Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers and Spiced Cumin Dressing

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers and Spiced Cumin Dressing
Adapted from Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Bulgur is a whole-wheat grain that have been cracked and partially-cooked. The grains are high in protein and high in fiber. Bulgur is a staple of the Middle Eastern and is used in dishes like Tabbouleh, Kibbeh or pilafs. You can substitute bulgur where recipes calls for couscous, quinoa or rice. The grains are light with a slight chewy texture and a nutty flavor. Bulgur comes in different grades ranging from #1 fine, #2 medium, #3 coarse and #4 extra course. Since bulgur is becoming more popular, you can easily find them in your local supermarket.

1-1/2 cups fine-grain bulgur (9.0 ounces)
3 cups boiling water (24 ounces)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1.2 ounces)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (1.7 ounces)
One 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drain well
1 cup finely diced roasted red pepper (6 ounces or two homemade roasted red peppers)
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley (0.4 ounce)

 

Place bulgur in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and immediately cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the bulgur to sit for 45 minutes, undisturbed.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is well blended. Set aside.

 

After the bulgur sits for 45 minutes, uncover. The bulgur have tripled in volume. You will notice excess water sitting in the bottom of the bowl.

 

Drain the bulgur through a fine sieve, pressing out all the excess water from the bulgur.

In a large mixing bowl, add the bulgur, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers and parsley. Toss well until thoroughly combined.

 

Add the dressing and give the bulgur mixture another toss until thoroughly combined. Transfer bulgur to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving, allowing the flavors to bloom.

 

The salad can be eaten on its own along with some pita wedges or as a lettuce wrap. I like to serve this salad as a side dish to salmon or grilled chicken breast.

 

Yield 6 to 8 servings as a side dish or 4 as a main course

Enjoy!

Sweet Brown Rice with Adzuki Beans

Sweet Brown Rice with Adzuki Beans

Sweet Brown Rice, also known as brown glutinous rice or brown sweet rice is a short grain rice that is very sticky when cooked because of its high glutinous content. This rice is popular among Asians in savory and dessert dishes. Sweet brown rice can be purchased from Whole Foods Market or from a health food store.

Here I have cooked up my own version of a Japanese sweet rice with adzuki beans. Dried adzuki beans (also labeled as azuki beans or aduki beans) are best purchased from an Asian food market where it is reasonably priced. Adzuki beans are low in calories and high in soluble fiber. These beans are a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc and also rich in B vitamins. According to Dr. Oz, red beans contains the highest antioxidant of all foods. Traditionally, this dish is cooked with regular sweet rice. The recipe have been modified to be cooked with sweet brown rice. This is a very simple rice dish that is very nutritious and delicious. I can eat this all on its own. You can enjoy this dish as a side dish or eaten all on its own.

1/2 cup dried adzuki beans (3.5 ounces)

4 cups water (32 ounces)

One 3-inch by 2-inch size piece of kombu (0.1 ounce) (Optional)

2 cups sweet brown rice, washed and drained (13.4 ounces)

Cooking liquid from the drained adzuki beans and additional water to measure 3 cups

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash beans well and place in a small pot. Add the 4 cups water and place the kombu, if using, in the pot. Bring beans to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes. I forgot how long I acutally cooked the beans so I recommend checking at 1 hour, 15 minutes and taste one. If the bean is still too firm, let it cook longer. You don't want the beans too soft either. Make sure you cook it on medium-low heat where there is very little bubbling activity in the pot (about 1 or 2 bubbling action at a time). If you cook the beans at too high of a temperature, the beans will not stay whole and the outer skins will burst open.

When the beans have cooked, drained the beans, RESERVING  the cooking liquid. Plunge the beans in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the beans and set aside. With the reserved cooking liquid, add enough cold water to measure 3 cups of liquid. Set aside.

Place rice in a medium-size pot and add the 3 cups reserved cooking liquid/water and salt. Bring rice to a boil. Give the rice a good stir, cover pot and reduce the temperature between medium-low heat and low heat. Let the rice cook for 45 minutes, undisturbed.

When rice is cooked, gently fluff the rice using chopsticks or a fork. Rice may be a bit wet, but that's okay. Add the reserved cooked adzuki beans and gently stir the beans and rice until combined. Cover pot with the lid and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Now the rice is ready to serve. Place rice in a seving bowl. Sprinkle the top with some roasted black and/or white sesame seeds and tear up some roasted seaweeds. So delicious!!!

