I got this from Moosewood Cookbook and it tastes wonderful! Even if you are not vegetarian its a great healthy choice for dinner or a side dish.

Scheherazade Casserole 

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw bulgur
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups minced onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (feel free to use more)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons basil
• black pepper
• cayenne, to taste
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup dried soybeans, soaked (I used canned pintos)
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, drained
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (1/2 of a small can)
• 1/2 cup packed finely minced fresh parsley
• 1 1/2-2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• hot sauce
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Lightly oil a 9x13" baking pan.
3. Place bulgur in a small bowl.
4. Add boiling water, cover with a plate, and let stand at least 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet.
6. Add onion, garlic, salt and seasonings.
7. Stir occasionally as you saute over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes.
8. Add bell pepper and saute about 5 minutes more.
9. Drain soybeans, and place them in blender with 1 cup fresh water.
10. Grind until soybeans resemble a coarse batter. Transfer to large bowl (you can just grind the canned beans) 
11. Add soaked bulgur and sauteed vegs. to the soybeans.
12. Stir in tomatoes, breaking into bitesized pieces.
13. Add tomato paste, parsley and 1 cup of the feta. Mix well.
14. Spread into the baking pan and sprinkle remaining feta on top.
15. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 375*, then uncover and bake 15 minutes more at 350 degrees
16. Serve hot

1¼ hours | 25 min prep

SERVES 5

Quick Chickpea Curry

For dinner tonight I made this fabulous chickpea curry.  It's a favourite for my entire family!  It's fiber-rich and meatless, delicious with rice or warm whole-wheat pitas.  I often add a few dried currents during the last 10 minutes of simmering for added flavour.

Quick Chickpea Curry

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Chopped cilantro and lemon wedges (optional), for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown around edges, about 6 minutes. 
2. Add garlic, curry, cinnamon, and cloves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
3. Add chickpeas, ketchup, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. 
4. Uncover, and increase heat to medium-high; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, 5 minutes.
5. Serve topped with cilantro, with lemon wedges alongside if desired.

Serves 4.

Source:  Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Fabulous Artichokes!

Call me strange but ever since I was a kid, one of my favourite things to eat has been a steamed artichoke.  I was lucky enough to visit the home town of Artichokes - Castroville, California on my honeymoon in 99.  Although I have not yet managed to sell my husband on them, my 7 year old loves them! We had this for dinner tonight dipped in Hollandaise with a side of brown rice. Don't knock it until you try it!


Steamed Artichokes


4 large artichokes (I actually did 6 baby ones tonight and still very tasty) washed with stems and 1/4 of top cut off so pointy ends removed
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped in half
1 onion, quartered
2 quarts water


Instructions


Fill large pot with 2 quarts water.  Add onions and garlic.  Bring water to a boil.


Place steamer basket in water if you have it, with artichokes on top.


Cover and boil for 45 minutes.  Place one on each plate with a bowl of sauce and preferred side dish.

How to Eat an Artichoke

1. Pull off outer petals, one at a time.

 

2. Dip white fleshy end in melted butter or sauce. Tightly grip the other end of the petal. Place in mouth, dip side down, and pull through teeth to remove soft, pulpy, delicious portion of the petal. Discard remaining petal.

 

Continue until all of the petals are removed.

 

3. With a knife or spoon, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy part (called the "choke") covering the artichoke heart. The remaining bottom of the artichoke is the heart. Cut into pieces and dip into sauce to eat.