Try my friend Gloria Kobrin's Green Salad with Pomegranate Arils and Candied Pecansfrom her wonderful blog, Kosher by Gloria. Gloria writes: "Sometimes all you need is a light green salad to round out your meal. This salad is the perfect combination of slightly bitter and sweet soft and crunchy. The arils add colour and brightness while the candied pecans add crunchy sweetness. A very light lemon vinaigrette, or just a drizzling of olive oil and a squirt of lemon juice, brings it all together. Eat in good health! Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom, and Chag Shavuot Sameach!Adapted from Norene's Healthy Kitchen by Norene Gilletz (Whitecap)
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Everyone will shout "yahoo!" when they taste this terrific tabbouleh. Most recipes call for soaking the bulgar in water, but I prefer the Lebanese method which I learned from Vivianne Barzel, of Israel. She rinses the bulgar, drains it well, and then mixes it with olive oil before adding the other ingredients. This produces a vibrant green tabbouleh that isn't watery. Vivi chops the parsley and herbs by hand, but I use my food processor. I like to layer the ingredients, which helps the bulgar absorb the other flavors.
1/3 cup bulgar (cracked wheat)
1. Place the bulgar in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 1 to 2 minutes. Press down firmly to remove excess moisture. Transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil and salt; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (or even overnight).
2. Top the bulgar with a layer of chopped tomatoes. Mince the garlic, parsley, mint, cilantro, and onion. (This takes 10 to 12 seconds in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.) Spread the minced herbs and onions on top of the tomato layer. Add the lemon juice, rind, and pepper but don't mix.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to allow the flavours to blend. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. This tastes even better the next day!
Yield: About 4 cups (8 servings). Recipe doubles and triples easily. Keeps up to 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
CONFETTI TABBOULEH: For a more colourful salad, add any of the following: 1/2 cup chopped English cucumber, 1/2 cup chopped red pepper, 1/2 to 1 cup corn kernels, or baby green peas. Basil can be used instead of cilantro. Add an extra drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil.
COUSCOUS TABBOULEH: Omit bulgar. Combine 1/3 cup couscous with 2/3 cup boiling water. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil and salt; mix well. Continue as directed in Step 2.
BARLEY TABBOULEH: Omit bulgar and add 1 cup cooked barley.
QUINOA TABBOULEH (Gluten Free): Substitute 1 cup cooked quinoa for the bulgar. Although the ingredient list is long, this grain based salad comes together quickly with the help of your food processor.
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium or regular)
1 can (19 oz/540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
1. Combine broth with couscous in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 5 10 minutes, then stir with a fork. Add chickpeas.
2. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process parsley until minced, about 10 seconds. Add apricots, prunes, cranberries, and raisins and process with quick on/off pulses, until coarsely chopped. Add to couscous.
3. Process onion, bell pepper, and zucchini with quick on/off pulses, until coarsely chopped. Add to couscous mixture.
4. Dressing: Drop garlic and ginger (if using) through feed tube while machine is running and process until minced. Add remaining ingredients except almonds; process until blended.
5. Pour dressing over couscous mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with toasted almonds at serving time.
