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.

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.

Whole Wheat Pasta With Chickpeas and Curry

An interesting variation on pasta with chickpeas, with curry spices and chopped cilantro.

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray (thanks, Karen!).

Ingredients

13 ounces whole wheat pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, washed and chopped

1 fresno chili pepper, washed, seeded, and chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable broth

24-ounce bottle strained tomatoes

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained)

cilantro for garnish

Prepare pasta per package instructions. Drain and set aside when done.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and cumin seeds in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion, chili pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.

Add the curry powder, tumeric, and salt and stir until the spices are heated.

Pour the stock into the pan and stir until blended with the onion mixture.

Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir until blended.

Top with chopped cilantro.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Adapted from my favorite blueberry muffin recipe. Chopped pecans are a good add-in, if you have them.

Original blueberry muffin recipe at Simply Recipes.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole grain spelt flour (substitute 1 additional cup all-purpose flour if you don't have spelt)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

2 eggs

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 and 1/2 cups plain yogurt (2 6-ounce containers)

1 cup cranberries, picked over, washed, and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place muffin cups in muffin tin(s) (I usually get about 20 muffins).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Set aside.

In a large bowl, blend the butter and all but one tablespoon of the sugar. Stir in the eggs and grated orange peel.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with the remaining one tablespoon of sugar. Set aside.

Carefully stir in 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the large bowl. Then, stir in 1/3 of the yogurt. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients, followed by the remaining yogurt. Add the cranberries, stirring until just blended.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until golden brown (about 25 t0 30 minutes). Insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to be sure the center of the muffins are done (the toothpick should come out clean). Set on a wire rack to cool.

Cheese Importer (Longmont)

I've been meaning to go to the Cheese Importer for a while now, but I never seemed to be in the area. Or, more accurately, I'd be near Longmont but zipping past it, on my way to a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park or a visit with family in Ft. Collins. Even growing up, I only stopped in Longmont if I hit a red light while driving between Ft. Collins and Boulder.

But, after a friend raved about the store's cheese selection, I decided that I needed to check it out. And so, rather than driving by, through, or around Longmont, I made my first ever trip to the town, and to the Cheese Importer.

And, it was worth it. Inside an industrial-looking building on a Longmont parkway is a trove of imported foods and kitchenware. Towards the back of the store is a large refrigerated room full of cheese. And cheese samples.

Cheese Importer carries a number of imported cheeses (organized by country of origin), as well as local varieties such as Haystack. This trip, I sampled bits of cheese with made with port and cheese dotted with with cranberries. After some deliberation, I bought a beautiful chunk of creamy mango-ginger stilton (pictured above, about $9 for 8 ounces) -- basically, like a fantastic mango-ginger-laced cheesecake. I also bought some gruyere (same price range) and a block of rBGH-free cheddar cheese ($3.99 for 8 ounces), which will make their way into beer cheese soup this weekend.

Cheese Importer
33 South Pratt Parkway (just north of the intersection of Ken Pratt Blvd and Pratt Parkway)
Longmont CO
303-772-9599

Roasted Beets with Parsley Pesto

Lovely and delicious -- but more of a side dish or snack than a main course.

Ingredients
1 bunch beets (4-5 beets)
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to 375F.

Wash beets. Trim leaves and base.

Tear one square of aluminum foil per beet.

Place salt in a small bowl. Lightly roll each beet in the salt, then wrap in aluminum foil. Repeat until all the beets are finished.

Place wrapped beets on baking sheet and cook for 30 to 45 minutes, or until beets are tender.

Remove beets from the oven. Carefully unwrap the foil on a beet, then hold the beet under cool running water and gently remove the skin. Repeat with remaining beets.

Cut beets in small pieces and serve with parsley pesto (recipe below).


Parsley Pesto Ingredients
1 bunch parsley, washed
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
dash salt
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water

Place parsley, garlic, walnuts, cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor, and process until finely blended.

Scrape down the food processor bowl, then, with food processor running, carefully pour oil and water down the feed tube and process until smooth.

Grated Radish Salad

Am I the only person who didn't realize that you can grate radishes? I wish I'd thought of this earlier this summer: grated radishes + avocado + salt and pepper + rice or white wine vinegar. Yum.