons of bean cooking liquid to get all the mixture to process top to bottom.

Move the bean mixture to a large bowl and add the cooked bulgur. Using your hands (like you are making meatloaf) mix the ingredients together. Spread the bean mixture into an even layer and add the vital wheat gluten. Knead the mixture until the vital wheat gluten in thoroughly combined and not at all dry. If the gluten does not get completely absorbed into the mixture after a minute of kneading, add water a tablespoon at a time and mix until all the gluten is completely incorporated.

Using a small cookie scoop form the bean mixture into small balls. Once all the balls are formed roll each one in your hands so they are uniformly round. Put the balls on a parchment or silpat lined half sheet pan. Leave a little room between the balls as they will expand while they cook. Very lightly spray the balls with oil. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, and check to see if they are done. The balls are done when they have increased in size by approximately 20 percent and they are firm to the touch and a light brown on the outside. This took 25 minutes in my oven.

If you don’t need all the bean balls for dinner tonight they can be cooled and frozen for another meal. I don’t store them in the sauce, as I am not certain what that would do to their texture. These are great with pasta and sauce. They also make a nice vegetarian “meatball” for a sub.

Nutritional Information per ball (assumes 50):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 33.66
Calories From Fat (14%) - 4.58

Total Fat - 0.53g
Saturated Fat - 0.08g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 112.09mg
Potassium - 53.35mg
Total Carbohydrates - 5.36g
Fiber - 1.36g
Sugar - 0.26g
Protein - 2.29g

Comment:

This makes a nice neutral tasting meatball. It worked well this evening with pasta and tomato sauce. The texture was firm, but not so firm it didn’t cut with a fork. I would probably like these a little better if I had pan fried them in a little extra virgin olive oil. I didn’t want the extra fat tonight. However, I am going to try that with some of the leftovers.

Bulgur Salad with Walnuts, Bell Pepper and Cucumber

If you are looking for a cold bulgur salad that is big on flavor this dish fits the bill. This is an adaptation of a recipe I found in a middle eastern cookbook. My version has a lot less olive oil, and I think more flavor. The salad actually improves as it sits in the refrigerator overnight. I like to have this around for a quick lunch with mesclun.

Bulgur Salad with Walnuts, Red Bell Pepper and Cucumber
Makes 6 entrée sized servings

Ingredients:

For the bulgur:
1 ½ cups of bulgur, uncooked
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
3 –4 cups of water to cook bulgur

Salad dressing:
zest and juice from one lemon
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon of coriander seed, toasted and ground
½ teaspoon of sweet paprika
½ teaspoon of allspice berries, ground
½ teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground

Fresh uncooked items to be added to the salad once cold:
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
½ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 English cucumber, finely diced
kosher salt for pepper and cucumber

Optional ingredients for garnish:
Parsley sprigs
Toasted pine nuts
Pomegranate molasses to drizzle on top

Directions:

Cook bulgur in simmering water with kosher salt until tender. This should take approximately 20 minutes. Drain the bulgur in a fine wire sieve before proceeding.

Make the dressing so that it can be added the bulgur while it is still hot. Combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well to combine. The warm bulgur will absorb the dressing more completely than a cooled grain. Place the bulgur in the refrigerator to thoroughly chill before proceeding.

Chop the fresh ingredients finely. Lightly salt the bell pepper and cucumber and place in a colander for them to release some of their liquid. If the vegetables seem very wet it wouldn’t hurt to pat them with a couple of dry paper towels to remove additional moisture before adding them to the grain. In fifteen to thirty minutes add the fresh ingredients to the salad provided the dressed grain is completely cold. Toss the ingredients and check for seasoning before returning to the refrigerator.

To serve:

This salad needs to sit a few hours to absorb all the flavors and allow them to marry. This bulgur salad is good served with warm pita bread and/or falafel or a green salad with a lemon and tahini dressing. I would pair this with a dry white wine, like a Pinot Grigio.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 245.58
Calories From Fat (33%) - 80.4

Total Fat - 9.48g
Saturated Fat - 1.03g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 482.19mg
Potassium - 373.18mg
Total Carbohydrates - 37.58g
Fiber - 8.64g
Sugar - 5.5g
Protein - 6.72g

Comments:

This salad has a lot of flavor. The allspice adds something unusal to the dish that is not prominent enough to pick out. The pomegranate molasses really shines in this recipe. If you haven't had it is tart and somewhat sweet at the same time. Once you try pomegranate molasses you will find yourself reaching for it often. If you are new to pomegranat molasses and have difficulty getting it out of the bottle try warming it in a tall pan of simmering water on the stove. If that doesn't work use a chop stick to coax the molasses out of the bottle. It can be difficult to get starting flowing but is very worth the effort.