Since it’s so hot (and, honestly, I’m a little lazy when it
comes to cooking sometimes), I’ve been eating way more fruits and vegetables
than before, and almost no meat. It’s part of a phenomenon that happens to me
every summer season, in which I have almost no desire to eat anything except
for fruit and smoothies. And while some people - like Jonas (pronounced Yoh-nuss, by the way), the man I bought dates
from at the farmers market - may be able to live exclusively on fruit for years,
I actually cannot. Not even for a day. What I can do, however, is make food that will sound
appealing when I get home from making people large hot black Americanos even
when it’s 110 degrees out. One such food is tabbouleh.
Traditionally, tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat. However,
I had no bulgur (it’s not exotic – just whole wheat kernels ground into
different sizes), but had lots of
quinoa, so that's what I used. It has a similar texture, tastes great, and is also gluten
free!
Quinoa Tabbouleh
½ cup dry quinoa, rinsed
¼ cup olive oil
Juice from one lemon
½ a cucumber, peeled and chopped
½ cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp fresh mint, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Black pepper and dried oregano to taste
Add quinoa to a saucepan with 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a
boil, and reduce heat to low until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid,
about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to at least room
temperature. While the quinoa is cooling off, juice your lemon and chop the
herbs and vegetables. When the quinoa is ready, add the lemon juice, oil, and
herbs directly into the bowl and mix so that everything is evenly coated.
You can enjoy this recipe as a salad alongside a protein, or
on its own with pita, vegetables, and hummus. Either way, it’s so refreshing,
and lasted me a week.
