The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook - Kim O'Donnel [33]
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, tahini, and garlic. Puree for about 2 minutes, then stop the motor. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water, gradually, to help smooth things out, and then add the lemon juice. Continue pureeing until the mixture achieves your desired flavor, texture, and consistency. This takes a total of 5 minutes.
Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt and taste. Enough? And what about the lemon? Season accordingly. Scoop out of the food processor and into a shallow serving bowl. Serve at room temperature, with pita, or any of the suggested serving partners. Can be made a few days in advance.
Makes about 2 cups
Tabbouleh
I learned how to make tabbouleh from Nada Kattar, a Lebanese-American home cook in Chicago. She taught me to understand that tabbouleh is a parsley salad, not a bulgur salad, and that everything revolves around the “parsley drinking the juice” of the other ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup fine- or medium-grain
bulgur wheat
3 plum tomatoes
1 cup mint leaves
2 large bunches (about 3½ cups)
flat-leaf parsley
6 scallions
½ cup lemon juice, from about
2 lemons
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 head romaine lettuce,
for garnish
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Note: Everything going into the salad has to be as dry as possible. After you’ve washed all of the herbs, make sure to dry them well. It makes a huge difference to the end result.
In a medium-size bowl with some depth, cover the bulgur with water. Soak for about 20 minutes. You’ll notice that the bulgur has absorbed the water and expanded. Add more water, just to cover, and allow to soak while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove the seeds with your fingers or a teaspoon, and dice. Place in a large bowl.
Keep the mint and parsley separate at all times. Wash thoroughly, shake out the water, and dry in a towel or salad spinner.
Pull the mint leaves from their stems. Chop finely and place on top of the tomatoes.
Separate the parsley leaves and discard the stems. Chop the leaves until they are very fine, so small they almost look like a puree. Layer on top of the mint.
Thoroughly drain the water from the bulgur, then spread on top of the herb layer like a blanket. Spread around with a spoon if necessary. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill and set up.
Meanwhile, prepare the scallions: Wash, dry, and slice off roots. Using only the white and light green parts, chop very finely. Place in a small bowl and add the lemon juice.
When ready to serve the tabbouleh, incorporate the scallion mixture into the bulgur mixture. With your hands, mix thoroughly. (“The parsley is not drinking the juice if you use a spoon,” tabbouleh-guru Nada proclaims.)
Add the oil and salt. Taste for seasoning. Traditionally, tabbouleh is served with romaine lettuce leaves that can also be used as garnish. The heart of the romaine can be placed in the center of the bowl or platter as decoration.
Makes about 3½ cups
Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower, broken
into florets
¼ cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from
about 1 lemon)
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-
leaf parsley
HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
In a mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the oil, pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the salt until well coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, stirring and turning once or twice, until the cauliflower is tender and crispy brown in spots, about 30 minutes.
While the cauliflower is roasting, puree the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt in a blender or food processor until well combined. Taste for salt and add more as needed. Add the parsley and blend in for a speckled result.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and immediately transfer to a serving bowl or platter.