I love whole grains! That should not come as a surprise to my regular readers, as I sometimes forget there are other food groups. Anyway, I love grains so much I decided to combine three of them into a yummy salad. Well, technically, quinoa is a seed - but for the purposes of this recipe I'm calling it a grain.
So, three grains and some tasty Moroccan seasoning and you've got a wonderful and FILLING side dish. This one is fiber central so a little will fill you up really fast.
I added some delicious dried apricots (thanks Caroline!) and pistachios. A intense mix of Moroccan seasonings gives the dish some kick without overpowering the nutty flavors of the grains. I deliberately kept the spices mild and used some lemon zest and juice to blend the flavors together. The result is a wonderful main or side dish that will last you a few days with ample leftovers.
Read more for the full recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups of water
1/2 cup pearled barley
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup bulgur
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup apricots, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together all spices
2. Bring water to a boil.
3. Stir in barley, return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low
4. Simmer barley for 15 minutes
5. Add quinoa and bulgur, cover and simmer for another 10-12 minutes
6. Remove grains from heat, stir in spice mix, lemon zest and lemon juice
7. Cool grains
8. Add chopped pistachios, apricots and parsley
9. Serve cool
I've never tried bulgur. Is there another food that tastes similar?
ReplyDeleteI think it has a similar texture to whole wheat couscous. So that would be my comparison. It also has a slightly nutty flavor.
DeleteLove bulgur and this recipe is exquisite! I must try this out over the weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks tasty, especially with the cardamom!
ReplyDeleteSounds so wonderful and healthy! I love the idea of using pearl barley as a salad grain... it's an underused ingredient in my kitchen, particularly in the summer, so I'm always looking for new things I can make with it.
ReplyDeletei love all those seasonings in this! sounds so delicious and flavorful!
ReplyDeleteYum, this sounds amazing! I absolutely love whole grains, too. The different flavors all sound amazing - definitely bookmarking this recipe :)
ReplyDeleteOh, yum! I love this combination of grains...I could easily eat this for lunch :)
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using a mixture of different grains. I definitely need to branch out and try more than just quinoa!
ReplyDeleteI love this salad idea! Did you use fresh or dried apricots?
ReplyDelete