Summer salads: Tabbouleh
September 3, 2010
Posted in Food
My sister asked me today what salad she thought she should serve for a lunch with a friend tomorrow.
The thing about salads is that they can be supremely dull: a couple of salad leaves, tomatoes and some sort of cheese is not inspiring, even if it is easy to put together. Fancy salads, on the other hand, are just that: fancy, over the top and time consuming.
Which is why I thought of tabbouleh. It’s certainly not dull and yet is fantastically easy to make. A little bit of chopping and you’re done.
Tabbouleh is just as well described as bulgar wheat salad (or cracked wheat). You get it in most shops and, like couscous, it doesn’t need to be cooked as such. It’s a perfect summer salad because it has the flavour of tomatoes, lemons, parsley and a light hint of spring onion.Many recipes call for huge amounts of parsley. You can adjust this according to your taste, but it does still need a healthy dose of parsley.
Ingredients
- 1 cup bulgar wheat (cracked wheat)
- 2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (vary this according to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped spring onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped mint
- 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
In a bowl soak the bulgar wheat in water for about 20 minutes and then drain well. Put the wheat into a serving bowl, add the parsley, onions, mint and tomatoes and toss it all up.
In a separate bowl whisk the olive oil and lemon juice. Pour this over the wheat mixture and you’re done.
Perfect for a summer lunch.
There are infinite variations on this salad. This is the most basic of them. You could add cucumbers, for example, to get it another fresh taste. Try it this way and then experiment.
Celebrating spring with chai tea
September 1, 2010
Posted in Food
It’s hot, it’s sweet, it’s spicy. and there is nothing like it on a hot summer day. It’s chai tea. And with today being spring day it’s a perfect drink to celebrate the fast approaching summer.
Originating in the Indian sub-continent Masala Chai (“spiced tea”) is made by brewing tea with a mixture of spices, sugar and milk. The result is a warming, spicy cup of tea that somehow seems appropriate on even the hottest of days.
Making chai is simple and quick. This is the way I usually make it but, because there is no fixed chai recipe, it’s just as good if you vary the spices, the quantities and how you prepare the spices.
Typically Chai is made with any number of spices, including cardamom, cinammon, peppercorns, cloves, star anise and ginger. These are usually crushed, but for a lighter flavoured tea don’t crush the spices before adding to the pot. Crushing the spices will give the tea more of a “kick”.
Ingredients
- 1 litre hot water
- 1 big teaspoon cardamom pods
- 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 or 2 whole star anise
- 2 regular teabags
- 1 cup milk
Bash the spices up in a pestle and mortar. Cardamom and star anise seed pods will remain which is fine. Put the spices into a pot over medium heat and toast the spices for a minute. They mustn’t burn but you’ll smell the fantastic aroma as they toast.
Add the litre of hot water to the spices. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Then add the two teabags to the pot and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Finally, add the cup of milk and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Strain the larger pieces out of the tea and serve with sugar.
