Tabouleh with chick peas and cucumbers

I'm always looking for new ways to get whole grains into my diet along with some protein. I'm talking about something that tastes good and qualifies as an easy filling meal that I can eat at home or easily take to work. This recipe qualifies. The bulgur is a nutritious, nutty whole grain that's really easy to make. The chick peas add some protein and texture, and of course the tomatoes and cucumbers give flavor and crunch. Making this when tomatoes are in season is always a plus. Here's the recipe:

1 cup bulgur wheat(soaked 1 hr with 1 cup hot or cold salted water)
3 medium tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped mint(or more if you like)
1 can chick peas washed and drained
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 1/2 to 2 lemons
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let stand for about 1/2 hr.

couscous salad for lunch

Here's an easy dish that gets you some vegetables, grain and protein and it tastes pretty good. I think its great as a snack or to take to work for lunch but it also makes a great side dish with dinner. Keep in mind that you can add or subtract herbs and vegetables(or add fruit) as you like.

1 cup couscous or Israeli couscous
1 medium tomato chopped
1 cucumber seeded and chopped
1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
1-2 tsp ground cumin

First cook the couscous. Its pretty simple and you can follow the ingredients on the package, or, take 1 cup couscous, place in a large bowl, then add 1 cup boiling water and let stand 10 minutes. Then fluff with fork. Done! Add the remaining ingredients along with salt and pepper to your taste. That's it! Enjoy.

Lou Friedman