Tabbouleh!

Grain salads are my absolute favorite thing to eat in the summer! They are so versitile, last for days in the fridge (and get better as they sit!) and they are so healthy. These salads literally come together in less than 10 minutes and they are the perfect dish to use up the extra veggies and herbs in your fridge. I use couscous, quinoa, millet, barley, spelt berries....the list goes on. Pair the cooked grains with whatever veggies and herbs you have in the fridge and top with a vinegrette (lemon or vinegar based.) It's seriously easy and deliscous.

Yesterday I made a classic grain salad, Tabbouleh. This salad is a tradition Arab staple. I'm pretty the one I made is not exactly traditional, but it's great none the less.

Tabbouleh Salad

1 cup cooked couscous
1 bunch fresh italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
handful fresh mint, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped (leave the skin on, good color)
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
handful of crumbled feta cheese
1 cup cooked chickpeas (optional)
salt

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well to combine. Refridgerate at least 1 hr or until ready to eat.

Fresh Summer Salad

This is such a great fresh summer salad. I love salads full of grains and this one is new favorite. Comes together in 10 min and gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.


Asparagus & Tomato Lemon Couscous Salad

2 cups Israeli Couscous (find it in the greek section at the grocery store)
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2 tbsp Olive Oil
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
pint of cherry tomatos, sliced in half
3 tbso fresh parsley, chopped
salt & pepper
parmesean

1. Bring to a boil 2.5 cups of water in a pot. Add couscous. Cover and Cook 10 min, stirring occasionally.

2. In the last 2 minutes of cooking add the chopped asparagus spears to the pot and put the cover back on.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Toss cooked couscous, asparagus, chopped tomatos and chopped parsley in a large bowl. Top with vinegrette and toss.

5. Top with parsley and parm.

6. Serve room temperature or cold.

My kind of grillin'!

When it comes to grilling, I'm a bit of an amateur. It's no secret that I'm not really a fan of huge chunks of meat, no matter how they are cooked. But fear not, there are some amazing grilled dishes that manage to have meat as a component, rather then the main star. This is a simple dinner that everyone will love. Interesting combination that totally, totally works.

Grilled Peach, Sweet Potato, Red Onion and Chicken Skewers with Pecans

4 Peaches, sliced into chunks (ripe, but not too ripe or they will fall apart on the grill)
2 Sweet Potatoes, cut into chunks
1 Red Onion, cut into chunks
3 Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks
1 cup Pecans

Sauce
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1 cup balsamic or sherry vinegar
salt
pepper

Pecan Spice1 tbsp honey
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice



15-18 Wooden Skewers (soaked in water so they don't burn)


1. Chop chicken, peaches, sweet potato and onion. Place chopped sweet potato in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes to start the cooking process.

2. Pour sauce ingredients into a pot, bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Let simmer 12-15 min to reduce.

3. Toss all chopped ingredients into a bowl. Pout over HALF of reduced sauce. Stir well.

4. Skewer all chopped ingredients.

5. Place foil on grill. Preheat. Place skewers on grill. Cook, turning often and bast with more sauce. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12 min.

6. Place pecans on a square of foil. Top with pecan spices above. Toast on grill for 5 min. (Watch carefully so they don't burn.

Serve skewers on a large platter. Drizzle with any remaining sauce. Top with pecans.

Enjoy!