"I believe in Luck, Otherwise how do I account for my enemy's success?"
Many have deduced about my interest for cooking as Love! I seem to have had this penchant for cooking, which helps me to belt out dishes after dishes. "I am natural" - "They" say. I also seem to be doing it since I have "lots" of time in my hands and have nothing "better" to do.!!
I am spell bound again and again at the inane excuses people give for "others" doing something worthy. My so called "penchant" and "inner desire" is a laughing matter for my mom who simply cant get over this fact! Trust me- she knows! My mother like many others, made sure that I dint end up in my in-law's kitchen (or hubby's as a matter of fact) flabbergasted at the pots and pans and endless lentils/powders. She sure taught me ("forced me" is more like it) the basics and I was the "emergency go to" (not without a reason- of course!) option when she couldn't make for some reason. I was busy in my own world which had nothing to do with kitchen.
After marriage, Cooking (esp balanced meals) became a necessity. Few of my close friends do know the lifestyle I lead - and I dont surely enjoy "lots" of free time either. And I don't "Love" nor have the "penchant" for cooking either. To be precise I love to Cook for "my loved ones".Period. And there are few dishes out there which hardly need lots of expertise or culinary excellence and a requires only a little know of how to make a dish as flavorful, healthy and delicious as one which takes lots of time. One such dish is Tabbouleh
Tabouleh or Tabouli is a middle eastern dish whose central ingredient is Bulgur. Like any Indian, my hands always reach out for Cilantro/Coriander leaves and not parsley. But I was curious and the very first time I used Parsley was for this middle eastern favorite.
So if you haven't introduced parsley yet to your taste buds then high time to start - How about starting it with this v healthy dish of Tabbouleh. ( The benefits of Bulgur in this dish is a topic for another blog post!)
Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Add the olive oil and stir and set iut aside for 30-45min till the water is absorbed.
Broil the bell pepper ( or grill it ). If broiling, remove the blackened skin and then chop them into small pieces.
Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and give it a stir.
Then add the bulgur and toss well till incorporated
Serve with Pita bread or any bread of your choice. I had some grilled bread and it made a fulfilling and healthy lunch. Not much of a prep work required and it is as easy as it can get.
By Anoo on Feb 2, 2011