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Kabocha Squash Curry with Lentils and Spinach

I am craving for more Kabocha squash, but today I am feeling lazy to do any heavy duty cooking. It's mostly about Trader Joe's today. I'm doing a quick cook using most of the ingredients purchased from Trader Joe's. Kabocha squash is a Japanese pumpkin. This squash is cross between a sweet potato and a pumpkin. The skin is edible so you don't have to peel it. Kabocha squash is rich in beta carotene with iron, Vitamin C and potassium. Trader Joe's does not carry Kabocha squash. You can purchase Kabocha squash from an Asian market. A few supermarkets do carry this squash, but it is more affordable purchased from an Asian market. 

One 3-1/4- to 4-1/4-pound (purchased weight) Kabocha squash
Two 15-ounce jars Trader Joe's brand Curry Simmer Sauce
2 cups water (16 ounces)
One 17.6-ounce package Trader Joe's brand Steamed Lentils
One 10-ounce package Trader Joe's Organic Lacinato Kale OR 1 bunch lacinato kale, tough stems removed, washed well and spin-dried, then sliced into thick strips (about 6.2 ounces) OR One 12-ounce package Trader Joe's Baby Spinach
3/4 cup Kitchen Thai brand coconut milk (6 ounces)
One 10.5 package Trader Joe's Indian Fare Punjab Choley
1 teaspoon salt
Cilantro for garnish

Scrub the Kabocha squash well under running water and dry with a paper towel. Cut squash in half and discard the seeds and membranes. Cut the Kabocha squash into 1-1/4-inch-size chunks. You will now have approximately 2:14.6 to 3:8.6 pounds of squash. Set aside.

In a 6-quart stock pot, combine the curry simmer sauce and water. When sauce comes to a boil, add the Kabocha squash and lentils. When mixture returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gradually reduce heat from medium to medium-low heat if mixture is bubbling profusely. Add the kale or spinach and continue to cook, covered, for additional 3 minutes (5 minutes for kale), stirring occasionally. Stir in the coconut milk, Punjab Choley and salt. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Mixture will thicken more as it cools. Garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve with brown rice.

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Soybean Sprout Bibimbap

Soybean Sprout Bibimbap with Multi-Grain Rice and Ground Turkey

Adapted from Maanghi.com

Soybean Sprout Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish cooked with meat and soybean sprouts. It is served with an egg cooked over-easy. To eat, you will break up the egg into the rice; then mix the rice mixture and the egg together with a few spoonfuls of homemade seasoned sauce (yangnyeomjang).

This dish is so amazingly delicious and healthy! The soy beans from the soybean sprouts has a nice delicate crunch and the seasoned sauce mixed together with the rice is so flavorful and addicting. You may have extra seasoned sauce when all the rice is eaten up, but there are other uses for the seasoned sauce. I actually use the remaining sauce with Baked Tofu and I'm sure the seasoned sauce will also be delicious eaten with fish, soba noodles, steamed vegetables, etc. It is amazingly delicious!!

I modified Maangchi's recipe to be cooked with multi-grain rice and replaced the ground beef for ground lean turkey. Since we love this dish so much, I doubled the recipe so we can enjoy this rice for a few more dinners.

1-1/2 cups medium-grain brown rice (9.9 ounces), washed and drained

1/2 cup Thai red cargo rice (3.2 ounces) or black medium-grain rice (3.5 ounces), washed and drained
3 cups cold water (24 ounces or 1:8.0 pounds)

Two pounds soybean sprouts
12 ounces lean ground turkey or ground chicken
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium soy sauce (0.4 ounce)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (0.3 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or low-sodium soy sauce (4.5 ounces)
4 garlic cloves, minced (0.6 to 0.8 ounce)
2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced (1.0 ounce)
3 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion (1.0 ounce)
1 small jalapeno or serrano chili pepper, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped (optional)
4 teaspoons Korean coarse hot pepper flakes (0.3 ounce)
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (0.5 ounce)
2 tablespoon sesame oil (0.6 ounce)
2 tablespoons roasted white sesame seeds (0.4 ounce)

6 eggs (any size)

In a 6-quart stock pot, combine the brown rice, red rice and water. (Note: You can use entirely 2 cups of brown rice (13.2 ounces) if you do not have red or black rice.) Set aside to let rice soak for about 1 hour.

While rice is soaking, remove root ends of each soybean sprout and discard any discolored rotten sprouts or remove discolored rotten soybeans, but save the healthy sprouts (do this while watching your favorite television program). Wash well in several changes of water. Transfer to a large colander and set aside.

