Hooray!! Summer is finally here! As of Monday, everyone in my family will either be at camp, summer school or work. It’s going to be SO quiet around here!!! It’s going to be so QUIET around here…sigh.
Anyway, it’s hard to believe that next weekend is already Fourth of July weekend! How did that happen??!! This year The Fourth of July weekend is just a fun filled weekend with an extra day attached for fabulous barbecues with family and friends (yippee skipee – more grilling!!). In honor of the three day weekend, I’m happy to share with you not one, not two, but three most excellent recipes that you can make over the Fourth of July weekend.
The first is a great recipe BULGUR WITH CRANBERRIES, LEEKS AND ALMONDS, that I love because:
1. It contains bulgur. I previously wrote about bulgur in the Taco Burgers-Vegetarian Style blog. Bulgur is lowfat and also higher in nutritional value than other grains like couscous or rice1.
2. This dish can be made in advance and served hot or cold. It’s a great Shabbat side dish, but can also be served cold at your outstanding barbecue!
3. It just tastes great! I love the nutty flavor of the bulgur paired with the savory flavor of the leeks, the sweet flavor of the cranberries, and the crunch of the almonds.
4. I was in the fruit store recently and found the best looking leeks I had ever seen. Right in season, they had long white parts - perfect for this recipe. I had to have them! As a result - this week...Bulgur with Cranberries, Leeks and Almonds!!
5. It’s pretty.
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| Bulgur with Cranberries, Leeks & Almonds It even looks great up close!! |
The second recipe, BROCCOLI SLAW, is an easy, delicious salad that you can whip up in a jiffy for Shabbat Lunch or to bring to that barbecue you were invited and asked to bring “some salad” to. It looks great, is incredibly healthy, and it goes a long way in calming the craving for something sweet!
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| No Cabbage in this Slaw! It's Broccoli Slaw!! |
Finally the third recipe, GRILLED ZA’ATAR CHICKEN2, is based upon the recipe from this month’s Bon Appetit Magazine. My cousin Tziporah is constantly extolling the virtues of za’atar, and we have spent a significant amount of time discussing different recipes. Za’atar is just a “middle eastern” spice blend. In the magazine there is a recipe for making your own from scratch, but I took the easy route and bought the Pereg ready-made version. I used fresh rosemary from my window sill garden, and took the time to actually roast the garlic heads that the recipe called for. I also used two small cutup chickens in the recipe instead of just one, left all the bones intact, and pulled the skin off the chicken to make it healthier. I didn’t let the chicken marinate overnight, and didn’t add the Kosher Salt as the “official recipe” called for either. I was very excited to try out the exotic blend of flavors in this recipe – especially when it meant I got to grill the chicken! All I can say is, YUM! Now for those members of my family that are faint of heart, I also made the standard barbecue chicken – which was fine…more Grilled Za’atar Chicken for me!
I hope that you enjoy these warm weather recipes! Stay tuned for more Fourth of July and Summertime recipes in the weeks to come! Have fun enjoying your summer too…I know we are here at Matten Central!
1. Read more: How to Prepare Bulgur Wheat | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5628194_prepare-bulgur-wheat.html#ixzz1QF37kUHi
2. Grilled Chicken with Za’atar, Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2011 – page 80.
BULGUR WITH CRANBERRIES LEEKS AND ALMONDS
2 cups bulgur wheat
4 cups leeks, white part only – thinly sliced
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons margarine (I used Earths Balance)
3 ¼ cups vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté leeks in the melted margarine for 7 minutes until soft. Add stock and bring to a boil, then add the bulgur. Stir and return to a boil. Cook over low heat, uncovered, until liquid is absorbed, around 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and almonds. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. May be served hot or at room temperature.
BROCCOLI SLAW
24 ounces broccoli slaw
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup vinegar
½ cup Splenda
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Chill before serving.
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ZA’ATAR
2 heads garlic, top third cut off
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3-4 pound chicken, cut in half lengthwise, backbone removed.
¼ cup za’atar
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 small Serrano chile, seeded, minced
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Put garlic on a large sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil and wrap tightly with foil. Roast until tender and golden brown, 45-50 minutes. Let cool.
Place chicken in a 13x9x2” glass baking dish. Sprinkle 2 ½ Tbsp. za’atar over chicken. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of skins and into a small bowl; mash into a paste with the back of a fork. Add 4 Tbsp. oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, chile, and marjoram; whisk to blend. Pour over chicken; turn to coat. Cover; chill overnight.
Season chicken with salt and pepper; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Brush grill rack with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Grill chicken, turning occasionally, until skin is crisp and browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of thigh without touching bone reads 160° F, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ Tbsp. za’atar, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut each half into 4 pieces and serve on a platter.
BULGUR WITH CRANBERRIES LEEKS AND ALMONDS:
BROCCOLI SLAW:
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH ZA’ATAR:BULGUR WITH CRANBERRIES LEEKS AND ALMONDS:
All the ingredients!
Sauté the leeks until tender...
Add the rest of the ingredients...
What a great side dish!!
BROCCOLI SLAW:
It all starts with store bought
broccoli slaw...
Add the rest of the ingredients...
What a pretty salad!
Fresh roasted garlic,
and really fresh ingredients...
mmmmmmmm.....
Smash 'em together in
a bowl...
Sprinkle the chicken with za'atar...
Rub in the fresh ingredients...
The best part grill!
So delicious!!!
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These recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!
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