Turkish Bulghur Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

Bulghur, bulgur, or burghul, a common ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes (such as Tabbouleh and Kibbeh), is made by parboiling, drying, and grinding wheat to a fine, medium, or coarse texture. Bulghur stars in this colorful and delicious salad, my own adaptation of a recipe I found on Epicurious.com. It's a wonderful summer side dish for grilled meats, or served as a main course with a tossed green salad and crusty French bread. Enjoy!

TURKISH BULGHUR SALAD

WITH

POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING

For the Salad:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, minced
2 cups fine bulghur wheat
2 cups boiling water
2 15-oz. cans beans, pink, borlotti, chickpeas, or a combination,
            rinsed and drained
1 large bunch fresh basil leaves, chopped (optional)
1 bunch scallions, green tops slices, white parts chopped
1 cup raw pistachio kernels, lightly toasted if desired

For the Dressing:
1/3 cup pomegranate molasses
          (available in your grocer's Middle Eastern section)
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

---

1. Sauté onion in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in bulghur until grains are coated with oil. Slowly add boiling water, stir, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, until water is absorbed. Fluff wheat and turn into large bowl. Let cool.

2. Rinse and drain the beans you wish to use. Prepare basil and scallions and fold with beans into cooled wheat.

3. Combine dressing ingredients. Stir into wheat.

4. Top with pistachios (or allow individual diners to add their own nuts). Generously serves 6-8 as a main course salad.

Cannellini Herb Dip

Dairy-free this Italian-inspired dip might be, but it’s delicious, great with the usual crudités and crackers, and it makes a great spread for sandwiches. Do use fresh herbs, and by all means, tweak the flavors to your own taste.

CANNELLINI HERB DIP

2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (3 cups cooked)
¾ cup olive oil (substitute a little rosemary olive oil if you can find it)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced/put through a press
1-2 tsps. fresh thyme, chopped (½ tsp. dried)
1-2 tsps. fresh rosemary, chopped (½ tsp. dried)
½ tsp. sea salt
A few good grindings of white pepper
Fresh parsley and/or toasted pine nuts for garnish

---

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor (add a little water if mixture is too thick). Transfer to serving dish and garnish as desired.

Shrimp with Pancetta and Cannellini Beans

The discovery that my local supermarket now carries pancetta already diced up sent me scouring my cooking files for recipes made with this tasty Italian bacon. Serve this one with plenty of crusty bread to sop up every bit of the delicious sauce.

SHRIMP with PANCETTA and CANNELLINI BEANS

4-5 Tbs. olive oil                                         6-8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 oz. chopped pancetta                              4-5 large garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 fat shallots, minced                              ½ cup dry white wine
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined       2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans,                     Fresh ground pepper
     rinsed well and drained

---

1. Heat 2 Tbs. of oil in a large skillet over low heat. Sauté pancetta slowly until fat is rendered and meat starts to brown. Raise heat to medium, add shallots, and sauté until golden, about five minutes. Fold sage and beans into bacon mixture and set aside until ready to serve.

2. Reheat beans over low heat. Heat garlic in remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat until garlic colors. Remove garlic and discard. Add shrimp to oil and sauté for 1 minute. Add wine, parsley, and a grind or two of pepper (salt if desired, keeping in mind that pancetta is fairly salty). Cook until shrimp are done, another 2-3 minutes.

3. Toss hot beans and shrimp together. Add more liquid if necessary. Serve at once with crusty bread and a salad, if desired. Serves 2-4 depending on side dishes. Don't be looking for leftovers!

Middle Eastern Zucchini Salad

Light, refreshing, easy. What more could you want for a wonderful summer side dish, brought to us by the Arabs via Sicily and Spain? This one is sure to help use up all that extra zucchini in the garden!

MIDDLE EASTERN ZUCCHINI SALAD

1 zucchini squash (about 1 lb.)
1 summer squash (about 1 lb.)
2 Tbs. olive oil
2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
2 Tbs. golden raisins
1 tsp. dried mint (look for Syrian/Tabbouleh mint)
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

---

1. Slice squash into ¼-inch slices (I use my food processor's thickest slicing blade)

2. Heat garlic and oil in frying pan until garlic is fragrant. Add squash. Sauté over moderate heat until heated through. Add pine nuts and raisins. Sauté until heated through.

3. Add mint and salt and pepper. Stir until squash is tender crisp. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Stir in lemon juice. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with additional toasted pine nuts. May be served warm or cold.

Salmon Orzo Mediterranean

Contributed by Dawn Marie Hamilton

The word orzo is Italian for barley, referring to the shape and size of the pasta as it looks somewhat like a grain of rice. I've always thought of orzo pasta as Greek because of its popularity in the region, but you will find the tiny pasta in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes.

During a recent visit to the Boston area, I enjoyed a wonderful salmon fillet with an orzo side dish in an Italian restaurant. After returning home, I thought, why not combine the two and I came up with the following colorful recipe:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. salmon fillet
2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
4 scallions, chopped with greens

1. Broil, bake, or microwave salmon fillet and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook orzo pasta according to package directions in a large saucepan.

3. In a small bowl combine and whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

4. When pasta has finished cooking and while still hot, drain and return to pan. Add spinach, bell pepper, cucumber, and scallions. Add lemon juice mixture and toss. Break cooked salmon fillet into small pieces and mix in. Serve immediately.

* This recipe is also good served cold the next day.

Provides four servings. Enjoy!