Saturday, July 30, 2011

Bulgur salad with pecans, orange, and mint


Recipe

Place 1 cup bulgur in a medium bowl and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Soak for at least 30 minutes, while you chop the vegetables and prepare the dressing. (Alternatively, boil 1 cup water, add 1/2 cup bulgur, remove from heat and let sit about 20 minutes.)

In a large bowl, combine:

3 leaves lacinto kale, washed, greens removed from the center stem, and finely chopped
1/3 cup mint leaves, washed and finely chopped
2 carrots, washed and grated
rind of one organic orange, washed and grated
2.25 ounce package (1/2 cup?) pecans and/or walnuts, finely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients:

juice of one orange
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil

Once the bulgur has soaked, drain and add to the large bowl of chopped vegetables. Pour dressing over the bulgur and toss to combine. Refrigerate about one hour before serving.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

No-Cook Black Bean Pilaf

Did you know that you can soak bulgur, rather than cooking it? Plus, it's a whole grain. With the recent heat wave in Denver, bulgur has become a favorite (along with chilled watermelon and ice cream).

Recipe
Place 1/2 cup bulgur in a medium bowl and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Soak for at least 30 minutes, while you chop the vegetables and prepare the dressing. (Alternatively, boil 1 cup water, add 1/2 cup bulgur, remove from heat and let sit about 20 minutes.)

In a large bowl, combine:

1/2 pint mini-peppers (or 1 large pepper), washed and chopped
2 roma tomatoes, washed, seeded, and chopped
1/2 a small red onion (washed), thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, washed and finely chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 and 1/2 cups cooked black beans)

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients:

1 small jalepeno pepper, washed and finely minced (seed first if you prefer less kick)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Once the bulgur has soaked, drain and add to the large bowl of chopped vegetables. Pour dressing over the bulgur and toss to combine. Refrigerate about one hour before serving.