Tabbouleh With Barley

This has got to be one of the easiest salads recipes I have done in a long time- Courtesy: Automatic Restaurant, Ghubrah. Originally from the mountainous regions of Syria, today it is ubiquitous around the Levant, the Tabbouleh, is a lovely fresh, hydrating salad that can be a stand alone lunch or a delicious accompaniment to barbecues.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• Parsley- 2 cups
• Fresh Mint- 1/2 cup
• Vine tomato- 1 medium
• White Onion- 1 small, chopped fine
• Garlic- 1 clove; shredded
• Lemon- 1 large; juiced
• Barley- 2 tbsp; boiled
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp; for dressing
• Salt- To taste

Preparation (10 mins):

Remove the pulp from the tomato and cut into small pieces. Chop parsley, mint, onion, garlic. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Toss and refrigerate.

Serve chilled.

Tips:

• The original recipe called for bulghur wheat. Since I don't use it much, decided to replace with barley. Not a bad substitution.

Eggplant Halloumi Salad

Keeping with the tradition of light meals during Ramadan, here's this week's salad innovated from elements of traditional cuisine in the Levant- grilled eggplant, halloumi cheese, parsley, walnuts and olives.

Halloumi is a semi-hard white cheese from goat and sheep milk typical to the cuisine of the Levant.

The smoky sweetness of grilled eggplant, contrasts with the chewiness of the salty halloumi . The chopped parsley and crushed walnut are added accents to a fresh light lunch.

Ingredients (Serves 1):

• Eggplant- 200 gm; sliced; grilled with a dash of olive oil
• Halloumi- 100 gm; chopped
• Fresh Parsley- 1/2 cup; chopped
• Walnuts- 1large; crushed coarsely
• Black olives- 1 tbsp; pitted and sliced (optional).

 Preparation (In the blink of an eye):

 

Toss all ingredients together, add a dash of salt if you want (didn't feel the need to add extra salt as the halloumi itself is salty). Refrigerate.

Serve chilled.