Food

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Kary from Best Recipes Ever is here to show us how easy it is to make middle eastern fare that is not only delicious, but good for you!




Traditional Tabbouleh Salad
This recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125 mL) medium bulgur
3 (750 mL) cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
1 cup (250 mL) minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup (50 mL) minced fresh mint   
4 green onions , minced
1/2 cup (125 mL) lemon juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Preparation

Place bulgur in fine sieve; rinse several times with water. Transfer to bowl; cover with 1/2 inch (1 cm) water and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain; squeeze with hands to remove excess water.

In large bowl, combine bulgur, tomatoes, parsley, mint and onions. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper; add to bulgur mixture, tossing to coat. (Make-ahead: Cover and set aside for up to 8 hours.)





Chicken Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Chicken is delicious either hot or cold, so save some for lunch the next day. Wrap the chicken in foil and include a pita and some lettuce and tahini for your child to assemble the falafel at school.

This recipe makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Tahini Sauce:

1/2 cup (125 mL) tahini paste, (pure sesame paste)
1/4 cup  (50 mL) lemon juice
1/4 cup  (50 mL) water
1 clove garlic , minced
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Chicken Falafel:

1 lb (454 g) boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) coriander
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh parsley
4 pocket-style pita breads
2 cups (500 mL) shredded lettuce
1 cup (250 mL) sliced cucumber
1 cup  (250 mL) chopped fresh tomato

Preparation

Tahini Sauce

In bowl, mix tahini, lemon juice and water. Stir in garlic, parsley and salt. Makes 1 cup (250 mL). Set aside.

Chicken Falafel

Cut chicken crosswise into thin strips. In nonstick skillet or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne and chicken, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Cut off top third of each pita; invert and place in bottom third. Fill each with some of the tahini sauce, the chicken, lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining sauce.