August 13, 2009

Cous-cous For You

I've been on a cooking kick (what in the world?!) So I thought I'd share another one of my favorite recipes. This is definitely one of those things that you either love or hate because it is very strong in flavor. I happen to be the only person in my family that likes it.

This recipe comes from The Fresh Market which is a specialty (read: pricey) grocery store in our area.

Tabouleh
1/3 cup bulgar
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 medium onion
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 Tbs. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Mix bulgar with hot water, let stand for one hour. Combine lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over bulgar and mix in remaining ingredients. Mix well and chill.
Yes, I know the recipe calls for bulgar, but it takes an hour. I prefer the texture of couscous and it's much faster. So I just follow the directions (microwave) on the back and use it in place of the bulgar/water.

As most of the recipes I love, this one is versatile. I like mine to taste very lemony. If you don't, cut the lemon juice to 1/3 cup. I also like to increase the amount of mint. I didn't want tomato that day, so I substituted a cucumber. I've made it with tomato and cucumber before.
One recommendation: I used a red onion and it was really strong. Next time, I'm using something more gentle like a vadalia.
This recipe makes a nice, summery side dish. Enjoy!

8 comments:

Carpool Queen said...

Couscous is my love language. I like to toss all that stuff in there and serve with grilled chicken or shrimp. YUMMO. If your family didn't care for it, I dibs the leftovers.

The Lord Family said...

Oh! I'll have to try it with couscous!! And yes, it NEEDS to be lemony. The more lemon the better! I've used green onions in my tabouli and it gives it a nice flavor without over powering it.
When we were in Chincoteague, I had a tabouli wrap...oh so yummy!
This is the perfect summer food!

Alisa said...

That looks super yummy! I heart couscous too!

Anonymous said...

I'm the only couscous lover in my family, too. If we lived closer we could take turns making it and share.

P.S. My aunt has a Fresh Market in S.C. and even though it's pricey, I love that place. Have you tried their chicken salad on their croissants or their pimento cheese on their crunchy rounds? What about their yogurt pretzels or their chocolate covered animal crackers? I want to go to Fresh Market!!

Jo said...

This looks delicious! My family would love this ~ I'll have to give it a try.

Jo

Anonymous said...

Keep the recipes coming! I'm going to try this when we go to the grandparents Saturday! :) I also can't wait to try the granola. I know you've given me that recipe before, but it's been awhile!
E

Gretchen said...

Okay, I've been nudged over here by CPQ and Whimzie at one time or another. So glad I stopped by. I'll be sending you a plane ticket post haste so that you can organize and decorate my house. As I've gazed at some of your amazing posts/ideas, I've decided that you're the person for the job. Oh, and since we share the same cool name, it'll be even better. Just do what you'd do for yourself.

Okay...I kid.

But only because I'm not a stalker.

And one more note on your previous post...I've been there. Don't like it one bit. Try to tell myself that blogging is a hobby and not a "have to" in any form. But...those junior high thoughts occasionally have to be exorcised. ;)

Blessings.

Little Oak Table said...

Yum! There is a Barefoot Contessa recipe for Taboulah (sp?) with Chicken.

I'm with you, I love cooking! Especially with lemon and fresh garlic. There is a little gadget you can purchase from Pampered Chef and it's called a citrus press. It's just like their garlic press (which will change your life) but you can press lemon's, lime's & small oranges.

Thanks for the recipe. Your granola is on my list of things to try soon!