Mediterranean Bulgur Bowl

I made this one up myself, but the sauce is based on a bowl sauce from Eating Well magazine.  It's super easy, so it's perfect for a weeknight, and besides boiling water, there's no heat involved, so it's perfect for summer!

Ingredients:

1 c. bulgur

2 c. boiling water

¾ t. salt, divided

¼ c. tahini

Juice of one lemon

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or ¼ t. garlic powder)

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cucumber, diced

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ c. fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
Mix the bulgur, boiling water, and ¼ t. salt in a medium bowl, and allow to stand until the bulgur is chewy, about 15-20 minutes.  When chewy consistency is reached, drain off any excess water.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ½ t. salt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic (or garlic powder), and olive oil.  Add up to ¼ c. water, 1 T. at a time, to bring the sauce to the desired consistency.

Divide the bulgur between 4 wide, shallow bowls.  Top each bowl with ¼ of each:  chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, and parsley.  Drizzle each bowl with ¼ of the sauce.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Lettuce Tofu Wraps

This delicious recipe is slightly modified from Eating Well magazine's website.  It's a great meal with a side of fries when you're looking for something easy, fun, and delish.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. smooth natural peanut butter
1/4 c. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu (If you need the dish to be gluten-free, check the ingredients.  Not all of these are gluten-free.), plus more for the tofu, to taste
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 lb. Chinese tofu (Tofu's texture is greatly improved if it has been frozen for 24 hours and then thawed prior to use.  Plan ahead.)
2 T. canola oil
1 c. julienned Asian pear
1 c. julienned cucumber
8 large lettuce leaves, washed and dried

Method:
Whisk the peanut butter, 1/4 c. soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu), rice vinegar, garlic, and red pepper together for the sauce.  Add a tablespoon or two of water to thin the sauce to the desired texture.

Squeeze as much water from the tofu as possible, then cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.  In a large, non-stick skillet, cook the tofu over medium-high heat until water is no longer sizzling out of the tofu.  Drizzle the tofu with soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu), to taste, then drizzle with the canola oil.  Toss the tofu to coat with the oil.  Cook until one side of the tofu is browned, toss again, and cook until a second side is browned.  Remove from heat.

Divide the tofu, pear, and cucumber between the 8 lettuce leaves, and drizzle the filling of each lettuce leaf with the sauce.  Use the lettuce leaf as a wrap, and eat taco-style.

Serves 3 - 4.

Lemon-Pepper Tofu and Quinoa Salad

This dish was originally a non-vegetarian dish from The Food Network magazine, and it took me a couple of tries to work it into a satisfying vegetarian dish.  But it came together, and here we are!

Ingredients:
juice and zest of one organic lemon
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, separated
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. soy sauce or to taste
1/4 t. smoked paprika or to taste
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, chopped into 1/2-in. or 1-in. pieces (Tofu has a more pleasant texture if it is frozen first, then thawed before use.  Plan ahead.)
1.5 c. quinoa
1/2 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced (I think scallions could easily be substituted here if you like the milder, greener flavor.)
1.5 lb. heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 Cubanelle chile pepper or other Italian frying pepper, seeded and chopped (A green bell pepper will work, too.)
3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 T. vinegar of your choice (I used an orange-vanilla white balsamic vinegar.)
1.5 T. chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Mix the lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 T. olive oil, salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste (be very generous with the pepper), garlic, soy sauce, and smoked paprika in a wide, shallow container.  Toss the tofu with the mixture (the tofu will likely soak it up almost right away), and marinate until ready to use in later step.

On the day you plan to eat, rinse the quinoa. 

Heat 1/2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa, and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted (about 4 minutes).  Add 4 c. water and 1/4 t. salt, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes.  Set skillet aside.

Soak the red onion slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes, chile or bell pepper, cucumbers, vinegar, 1.5 T. olive oil, parsley, 1/4 t. salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Add the onions, and toss to coat.

Heat the remaining 1 T. olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Toss the tofu and lemon zest in the warm olive oil, and allow to cook until browned on one side.  Toss again, and allow to cook until browned on another side.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, divide among 4 bowls, top with the tomato mixture, then the tofu.  Serves 4.

Cold Asian Noodle Salad

First, a big thank-you to my neighbor, Kim, who brought this noodle salad to a block party and was kind enough to share her recipe outline with me.  Kim's recipe is very flexible, so I'll give some basic measurements, but you can adjust to your taste.  I made a couple of minor tweaks, but you know how I cook...Really, unless you're baking, everything is flexible!


12 to 16 ounces of pasta (thin spaghetti, vermicelli, angel hair, or soba noodles)
soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu:  about 5 T., but flexible
rice wine vinegar:  about 4 t., but flexible
sesame oil (toasted or not):  about 1 T., but flexible
1 t. sugar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste
1 cucumber, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
a handful of shredded carrots, optional

Break the pasta noodles into thirds, then cook them according to package directions.  Once the noodles are cooked, drain in a colander and briefly blanch them in iced cold water (or rinse them with cold water while still in the colander).

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu), rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and both peppers in a small saucepan.  Heat over a low flame until just heated through.  (Kim noted for me that if one has not used sesame oil, it is is worth paying attention to the fact that it has a strong flavor.  She suggested I use sparingly and add a little at a time.  I was glad she did, because I was not very familiar with this ingredient other than knowing it is a volatile oil and should be kept in the fridge to prevent a quick rancidity.  Anyway, it's easy to add more, but you can't remove what's added, so use with care!)  Taste the sauce and adjust to your liking, adding more of whatever you feel is missing.

When the pasta is cooked, toss it with the sauce, cucumbers, scallions, and carrots (if using).  Store in the fridge until time to eat.

Thanks, Kim!