15 LichField Road556835 Singapore
Have you ever eaten real Lebanese Tabouleh ? If so, this recipe is probably very similar to the one you ate / made. If not, then please try it, as it is soooooooo delicious, fresh, flavorful, and healthy ! Yes healthy as it blends parsley and mint with tomatoes, lemon, EVOO and very little wheat. You can even make it GF using quinoa, cauliflower or brocoli rice instead of bulgur. It’s been super hot lately in SG and this very simple salad has been on rotation in our menu over the last few weeks I must confess 🙂 Of course it is an entree and not enough for a meal, but from a nutrition point of view, it brings you so much antioxidants, vitamin A, K and C (parsley contains 3 times more Vitamin C then oranges). Recipe is super basic, it just requires a bit of time to finely shred / mince the herbs (use a herb grinder if you have one to save time :). Make it shortly before eating to ensure you maximize vitamin intakes !
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
– 4 bunches Parsley super super finely shredded
– 1 bunch mint super super finely shredded
– 3 super finely sliced green onions
– Optional 1/2 red onion diced super thin
– 2 large ripe tomatoes finely chopped and deseeded
– 1/4 cup super fine Bulgur
– Juice of 2 lemons
– 1/4 cup EVOO
– Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the bulgur in water and set aside.
- Mix together all the herbs, tomatoes and onions
- Drain the bugur and add it to the bowl.
- Add the lemon juice, EVOO, salt & pepper then mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Taste check and adjust the lemon, salt and pepper if needed.
When you live in a country where it is eternal summer, you need to be creative with your salad dressings, trust me 🙂
The super easy dressing I share below can work with many salads (potatoes, pasta, ..) and this time I paired it with white beans and fresh veggies to get a balanced protein and fibers packed light lunch. The little trick in this dressing is the use of SUMAC, a dried red powder coming from a bush bay and which is mostly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s lightly astringent and brings a nice tart twist when sprinkled on houmous or roasted veggies. Really worth trying !
Recipe just below. Enjoy !
Herby Sumac dressing
- 60 ml Olive oil
- A good handful chopped coriander (15grs)
- A good handful chopped mint (15grs)
- The zest of a medium sized organic lemon
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- Start with 0,5 tsp sumac and add more according to taste (I put 1 tsp)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix well everything (you can use your blender for a smoother texture) and use as a dressing on potatoes salad, beans salad, pasta salad. Always remenber to mix carbs, grains (proteins) and fresh veggies in your salads. And colors !!
This dressing can be kept for 2 days in the fridge but better used on the day it was made (herbs will not look as nice:)
I know it is going to be Xmas and I should post winter holidays recipes… But not today 🙂
Plus we have been eating lots of cauliflower lately at home… it is in season in Australia right now (meaning you can buy it at a decent price 🙂 and it is so versatile ! kids used to like it only with white sauce and potatoes.. now they eat it in smoothies (hidden though :), as rice, in soups, …. love it !
In this recipe it is the star ingredient with red onions and lots of herbs. Quinoa is added to complete the plate with a nutty texture and proteins to get a perfectly balanced dish.
Vegan, gluten free, balanced and delicious !
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets (ensure regular size for even roasting)
- 3 red onions cut in wedges
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1 bunch fresh coriander (leaves pulled out, stems finely chopped)
- 1,5 cup mint leaves
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 2 tsp nigella seeds
- 1 to 1,5 tsp garam masala (if you want to spice up use 1,5 tsp)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and pumkin seeds to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven, fan forced at 190°C
- In a large bowl combine the olive oil, spices and salt. Add the cauliflower florets and onion wedges and coat them entirely.
- Transfer to a baking tray layered with baking paper, add cracked pepper, and bake for approx 30 min (stir after 20 min to get both sides golden). Cauliflower should be golden and still crisp. You might need to take the onions out a few min before.
- Rinse and drain the quinoa and cook it as per packet instructions
- Dress your serving bowl or large plate with the quinoa, cauliflower, red onions, coriander leaves and chopped stems and mint leaves. Add the lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and some pumkin seeds and enjoy !
Definitely in a super Green Mood today 🙂
But as my fridge is almost empty and I am a bit lazy to go out and pick up some fresh veggies…
I went for a green pea houmous 🙂
5 min to put together the ingredients and super simple as you just need a high speed blender after that !
Love sweet peas and mint combo. Eaten as a dip on pita bread or in a wrap it is delicious.
I also had it with vegan lentil patties and it was supper yummy.
See for yourself =)
- 3 cups of frozen peas, thawed (if you use fresh them cook them but keep them firm)
- 1 to 2 cloves of blanched garlic according to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (I prefer it a bit more tangy:)
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (you can omit it if you don’t like it spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground sea salt
Place peas, mint, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice in your high speed blender and puree it until you get a smooth texture.
Transfer it to your serving bowl and drizzle with additional extra-virgin olive oil, seeds (pumpkin, or black sesame), cracked pepper, a few peas and mint leaves.
Nb: if you are not vegan, it is very good with crumbled feta cheese on top !
During our holidays I tried lots of new healthy restaurants and cafés in Europe and discovered great recipes I can’t wait to adapt at home !
I also did a lot of staples shopping in the organic shops I love in Paris.
I came home with some Spirulina and couldn’t resist to try a savory recipe with it. So here it goes, I opted for spirulina pesto and used it do dress up a superfood salad.
If you want to try, just follow the link below.
Hope you enjoy, and share your comments with me 🙂
Spirulina pesto superfood salad