Lebanese Chickpea and Bulgur Salad

Chickpeas are a staple in every Middle Eastern kitchen.  They are extremely versatile and can be used in an endless variety of dishes both as main courses and as side plates.  There is a good reason why chickpeas are so widely used: they are an exceptionally healthy bean which benefit the human body in many ways:

Chickpeas are an incredible source of dietary fiber and we all know that a diet high in fiber is essential to one's digestive health.  In addition, this miracle bean has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels (the bad type of cholesterol) and is a great source of iron.  And of course, chickpeas are a wonderful source of protein so vegetarians should most definitely be adding these beans to their diet. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy chickpeas (other than of hommos, of course) is in a light and simple salad. When I saw a recipe for a chickpea and burgul salad in Claudia Roden's Arabesque I knew I had to give this recipe a try.

Beet and Yogurt Salad

Beets are definitely not the most glamorous root vegetable around but they sure are good for you...

Apparently beets have the ability to detoxify the blood, protect against heart disease and lower cholesterol.  Not bad! Some studies have also shown that beets slow the growth of tumors and help to boost immunity.  

After discovering all of these health benefits I thought I would give beets a chance by preparing a simple beet and yogurt salad.  Let me tell you, and this comes from someone who isn't the biggest fan of beets, the result was quite fantastic.  Give this a try! It's easy to make too. No cooking required.

Turkish Bulgur Salad

 

I made this salad this weekend and it was a hit... It was finished before my husband and I sat down to eat dinner.

I highly recommend you make this Turkish dish (which is called kisir by the way) as it as it is easy to prepare and is absolutely delicious.  The primary ingredient in this salad is the bulgur (as opposed to the similar Lebanese dish, tebbouleh where the parsley is the main character).  Bulgur is a wheat which you should definitely be adding to your diet.  It is full of fiber and is a good place to get some vegetarian protein.

Grilled Asparagus Salad

It's finally spring! (Although it doesn't feel like it today... it has been raining for over 24 hours...)  This special season brings with it so many beautiful fruits and veggies... nature is definitely celebrating!

One of my favorite spring vegetables is definitely asparagus. It's so versatile and delicious.  Above all it is extremely healthy too:

Asparagus is a natural diuretic, is great for the heart, and is full of iron, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin A. Due to it's high concentration of folic acid it is often recommended that pregnant women should eat plenty of asparagus to decrease the risk of health defects.

Deliciously Healthy Kale Salad

I apologize for not posting any new recipes for 4 months... I recently got married and moved halfway across the world.  I have been doing more cooking than ever before but of course I am rather busy and am having a hard time sharing my culinary adventures...

Aaaaaanyways, one of my newest obsessions these days is with kale.... I really didn't like kale at all at first but then I discovered I was just using it the wrong way.... I don't think that a garlicy dish is the way to go with this earthy green.  On the contrary, I think a simple, fresh salad is the perfect way to serve this healthy nutritious vegetable (kale is thought to have cancer-fighting properties and is rich in iron, and vitamins A, C and K).

A Healthy, Colorful Pasta Salad

I made this salad for lunch this afternoon and let me tell you it was fabulous.  Pasta salads can get a little bit blah so I made it interesting (and healthy) by adding some broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes and red peppers... All the different colors involved made it a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy (I don't know about you, but I am so much more likely to enjoy something if it looks pretty).

I used a lemon and honey vinaigrette for this recipe and it resulted in the perfect tangy-but-sweet combination.

Pair this salad with a creamy tomato soup and you're all set for your light Sunday brunch this weekend.

Arugula and Mushroom Salad

There are so many things I love about arugula… it has a wonderfully spicy taste that makes even the simplest salads fantastic. Even better, arugula is super healthy and full of vitamins, iron and phytonutrients which supposedly have cancer-fighting properties. What’s not to love about these greens?

A Summery Orzo Salad

Summer has arrived! This is beyond a doubt my most favorite time of year… Seriously, what’s not to love? The mangoes, the ice cream, the long flowy dresses, the beach… and speaking of beach, I just thought I’d share a picture of one of Egypt’s finest… And seriously, this picture does not do our shores justice…

Now I’m sure all of us would rather spend more time at the beach and other equally fabulous summer destinations than in a hot kitchen (and let me tell you it gets really hot here in the summer). So, without any further ado let me get to this recipe which is quick and easy so that it saves you time for other fun summer activities (but it still tastes perfect and light).

A Simple Artichoke Salad

I love this salad: its simple, healthy (did you know artichokes are meant to be good for everything ranging from the liver to the skin?!) and above all its delicious. I could have added a million things to spice up this salad: olives, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, and the list goes on... I didn't though just because I was in the mood for something more plain and the dressing added the perfect amount of zing for me.

Feel free to play around with the ingredients to your liking though...
Ingredients:
6 large artichoke hearts
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients together. Taste and season to your liking (add a pinch of cumin if you like).

Cut the artichoke hearts into bite-sized pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the juice of one lemon and the artichokes (you add the lemon so that the artichokes do not turn color and get too dark). Boil the artichoke for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove the artichokes from the water and set aside in a bowl to cool. Once cooled add the parsley and dressing. Mix thoroughly so that the artichokes are completely coated.

Chill in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Serves 4

If you liked this recipe then you must try:
Fattoush Salad
Tebbouleh Salad

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Tebbouleh

I love Lebanese cooking -- everything they make is so fresh, light, and above all simple.  Tebbouleh is one of my favorite salads and despite the look of it is very easy to make (it just takes a little bit of patience with the chopping). Tebbouleh as a side salad goes well with most Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes.

The key to a good tebbouleh is (and trust me on these because I've made bad tebbouleh before):

1. The parsley. Don't be shocked by the amount you'll be using -- this recipe is all about the parsley.
2. The chopping. The parsley has to be chopped down to a uniform consistency. You can't really cut corners.
3. The dressing. It has to be nice and tangy, but not so much that its all you taste.

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes
4 or 5 large bunches of parsley
1 small onion
1/2 cup of burghul

Ingredients for the dressing:

1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
Juice of 2 large lemons
1/4 tsp salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of sugar

First begin by chopping the parsley. Take a handful at a time and with a sharp nice finely chop the parsley into miniscule pieces. The easiest way to do this is to roll the handful into a cigarette like shape (I can't believe I'm using the word cigarette in a recipe!) and chop by working your way from one end to another. Transfer the chopped parsley into a bowl.

Next, dice the tomatoes and onion into very small pieces -- as small as you possibly can without making them "pastey". Transfer the onion and tomato into the parsley bowl.

In the meantime, put the burghul into a small bowl and pour boiling water over it -- just enough water to cover the burghul -- the water should be just a 1/4 of an inch above the burghul. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside for 15 minutes. When the burgul is done, add to the rest of the salad.

For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Add the dressing to the tebbouleh, mix well and enjoy :)

Serves 6