quinoa tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh
My quinoa tabbouleh was inspired by my plate at the Broad but still stays true to the classic herb-laden salad we know and love. To get after the zingy lemon flavor of their salad, I dress the quinoa on its own, not just in the salad as we typically do with the bulghur. The result: so flavorful! This is a big salad that will make at least 12 servings or more; feel free to scale down, but know that the salad tastes great from the refrigerator all week long.

2 large bunches curly parsley
1/2 cup pearl quinoa
1 cup water
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt, to taste
Big handful mint leaves, finely chopped
2 small cucumbers, cut in small pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in small pieces
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Thoroughly rinse the parsley by dunking it in clean water several times (see this). Lay it out on a clean kitchen towel to dry, blotting it with another dry towel, or running the parsley through a salad spinner in batches. If possible, wash the parsley a day in advance, lay it out to dry or spin it, then store it in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags overnight or until you’re ready to make the salad.

In a small saucepan, bring the cup of water to a boil over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cold water. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the quinoa until it is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Immediately place the quinoa in a large bowl to cool and stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

While the quinoa cooks, chop the vegetables and work with the parsley last, so that it’s as dry as possible if it was just washed.

To chop the parsley, pinch the curly leaves from the stems and discard the stems. You’ll have about 10 cups of parsley. Finely chop the parsley in batches, or chop it in a food processor in two batches, pulsing just until no large pieces of parsley are visible.

Add the parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions to the bowl with the quinoa. Dress the tabbouleh with the juice of the second lemon, the olive oil, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt. Combine everything thoroughly, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve the tabbouleh immediately, or let it rest for up to several hours or in the refrigerator for several days. The tabbouleh is lovely served on a platter.

Vegan "Cheddar" Spread

1 15 ounce can white beans (rinsed)
1/2 cup  roasted red peppers from a jar (drained)
7 Tbl  nutritional yeast
3 Tbl  lemon juice
3 Tbl  cashew butter
1tsp  whole grain mustard in a jar
1-2 tsp  miso (I used red, but the recipe said to use chickpea miso)

Chill well before serving with crudites and crackers

Green goddess hummus

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Green Goddess Hummus

4.8 from 6 reviews

Author: Cookie and Kate

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Lebanese

Prep time:  3 mins

Cook time:  5 mins

Total time:  8 mins

Serves: 1¾ cup

Ultra creamy, healthy hummus flavored with herbs! Use classic green goddess dressing herbs like me or change it up with other fresh, leafy herbs. (You'll want to use 1 cup or less fresh herbs, to taste. I think arugula would be awesome.) Learn the trick to making creamy homemade hummus, too! Recipe yields about 1¾ cup hummus.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon's worth)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• ½ cup roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh parsley
• ¼ cup roughly chopped, loosely packed fresh tarragon
• 2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh chives
• 1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
• One (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water, optional
• Garnish with extra olive oil and a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First, you'll whip the tahini and lemon juice together to make them ultra smooth and creamy. Combine the tahini and lemon juice in the bowl of your food processor (a smaller food processor will be better suited to the job) or high-powered blender (i.e. Vitamix or Blendtec). Process for about 1½ minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl of your processor as necessary.
2. Add the olive oil, parsley, tarragon, chives, chopped garlic and salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice mixture. Process for about 1 minute, pausing to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
3. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and process for until the hummus is thick and quite smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
4. If your hummus is too thick or hasn't yet blended into creamy oblivion, run the food processor while drizzling in 1 to 2 tablespoons water, until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Scrape the hummus into a small serving bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with additional chopped herbs.
6. Store hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.