Tabouli (Recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur

1 small cucumber, seeded and chopped (1 cup)

1 tomato, chopped (2/3 cup)

1 small sweet green pepper, seeded and chopped (1/2 cup)

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1/2 cup snipped parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons snipped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint, crushed

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Leaf lettuce

Steps

1. In a large bowl, combine the bulgur cucumber, tomato, sweet green pepper and green onion.  Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, water, mint, salt and pepper.

3. Add the parsley mixture to the bulgur mixture and toss to mix.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.  Serve the tabouli on a bed of leaf lettuce.

Tips:

Bulgur (or bulghur) is a parched, cracked wheat product made by soaking, cooking and then drying whole wheat kernels.  Five percent of the bran is then removed from the dried, hard wheat kernels, and the remaining kernels are cracked into small pieces.  Bulghur is dark tan in color and has a nutty flavor.  Store bulgur in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 6 months, or indefinitely in the freezer.

Be sure not to purchase cracked wheat breakfast cereal in place or bulgur.

Tabouli (or tabbouleh) is a Middle Eastern dish that can be served on pieces of pita, as an eat-with-a-fork salad or as a dip with celery or sweet green pepper wedges.

Use fresh lemon juice int his recipe, if possible.  You'll need 2 medium lemons for 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice.  Look for well-shaped fruits with smooth, evenly yellow skin.  To get the most juice, choose fruits that are heavy for their size.  Leave the lemons at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then roll gently under the palm of your hand.  Or, cut the lemons in half and heat in microwave oven on 100% power (high) for 30 to 45 seconds before juicing.

An easy way to snip the parsley and mint is to place the fresh herbs in a deep container, such as a 1-cup glass measure, then snip with kitchen shears.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes