Quinoa Tabouli

My favorite part of most combination plates at Mediterranean restaurants is the tabouli. In case you don't swing the Mediterranean way, tabouli is a beautifully refreshing grain and herb salad. Traditionally the grain of choice is bulgur, which is healthful and delicious. Sometimes it's fun to mix it up a bit; and with a world of incredible whole grains out there, why wouldn't you? This is a quinoa-based tabouli recipe, and I can't claim not to be biased when I say that I prefer it to the traditional bulgur-based version. Quinoa is, after all, my favorite grain.

Everything else you know and love about tabouli is here - fresh parsley and mint, zesty lemon and spices, even cucumber, tomato and scallion. Feel free to add in toasted walnuts for an added layer of flavor and crunch. This is a great meal for a summer evening, since there is very little stove-work involved. Take advantage of the time that the grains are cooking to chop and prep the other ingredients.

Low maintenance, tasty and unique. This is another winner.

Quinoa Tabouli
adapted from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven
serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch cinnamon
1 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup minced fresh mint leaves
2 scallions, finely minced
1 small or 1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 small lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small to medium tomato, diced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a small saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes untouched. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and set aside. Fluff again periodically while it cools.

2. Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine the spices, herbs, and remaining ingredients (except tomato), stirring just to combine. When the grains have cooled to room temperature, add them to the bowl and stir well with a fork. Add the tomato and stir gently.

3. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with toasted pita bread if desired, or just eat plain as a salad.

Enjoy!

Root Vegetable Soup

This soup is filled with lesser known, or at least lesser appreciated vegetables. We throw in a few superstars just to ease you in gently, but there are some new favorites just waiting to be discovered. It's a bit like the cast of a Godfather movie - a few of the old classics, but also some new young talent that will go on to do great things. (I'll let you decide which Godfather actors you think I'm referring to. Knock yourself out.)

This soup also happens to be very inexpensive to make. And if I may put on my environmentally conscious cap for a moment, I implore you to NOT put each of these individual produce items in a plastic bag at the supermarket. You're going to peel them anyway, and you're only buying one of each thing. Just put them in your basket and then on the conveyor belt. The earth will thank you.

But you didn't come here for politics or morals, did you? You came here for soup. So here it is, in all its glory - a subtly spiced, earthy bowl of heaping goodness.

Root Vegetable Soup
adapted from Mollie Katzen's "Vegetable Heaven"
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:








2 teaspoons EVOO
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 small or 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste, if you like)
1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
1 small sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced
1 medium-small potato, peeled and diced
1 small parsnip, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3 cups water
pinch of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the EVOO in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and salt, and sautee for about 10 minutes, until very soft. Stir in the rest of the vegetables. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 more minutes.

2. Add the water and cinnamon, stir well. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat way down to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are completely tender.

3. Now you have a couple of options here: puree the soup with a stick blender (or other implement), leaving some texture. OR puree only a quarter of the soup in a blender or food processor, keeping most of the vegetables in chunks. It's totally up to you. I chose the former method.

Serve with some hot crusty bread and enjoy! I guarantee you will discover some new friends in the root vegetable kingdom.