Season the ground turkey with 1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and ground black pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Bring the pot of rice to a boil on high heat (do not need to change water). When rice comes to a full boil, give rice a stir and cover pot. Reduce heat to low heat. Let rice cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.

While rice is cooking, make the seasoned sauce (yangnyeomjang): Combine 1/2 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos, garlic, green onion, yellow onion, jalapeno chili pepper (optional), Korean hot pepper flakes, agave nectar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

After the rice have been cooking for 15 minutes, increase heat to medium-low heat. Add the entire soybean sprouts on top of the rice. Spread the ground turkey mixture on top of the soybean sprouts. Immediately cover pot and continue to cook on medium-low heat for additional 25 minutes, undisturbed. After 25 minutes of cooking, remove the pot of rice from the heat. Transfer the ground turkey patty to a plate. Cover the pot of rice and let the rice rest off the heat. Break up the turkey patty to smaller bite-size pieces. Return turkey pieces back to the pot of rice and give the rice mixture a good toss to evenly incorporate the soybean sprouts, ground turkey and the rice.

NOTE: You can stop at this point if you decide to make this rice early in the day or even one day in advance. The rice mixture and seasoned sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to eat, just reheat the rice in the microwave and poach-fry your egg.

When ready to eat, either you can fry your egg over-easy the traditional way or you can follow my instructions for Poach-Fried Eggs.

For each serving, scoop one-sixth portion of the rice mixture into a shallow bowl. Place a poached-fried egg on top. Pass the seasoned sauce to be served with the rice. To eat, break up the egg into the rice. Add 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the seasoned sauce over the rice mixture, mixed everything together and it is ready to eat. You can also tear up a few sheets of Korean roasted seaweed on top of the rice and/or sprinkle with some roasted black sesame seeds. Even more delicious!

Yield 6 servings

Soybean Sprout Bibimbap served in a shallow bowl with a
Poach-Fried Egg on top.

Before you eat, break up the egg into the rice mixture.

Add 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the homemade seasoned sauce (yangnyeomjang) to the rice mixture.

 Thoroughly mix everything together.

(The rice is hot - notice the steam on the lower left of the photo.)

Now it is ready to eat!
You can also tear up several sheets of Korean roasted seaweed and place it on top of the rice mixture. The roasted seaweed adds another depth of flavor to the bibimbap.

Puerto Rican Roast Pork and Bean Stew

Puerto Rican Roast Pork and Bean Stew

Spaghetti with Chickpeas

Spaghetti with Chickpeas

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen which was adapted by Chef Michael White published in New York Magazine. The garbanzo bean/tomato sauce is so full of flavor, I can imagine the sauce on its own is equally delicious eaten with brown rice or substituting orzo pasta for the spaghetti. A few vegetarian readers on Smitten Kitchen have omitted the pancetta with great success. I may just do that the next time.

Two 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup olive oil
About 1 cup diced pancetta (4 ounces) (Optional)
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 large onion, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
About 20 to 30 basil leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti, linguine or orzo pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Set aside 2/3 cup garbanzo beans. In a food processor, combine remaining garbanzo beans and chicken stock. Pulse a few times until garbanzo beans are coarsely chopped.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot. Add olive oil and pancetta. Reduce heat to medium and continue to saute for about 2 to 3 minutes until nicely browned, partially covered to avoid grease splattering. Add the chili flakes and saute for a few seconds. Add the onions and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high heat and continue to cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the garbanzo beans, tomatoes and basil leaves. When mixture comes to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in salted water for about 11 to 12 minutes, or just slightly under al dente. Drain pasta and immediately add hot pasta to the bean sauce. Continue to cook and toss pasta for another minute or until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and toss in the Parmesan cheese. Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese.

Yields 6 to 8 servings

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

Appliance Recommendation: The best slow cooker on the planet: All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/8260341/made exclusively for Williams-Sonoma. What I love about this slow cooker is that it has a 7-quart nonstick cast-aluminum insert that you can use it on your stovetop for browning your ingredients before transferring it to your slow cooker to continue cooking. The slow cooker base and lid is constructed of polished stainless steel which is beautiful to display in your kitchen. I like to brown my ingredients before I slow cook so I no longer have to wash an extra pot just to brown ingredients. When I'm making soup, I like to give the soup a head start to reach boiling point before I transfer to the slow cooker. This slow cooker is a bit pricey, but worth the investment for the serious cook.

