Elle's Kitchen: Tabouleh

We love Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food

and this was a type of cuisine that in the past we

only used to eat in restaurants.  But now that it is

just the two of us, we have been trying to make 

more food at home and that includes trying things

from our favorite restaurants.  

Today's recipe is for Tabouleh.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bulghur wheat

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup diced cucumber

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

the zest of the lemons

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the bulghur in a bowl, drain and change the water 

a few times, drain.  Cover with boiling water and set aside

for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile chop the vegetables and herbs.

Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest

and salt and pepper with the vegetables.

Drain the bulghur in a strainer, then squeeze 

the bulghur in your hands to get all the water

out and add to the vegetable mixture.  Stir and

refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

We enjoyed this as part of a Mezze Platter.  It also

included olives, feta, hummus, spanakopita and

falafel.  I think next time I would add some garlic

to the tabouleh,  it needed a bit more flavor.

Enjoy!

Elle's Kitchen: Mini Pepper Appetizer

One day many years ago, the kids and I 

stopped at our local grocery store after 

school and they happened to be sampling

these appetizers.  We tasted ~ we loved!

And we have been making them ever since.

Ingredients:

Mini sweet peppers

Whipped Cream Cheese

a hot pepper jelly or jam

Wash and dry peppers and cut in half 

lengthwise.  Scoop out the ribs and seeds,

I use a spoon to do this.  

Filled the pepper halves with the whipped

cream cheese, again, use a spoon and flatten

along the top.  Add a spoonful of the jam or

jelly to the top and serve.  I used a Cherry

Jalapeno jam that I found at a Farmer's

Market in Grand Haven, MI.  It was delicious!

Enjoy!

Elle's Kitchen: Crostini

 

Around our American Homestead we love

nothing more than a delicious Mediterranean

style lunch.  And crostini should always be a

part of that lunch.  They are easy, inexpensive,

look great and work perfectly for transporting

food to mouth.

 

 

Take a nice baguette, I use the ones from

Trader Joe's or Panera Bread and slice very

thin, about 1/8  to 3/16 of an inch.

 

 

I use my olive oil sprayer which I find to

be one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.

They are quite inexpensive and you get

to use your own choice or olive oil instead

of a bunch of chemicals. Anyway, place bread

on a baking sheet and give a very quick spray.

Place under the broiler and keep the door open,

it only takes a few minutes.  I like mine to be

 golden and not brown.  Take out, flip and toast

the other side for a minute or so.

 

 

And this was the lovely lunch we enjoyed.

A delicious spinach salad, crostini, a few

cheeses, olives and a couple of tapenades.

My new find ~ the Roasted Red Pepper and

Artichoke Tapenade from where else?  Yep,

Trader Joe's!

 

 

Look at that cheese on the left, it is heaven

on a plate... Mr. Wonderful & Brennan were

heading home from Indiana University after

dropping off the first carload of college stuff

and decided to stop at TJ's.  We live about 40

minutes away from our Trader Joe's so we stop

in when we are in the area.  Wonderful called

and told me told me he picked up a Brie with

mushrooms that they were sampling that day. 

I told him to put it back.

I know the heavenly cheese when I see it but

couldn't remember the name.  I described it to

him but he wasn't finding it.  I told him I'd call

him right back, I called someone and pulled them

out of a Broadway show pre-set to get the name.

Yes, it's that good...

And the name you may wonder?  It is:

Le Delice de Bourgogne!

Don't eat it cold!  Wonderful put it on the ledge

of the back window of the car for the ride home

and it was soft and creamy and... heaven.

 

Enjoy!