Spicy Tabbouleh Recipes

AUTHENTIC LEBANESE TABBOULEH RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse all vegetables and let dry on a paper towel, especially the parsley and mint.
• Cut stems off parsley then chop finely. Spread chopped parsley on paper towels and let rest for a few mins in order to get rid of excess moisture.
• Cut stems off mint, and finely chop the leaves. Spread on a paper towel and let dry.
• Finely chop tomatoes into small cubes 1/3in then place in strainer to get rid of the excess juice.
• Finely chop onions, drain then mix with the 7-spices, set aside.
• Finely chop the cucumber
• Soak the bulgur in half of the lemon juice with a bit of salt.
• Only once ready to serve, mix all ingredients together well, drizzle with olive oil and the leftover lemon juice. Add a bit more salt if needed.
• Serve as a side salad along with some lettuce leaves.

SPICY TABBOULEH WITH CUMIN AND BACON TARATOUR SAUCE

Steps:

• For the tabbouleh: Place the bulghur wheat in a bowl and cover with water. Stir in the salt and soak for 40 minutes, or until the a bulghur is softened but still a bit crunchy. When ready, drain the water from the bulghur wheat, squeezing out as much moisture as possible with your hands.
• Place the bulghur wheat in a large bowl and add the tomatoes, the parsley, the bacon and the cumin. Mix well. Add the lemon juice, the olive oil and the harissa. Mix well and taste for seasoning. Cover. Reserve in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just before serving, moisten with a bit of olive oil.
• For the taratour sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Beat in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water in a stream.
• Wine: 1986 Domaines Ott Bandol Rose

SPRING PEA TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Combine 3/4 cup bulgur and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups boiling water and stir, then cover and let stand until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain any excess water. Stir in 1 cup each sliced snow peas and snap peas and 3 tablespoons each olive oil, rice vinegar and chopped parsley, mint and chives; season with salt and pepper.

SPICY MIDDLE-EASTERN ALLIGATOR WITH RICE PILAF AND TABBOULEH SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the beaten egg whites, garlic, lemon juice, and red chili powder. Using a meat tenderizer, pound all of the alligator fillets until they are tender. Marinate the alligator in the egg white mixture for about 20 minutes.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the alligator fillets from the marinade and sprinkle them with salt. Carefully place the alligator fillets in the pan, and saute them until browned. Work in batches as necessary. Flip the fillets with tongs or with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side, and the meat is cooked through.
• In a medium bowl, cover the bulgur wheat with warm water and allow it to soak for approximately 20 minutes. Pour the bulgur wheat into a strainer, and then squeeze out all of the excess water. Mix the lemon juice, salt, and pepper with the bulgur wheat and set aside.
• Wash the parsley, and dry it thoroughly. Chop the parsley very finely and combine it, along with the tomatoes and scallions, with the bulgur wheat mixture. Stir the olive oil into the salad until it is thoroughly covered. Add more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as desired, to adjust the taste.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over high heat. Add the rice and noodles to the pan, and fry them in the butter. Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan with a tightly-fitting lid, and allow the rice mixture to steam until all the water is absorbed. Season with salt, to taste.

AUBERGINE WITH SPICY APRICOT TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Boil the kettle and tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Rub in the harissa with your fingers, then stir in the apricots and ground coriander. Pour over 2 ½ tbsp boiling water, cover, then leave the couscous to swell for 5 mins.
• When the couscous is cooked, fluff it up with a fork and stir in the spring onion, chickpeas, 2 tbsp chopped herbs, 1 tbsp oil and all but 1 tsp of the lemon juice. Season well and set aside.
• Slice a thick slice off the rounded end of the aubergine. Using a small knife and teaspoon, cut and scrape out most of the aubergine flesh until you have a 1-2cm thick shell left (see Tip below for using up the aubergine). Brush inside and out with another tbsp of oil, then tightly pack in the couscous. Return the slice to the bottom of the aubergine to seal, then wrap tightly in two layers of foil. The stuffed aubergine will sit happily for up to a day in the fridge.
• Just before you begin barbecuing, mix the remaining herbs with the remaining oil and lemon juice and some seasoning. Sit the aubergine over the coolest part of the barbecue, and cook for about 30 mins, turning. To test if the aubergine is done, stick in a skewer - if the aubergine feels soft and the skewer feels hot when it comes out then it's ready. To serve, unwrap the aubergine and thickly slice. Sit a few slices on a plate and drizzle with the herby dressing.

TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Rinse the bulgur wheat in a sieve until the water runs clear. Drain well, then transfer to a bowl. Pour over 200ml boiling water, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 30 mins or so while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Keeping the parsley in a bunch, chop the leaves roughly. Don't worry about the inclusion of some of the stalks; this all adds to the flavour. Now do the same with the mint. Put the chopped herbs in a large bowl and add the tomato and spring onion.
• Thoroughly drain the bulgur, then add to herb mix, along with lemon juice and olive oil. Mix thoroughly, season and serve.

SPICY TABBOULEH

Steps:

• In a bowl, soak the bulgur in the hot water for 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine the bulgur with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt.

KALE TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, shallot, cumin and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
• In a large bowl, toss together bulgur, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in dressing. Season with black pepper and more salt if you like, and drizzle with additional oil if desired.

SPICY SALMON TABBOULEH

Steps:

• Cook the bulgur wheat in plenty of salted water for 7 mins (or follow pack instructions). Drain, tip into a large bowl and leave to cool. Put the salmon fillet on a foil-lined grill, brush lightly with oil and season. Grill for 7-10 mins, turning halfway, until the fish flakes easily. Cool.
• Heat the remaining oil, add the onions and ginger, and fry for about 5 mins until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 min, stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt, lemon juice and some seasoning. Leave to cool.
• Skin and flake the salmon fillet. Cut the smoked salmon into strips. Add the fresh salmon and half the smoked salmon to the bulgur wheat with the dressing and half the coriander. Stir everything together lightly, so as not to break up the salmon flakes too much. Tip onto a serving platter and scatter over the remaining smoked salmon strips and coriander. Add the lemon wedges and serve.