Sunday, July 15, 2007

COLD RED LENTIL & BULGUR KIBBEH IN LETTUCE CUPS WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE + HOT KIBBEH PATTY VARIATION

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Cold Red lentil & Bulgur Kibbeh in Lettuce Cups with a grapefruit salad
UPDATE Aug 3, 2011: It just occurred to me (duh!) that these are a form of kibbeh (see here for info on kibbeh), so I've changed the name of the recipe.  

ALSO, I  had some of the mixture leftover this week, and I tried making small patties out of it and browning them in a pan-- delish!  See the recipe below for instructions and more pics.















I adapted this (with what I had in the house) from a salad recipe in "Eating Well" magazine. I thought I had ruined it because I over-cooked the split lentils, so that they were mushy (to be fair-- this is very easy to do, since they cook so quickly!). The salad kind of stuck together like a pâté. So, I cooled it in the refrigerator and hoped for the best. It was more solid than a salad would be, so I decided to roll balls of it (loose balls) and nestle them in the beautiful butter lettuce that we had just purchased here on Denman from Piercy Farm. Served with a bit more lettuce topped with juicy sliced grapefruit and olives (with a couple of sundried tomatoes on the side) in a balsamic vinaigrette, it was a filling and easy dinner for a hot summer evening! It was also delicious-- DH loved it!

In the following picture, I served the kibbeh with a roasted potato salad with edamame and grape tomatoes.



Printable Recipe

COLD RED LENTIL & BULGUR SALAD KIBBEH WITH DRIED FRUIT IN BUTTER LETTUCE CUPS, AND HOT KIBBEH PATTY VARIATION 

6 servings 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup bulgur wheat (medium or #2)
1/2 cup split red lentils
1/4 tsp salt 

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (You can use 1/2 dates and 1/2 prunes, if you wish.)
1/2 cup chopped pitted dried apricots (You can use 1/2 apricots and 1/2 dried cranberries, if you wish.) 
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

2 Tbs aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings (You can use olive oil, if you prefer, but the calories and fat will go up.) 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tbs grated lime zest (You can use lemon instead if you don't have limes.)

Optional: 1/4 cup dry-toasted cashews, chopped
FOR SERVING:
1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated, cleaned, spun and crisped well in the refrigerator 
Basil Mayo: lowfat vegan mayonnaise blended with fresh basil and a bit of garlic to taste.

Instructions:
Bring water, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a small saucepan; stir in bulgur, remove from the heat, cover the pan and set aside until the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are mushy, like dahl, and don't drain them.

Add lentils, dried fruit, parsley, mint, lime juice and zest, and optional cashews and oil (if using) to the bulgur. Toss well and chill for several hours.

When ready to serve, scoop out lumps of the mixture, roll them into balls and place them in crisp leaves of butter lettuce to serve, along with a dollop of Basil Mayo (lowfat vegan mayonnaise blended with fresh basil and a bit of garlic to taste).

VARIATION-- HOT KIBBEH PATTIES:
Form the chilled balls into small patties and fry over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet  or a well-seasoned cast iron, carbon steel or stainless steel skillet, sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, until golden brown and crispy on both sides.
 





Eat hot (minus the lettuce) with the basil Mayo

Enjoy!



3 comments:

KleoPatra said...

Bryanna, thank you as always for sharing your recipes and knowledge with the online world! Your generosity and great food are a treat... thanks!

Anonymous said...

That looks so good ! Exactly the time of meal that is so great to eat during the summer :)

You have been on my mind all week !
I made your Almond Latte Cake (wonderful!) and Soy "Fish Cakes" and Carrot Oat Patties and loved everything, as always :))

Everyday Superhero said...

Hi Bryanna, I've been checking out your blog for a while and I recently watched the DVD that you participated in. All your dishes looked delish and I'm now trying to get my hands on a breadmaker so I can attempt the vegan "pork" tenderloin. You're a real natural at demonstrating how to prepare food.
All the best,
The Veggie Vixen