Red Beans and Rice Recipe: This recipe is adapted by www.thebittenword.typepad.com which was published in Cook's Illustrated, January/February 2010 issue. This recipe was modified to a much healthier version and for a slow cooker which turned out quite delicious:

1 pound small red beans and/or red kidney beans
1 small onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup (6.2 to 6.5 ounces)
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped, about
1 cup (5.8 to 6.9 ounces)
1 rib celery, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup (2.3 to 2.9 ounces)
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced (0.5 to 0.6 ounce)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
One 14-ounce can Swanson's Brand 33% Low-Sodium
Chicken Broth
5 cups cold water
About 1:6.9 to 2 pounds smoked turkey drumsticks,
skin removed3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
8 ounces turkey kielbasa sausages, cut in half vertically, then thinly sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices or leftover quality lean ham
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Hot cooked brown rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Wash beans and soak beans in about 10 cups or enough cold water to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Soak for about 4 hours or overnight. Beans will triple in volume. Drain beans and rinse well. Set aside.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and then add the onions, green pepper, and celery. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika bay leaves and black pepper and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, chicken broth, water, turkey drumsticks and liquid smoke. Bring mixture to a boil and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove turkey drumsticks to a plate and dice up meat. Scoop about one-third of the beans into a large bowl. Mash the beans with a potato masher. Add the diced turkey meat, mashed beans, turkey kielbasa, red wine vinegar and 3/4 teaspoon salt to the slow cooker. Continue to cook on high for additional 2 hours.

For each serving, scoop about a cup of hot cooked brown rice in a shallow wide soup bowl. Push the rice to the sides of the bowl, leaving an empty space in the center for the beans. Scoop about 1 to 1-1/2 cups bean mixture in the center of the bowl. Sprinkle with green onions. Enjoy!

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Farinata

Farinata

Farinata is an Italian flatbread made with garbanzo (chickpea) flour. I came across this recipe while thumbing though Veg News magazine at a bookstore one day. I knew I will be addicted to this recipe as I was reading though the list of ingredients. This is a very simple recipe. It's healthy and delicious. It bakes up thin and the texture is somewhat like
a firm pancake. There are so many variation of Farinata and I will continue to update the variations as I make them. This variation is adapted from Veg News magazine, using Kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes...with a few changes of my own:

1 cup garbanzo flour (4.0 ounces)
1 cup water (8.0 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
About 9 to 10 Kalamata olives, minced (1.0 ounce)
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil, minced (1.0 ounce)

Place garbanzo flour in a small bowl. Gradually add water and whisk together until smooth. Add the olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, olives and tomatoes. Mix until blended. Cover and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour (I set it aside for 3 hours).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a
12-inch pizza pan in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from oven and grease with olive oil. Return skillet to the oven for about
2 more minutes. Give the farinata batter a quick stir and pour the entire batter into the skillet. Bake for about 20 minutes. Farinata will be firm and browned on top and crispy brown around the edges. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

NOTE: I prefer to use a cast-iron skillet because it gives a much crispier texture around the edges and on the bottom. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, use a 12-inch pizza pan or a shallow-rimmed, quarter-sheet size baking pan. I had used all three pans, but had the best results using a cast-iron skillet. Whatever pans you choose to use, it is essential to preheat the pans in the oven as instructed.

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Roasted Garbanzo Beans and Grape Tomatoes

Roasted Garbanzo Beans and
Grape Tomatoes with
Smoked Paprika

The original recipe is from Bon Appetit posted on http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Chicken-Breasts-with-Garbanzo-Beans-Tomatoes-and-Paprika-242113. This is a great recipe which I have made a few times already, but I also love eating the beans and tomatoes all on its own with brown rice. It's so healthy and the flavors are so complex with the smoked paprika, cumin and cilantro. So today, I decided to roast the garbanzo beans and tomatoes without the chicken and it is equally as delicious! If you can't find smoked paprika, substitute with one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (canned). Either one will give a nice smoky flavor to the dish, only the chipotle pepper will make this dish spicy. I have tried using both kinds and I don't mind using either one.

1/4 cup olive oil (1.7 ounces)
4 large clove garlic, finely minced (0.6 ounce)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika OR 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Two 15.5-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
One 16-ounce package whole grape tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (0.7 ounce)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and position rack in the center of the oven.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well blended.

In a separate large bowl, combine the garbanzo beans and tomatoes. Add the
olive oil mixture and cilantro. Toss everything together with a spatula until well combined. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and spread beans and tomatoes out in one layer.

Bake for 20 minutes. Great eaten with cooked quinoa, couscous, brown rice, or
whole-wheat orzo pasta.

Yields 2 to 4 servings