I’ve been so busy with my relocation it seems like I’ve barely set foot in the kitchen to make anything more robust than a jumbo cappuccino or an occasional hand-tossed pizza.  But I think I’m getting my culinary groove back and happy to say my pots and pans are starting to feel less neglected.

Recently I had a couple of friends visit over the Memorial Day holiday and we pretty much noshed on simple foods for the day (accompanied by fabulous wines of course). I just had to make Tabouli because it’s one of my favorite summertime food staples. I love how light and fresh it tastes and at the same time has such depth of flavors. It’s so easy to make (I’m not kidding) yet it’s a perfect dish for any meal. Plus I think it’s pretty darn healthy and healthy food allows me to feel less guilty about the wine.

I’ll typically make a half a batch (recipe below is for a full batch), share with a friend or two and then graze on the rest throughout the week.

This is not my recipe however, I’ve provided the variations I make below the instructions. This recipe comes from Nassif Grayeb at Falafel’s Drive-in in San Jose, CA.

Tabouli

1 cup water
1 cup fine cracked wheat
1 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
½ cup minced fresh mint leaves
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cucumbers (seeded) diced
3 tomatoes diced
3 TBL olive oil
3 TBL lemon fresh squeezed lemon juice (or to taste)
1 tsp.  sea salt

First prep the wheat by putting it in a large bowl and adding the water, cover and let stand for about a half hour. Make sure it’s tender and the water is absorbed, once it is ready add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss together.

Then combine the oil, lemon juice and salt in a separate bowl, add in the wheat mixture and chill.

My variations are:

Tomatoes: I always use tiny grape tomatoes and sometimes roast them first to add a different dimension. Also I’ll sometimes use both yellow and red grape tomatoes for extra color.

For the Wheat: Sometimes I use bulgur wheat if I don’t have cracked wheat on hand, you can also use quinoa as well.

Serve with: Sometimes I’ll pick up some freshly made soft feta cheese and crumble small pieces on top. I know this isn’t a traditional way to serve it but it’s so yummy.

Playin’ in the kitchen again…

I am,
The Urban Mountaineer