Waldorf Salad with Bulgar

The flavours in this salad will excite each and every one of your taste buds! There is really a lot going on from the sweet apples and nutty bulgar to the tart lemon juice and peppery parsley.

I served this along side an egg salad sandwich. Made for a great lunch!

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup bulgar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 medium-sized apple, cored and diced (leave the skin on)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:
1. Prepare the bulgar first. Place the grains plus 1 cup of boiling water into a heat-proof bowl. Cover and let the bulgar sit for 20-30 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Set aside to cool.

2. Once cooled, transfer the bulgar to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss everything well and serve.

Reference:
Based on Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.

My changes:
I used bulgar (cracked wheat) in place of wheat berries.
I added the strawberries and used a mixture of cranberries and raisins in place of just raisins.
I subbed white wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar and used sparkling cider in place of apple juice (slightly out of desperation ;)

Ancient Grains with Veggies Pilaf

This was really tasty but a bit of a pain to make... probably due to the fact that you have to cook each grain separately and I only own two saucepans. LOL.. I used to have a bunch but purged all the old crappy Teflon ones so now I'm down to two non-huge stainless steel ones. Plus, I needed one for DH's dinner.. The time it takes is worth it just for the amazing amount of protein in this dish!
At least I know for next time to make them all in advance!

You could really use any combination of grains and veggies that you have on hand. Rice would also work. In fact, the original version of this recipe called for brown rice; I chose to use quinoa instead in an attempt to cut back on cooking time.

The pilaf is really filling so I'd say this amount would feed 2; 4 as a side-dish.

**Note: Soak the spelt for at least 6 hours prior to cooking.**

Ingredients:
1/8 cup whole spelt grain
1/2 cup water

1/8 cup bulgur
3/4 cup water

1/8 cup quinoa
1/4 cup water

1/6 cup couscous
1/4 cup water

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/8 cup carrots, finely diced
1/8 cup sweet potato, finely diced
1/8 cup parsnip, finely diced
1/8 cup mushroom, diced (I used portobello; any mushroom would work)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ginger (as much as you like; I think I used 1/2 tbsp.)

Method:
1. Start with the spelt. Drain the soaked spelt then add it to 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is cooked through. Spelt will not get too soft/it remains quite firm.

2. Cook the bulgur by bringing 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Add the bulgur grains and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Cook the quinoa by boiling 1/4 cup water. Add the quinoa grains and then lower the heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the white "germ" is visible.

4. Cook the couscous. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

After each grain is cooked, set it aside while the other grains and the veggies cook (you can combine them in one bowl).

5. Heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, mushroom, celery, and sweet potato until tender. Add the grains then add the soy sauce, green onion, ginger, and parsley. Cook and stir until everything is warmed through.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Ancient Grain Pilaf" from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My Changes:
I added the parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, and mushroom. I used green onions in place of scallions and used quinoa in place of brown rice.