Great Grains

I love Tabbouleh. Plus, the truth is my husband and I leave for our Kauai vacation in 2 weeks and after a winter of baking, this really is the kind of food I need to be eating right now. If you've never had Tabbouleh, you should try it. The flavors meld together really well and it is a guiltless, meatless, delicious dish and it is so easy. I do eat meat, but I'm really quite picky about what kind and where it lived before it came to me. There's nothing like a great pulled pork sandwich though, is there?

I tried the new tricks for photography this time around. Flash off, steady hand, zoom in- I think it is a VAST improvement. Now, I like my camera a little more. I'm still searching for the manual and software though that conveniently disappeared over the past few months.

Okay, back to the grains. This is the kind of food we should all be eating.

Tabbouleh

1 cup raw bulgur wheat

3 cups finely minced parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped mint

1/4 diced red onion

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cumin

3 vine-ripened tomatos chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cucumber seeded and chopped

4 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

Prepare the bulgur:

Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour 1 cup of hot water over. Allow the bulgur to sit until all water is removed, approximately 1/2 hour. When the bulgur is ready, you should have 2 cups now.

Mix your tabbbouleh:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, gently, except the lemon juice and oil. When all dry ingredients are combined, add the lemon juice and oil. You'll want to place this mixture in the refrigerator for a couple of hours at least. The flavors will soften and the dish will become delicious. Serve with crackers, in pita, or eat out of a bowl with an extra squeeze of lemon.