It’s been a whirlwind few days. Back to business with some greens, and some tabbouleh to set the stomach right.
D and I had a blast out west In L.A. this past weekend. For me, it’s been a much needed break from the winter mundane and for her, a return to her homeland. You can take the kid out of L.A., but you can’t take the L.A. out of the kid.
Before we all got down and country at Stagecoach (country music festival), we spent some time eating and hitting all of her favorite restaurants. Our time was limited, so we only ate at a few, but they were a few very good ones. No surprise, since I’d say that 75% of the reason we travel is for food and the other 25% is for personal enrichment and cultural immersion. Maybe I exaggerate. Maybe I don’t.
Stay tuned for L.A.’s food scene, through the eyes and stomach of yours truly.
But first…back to Lebanon.
With the sunshine and airiness that comes from coming west at this time of the year when the middle is still getting wind-whipped by some early spring frigidity, it reminds me that eventually we’ll be able to enjoy those sort of temperatures here at home. As such, lighter food is preferred. Necessary, actually.
Luckily, S’ Grandma’s Lebanese recipes fit this bill and the next recipe is her family’s. A grandma recipe. My favorite.
What is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur, and Middle Eastern seasonings. It’s fresh and delicious and fits the bill for any time you need a belly reset.
Like, the Kibbeh, this can be thrown together in no time, and is actually faster since they require no oven time. And, like the kibbeh, I substitute quinoa for the more traditional bulgar wheat.
What ingredients do I need to make tabbouleh?
cooked quinoa, which I substituted for the more traditional bulgar wheat
all the greens – scallions, parsley, mint
all the veg – carrots, tomatoes, cukes
olive oil and lemon juice, to dress
salt, pepper, cinnamon and all-spice to, well, spice
TIP! Use your food processor!
Have you ever thought to use your food processor to create a chopped salad? No, right? It doesn’t seem like an obvious use for a food processor, but after watching Mom do this at home on my last visit, I have no clue why I had never thought to do it before. If you’re saying, “well, duh,” to yourself, you clearly operate on a higher intellectual plane than I do. In any case, I found the food processor perfect for giving the tabbouleh the consistency of restaurant versions, and I liked that very much.
Tabbouleh
Equipment
- 1 food processor optional, but makes it all go much faster
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 5 scallions white and green parts
- 5 cups parsley, fresh
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ cup mint, fresh
Instructions
- Toss all the chopped veggies in a bowl with the quinoa well to combine. Dress with the lemon juice and oil. Serve immediately.1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 5 scallions, 5 cups parsley, fresh, 1 cup carrots, chopped, 1 cup tomatoes, chopped, 1 cucumber, chopped, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp coarse black pepper, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 cup mint, fresh
