Bulgur With a Taste of Summer

Just when I think I have run out of salad ideas, a new one comes along or I think of a new twist for an old favorite, like this recipe for bulgur salad with garden-fresh vegetables.

This salad is inspired by tabbouleh, the Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur and lots of fresh parsley and mint. I increased the ratio of vegetables to bulgur so that every spoonful is crunchy with vegetables and fresh with the taste of summer.

For this version, I added tahineh, a paste of ground sesame seeds, to the dressing. Tahineh has a distinctive taste and is familiar to those of us who love hummus, the popular Middle Eastern dip of pureed garbanzo beans. Tahineh is sold in jars and is available in specialty shops, Middle Eastern grocery stores and many supermarkets.

I like to serve this as a main-dish vegetable salad, but shredded cooked chicken can be added. Arrange the salad on a large platter and garnish with black olives. Serve fresh peaches with blueberry sauce for dessert.

BULGUR SALAD WITH GARDEN-FRESH VEGETABLES (VEGETARIAN)

SALAD

Water

3/4 cup bulgur

1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Salt

2 or 3 large firm tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup diced red onions

1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup torn basil leaves

2 tablespoons chopped mint

4 cups romaine, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide slices

12 brine-cured black olives, pitted

DRESSING

3 tablespoons tahineh

3 tablespoons lemon juice or more to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon cold water

1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

Salt

Coarsely ground black pepper

SALAD

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Place bulgur in medium heat-resistant bowl and stir in boiling water. Let stand, covered, 20 to 30 minutes. Pour into strainer, pressing with back of spoon to remove all liquid or squeeze with hands.

Cook green beans in plenty of boiling salted water to cover until tender-crisp but still bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water.

Place green beans in large bowl and add tomatoes, olive oil, cucumber, onions, parsley, basil and mint. Fluff drained bulgur and stir into vegetable mixture.

Pour Dressing over salad and toss to combine. Add romaine and toss. Taste and add more lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper if needed. Spoon onto platter and garnish with olives.

DRESSING

Combine tahineh, lemon juice, oil and water in small bowl until blended. Add garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4 servings. Each serving:

326 calories; 293 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 3.30 grams fiber.

FRESH PEACHES WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE (NO-FAT COOKING; 30 MINUTES OR LESS)

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pint blueberries

4 or 5 large peaches, peeled, pitted and quartered

Vanilla ice cream, optional

This is an easy nonfat dessert--as long as you skip the ice cream option.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add blueberries and heat, stirring constantly, until softened and mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Divide peaches among 4 dessert dishes and top with blueberry sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

4 servings. Each serving without ice cream:

149 calories; 5 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.50 grams fiber.