Warm Roasted Veg and Bulgur Salad

I keep explaining to my newly-minted vegetarian daughter that those who choose this lifestyle must eat a lot of whole grains and vegetables as a part of a healthy and balanced diet. Heck, we all do! But despite the fact that she used to eat just about anything, she's not only eschewing meat...she's become extraordinarily picky and learning the hard way that when you don't eat what I've prepared for dinner, you get a piece of fruit, and generally go to bed hungry.

Sigh. I was so hoping that as my kids grew, they would become less and less picky, not the other way around. Ah well. It just means there are more leftovers to bring to a neighhbor's monthly ladies' night--they loved it by the way. I hope you do too!





I like to roast a huge batch of veggies so I have plenty to add to dishes throughout the week. Try them on a green salad, over pasta, on pizza or in soup. Or just enjoy them as a side dish on their own.

Warm Roasted Vegetable and Bulgur Salad
Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Yield: serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 zucchini
2 Japanese eggplants (the long, thin kind)
1 yellow onion
2 red bell peppers
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic
2 cups bulgur
4 cups vegetable stock
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme and basil are all good)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Slice zucchini and eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Peel and cut onion into similarly-sized chunks. Remove seeds and core from the bell peppers and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Place all the veggies on a large sheet pan (if it seems too crowded, use 2). Add the cherry tomatoes. Break apart the head of garlic and discard any excess papery skin. Sprinkle the cloves over the vegetables.

3. Drizzle the veggies with 2 tablespoons each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss well to combine. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the vegetables and garlic are tender and caramelized. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.

5. Meanwhile, heat broth in a medium saucepan. When it boils, add bulgur and return to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender. Remove lid, toss with a fork and let cool for 10 minutes.

6. Whisk 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar with 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large salad bowl. Add warm bulgur and toss to coat completely.

7. Squeeze garlic from its skin and discard (skin). Toss garlic, and all the rest of the veggies with the bulgur until evenly combined. The juice from the tomatoes will add extra moisture to the salad. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the top with finely chopped fresh herbs (like parsley, thyme and basil). Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with additional olive oil and vinegar if desired.

At Market...Chinese Long Beans

These beans are a sight to behold. They look like they might be out of a fairy tale, or the kind of beans you'd see at a farmers' market freak show in the booth around the corner, along with the 300 pound pumpkin and the double headed asparagus and the bearded pink ladies. But they are very real, and very common in Asian and African cuisines. It's a good thing they have found their way into our specialty grocers and green markets too, because despite their unusual appearance, their flavor is quite delicious. Not unlike a regular green bean, that has a certain toothiness and squeaks a bit in the mouth, these beans, when cooked properly, are crisp tender and have a nuttier taste than their shorter look-alikes. Also called yardlong beans, they are actually only about half a yard long, and should be harvested when the pods are slender, so they remain tender. (I'm a poet and didn't know it!)

So here, as promised, is the recipe from last night's dinner that uses those long beans. It is kind of similar to the Chicken with Green Beans and Black Bean Sauce recipe that I made awhile back, but it is wonderful in its own right. We first tried this recipe at a neighbor's house, when she stumbled upon it in an effort to use up some of her prolific garden's eggplants. We were all thrilled with the results and have eaten it many, many times since.

Szechuan Pork with Long Beans and Eggplant

serves 4

1 pound ground pork

1 t each, salt, pepper, cornstarch

1 T grated fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced

1 t chile garlic paste

1 T black bean sauce

1 bunch long beans (or 1 pound green beans), cut into 3 inch segments

2 Japanese eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

sesame oil

Sauce:

1/4 C chicken broth

4 T soy sauce

1 T red wine vinegar

1 t cornstarch

Mix salt, pepper and 1 t cornstarch into pork and set aside. Heat 2 T vegetable oil in a wok, large skillet or large dutch oven. When almost smoking, add beans and eggplant and saute, stirring frequently, until tender (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan. Add 1 T more oil, ginger, garlic and black bean sauce. Stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds) and add pork and break apart with a spatula. Brown well. Add chile garlic sauce and stir. Push pork aside and add sauce mixture to the bottom of the pan. Stir until thickened, about 30 seconds. Incorporate pork and add back vegetables, tossing all with the sauce. Pour into serving bowl and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.
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