Golden Avocado Dressing Bulgur Bowl

Here's my version of a delicious and healthy grain bowl recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  Cooking Light gave credit to Adam Hickman for the original, and I left his sauce as originally published except...I doubled it!  It's the crowning glory of this bowl recipe.

Ingredients:

2 c. boiling water

1 c. uncooked bulgur

1 t. salt, divided

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1.5 T. canola oil

2 cups finely chopped carrots (I use the bagged, pre-shredded carrots.)

½ c. sliced shallots or white parts of scallions

2 bunches lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped (I am sure other kale varieties would work fine, too.)

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 T. tahini

2 cloves garlic, peeled

½ t. ground turmeric

½ c. flat leaf parsley, chopped (or more, to taste)

Method:

Mix the boiling water, bulgur, 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.

In a large, deep-sided skillet with a lid, add the chickpeas and lightly dry them over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the canola oil, carrots, and shallots (or scallions), and sauté about 5 minutes.  Add the kale, cover, and cook until the kale is slightly wilted and carrots are tender, about 3 minutes.  Uncover and remove from heat.  Stir in ½ t. salt and the black pepper.

Process the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, turmeric, 2 T. water, and remaining ¼ t. salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Additional water can be added 1 T. at a time if needed to bring the avocado sauce to the desired consistency.

Stir the parsley into the kale mixture.  Divide the bulgur between 4 wide, shallow bowls.  Top with the veggie mixture and drizzle with the avocado dressing.  Serves 4.

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.

Buddha Bowl

Another adaptation of a magnificent Eating Well recipe.  If you have leftovers, keep the avocado and tomatoes separate from everything else.  Once the main dish has been gently reheated, top with the fresh veggies.

Ingredients:

2 small-medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/4 t. salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c. quinoa
2 1/4 c. water, divided
1/4 c. tahini
juice of one lemon
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (or 1/4 t. garlic powder)
2 15-oz. cans chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 avocados, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 c. grape tomatoes

Method
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potato chunks with 2 T. olive oil, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste.  Spread potato chunks out to a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, 20 minutes or until potato chunks are easily pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer.  In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, 2 c. water, and 1/4 t. salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork.

Mix 4 T. olive oil, 1/2 t. salt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic (or garlic powder), and pepper, to taste, in a medium bowl.  Add remaining 1/4 c. water, 1 T. at a time, to bring sauce to desired consistency.

Serve quinoa topped with sweet potato, chickpeas, avocado, tomatoes (if using).  Drizzle each serving with tahini sauce.

Serves 4 to 6.

Hummus

There is a secret to making fantastic vegetarian sandwiches:  good bread and one exciting spread.  You need to have an exciting spread,  then just load on veggies to your heart's content.  Hummus is a spread that qualifies, and it can also be used as a dip for chips (corn, potato, pita, etc.) or crudités.

I'm going to share a recipe for hummus here that is based on the one in Mollie Katzen's classic vegetarian cookbook:  The Moosewood Cookbook.  Here's the 411:

2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas or ceci beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 c. plus 2 T. tahini (Tahini is ground sesame seeds, like peanut butter is ground peanuts.)
2 juicy lemons, juiced and deseeded
1 t. salt
extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, combine garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, and salt.  Process until you have a nice texture (determine if you like it chunkier or smoother, and go to that point).  If the hummus is too thick, drizzle olive oil into the mixture with the motor running until it has thinned to your liking.  Serve the hummus as a dip with more olive oil and paprika on top, or spread it on a sandwich and sprinkle on paprika to taste.  YUM!

Hummus is often served with Middle Eastern mezzas along with things like dolmas, baba ghanoush, and tabouleh.  It's healthy and delicious!

Pasta with Corn Sauce

This is a vegan recipe from Peta...You want to serve this warm right after cooking it if you have guests, b/c the sauce is very starchy and will sort of gum up after it starts to cool. That is not to say it's not good that way, too.  It does not look as pretty, but I have been known to eat this cold right out of the fridge.

1 can corn kernels
1.5 c. soy milk
2 T. tahini (Tahini is to sesame seeds what peanut butter is to peanuts.)
1 T. onion, chopped (or dried onion granules)
1 t. salt
1 lb. pasta
freshly ground black pepper
fresh parsley, chopped, or dried parsley (optional)

Put the corn, soy milk, tahini, onion, and salt in a blender and process until completely smooth. (It may take several minutes to completely pulverize the corn.) Pour the blended mixture into a medium saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat. Stir often.

While the sauce is heating, cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the hot sauce to the pasta, and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately, topping each portion with freshly ground black pepper and parsley (if you're using it). SO YUM!