Kale and Bulgur Pilaf with Glazed Figs

This is from Diana Henry’s A Change of Appetite, and it is a wonderful vegetarian feasts. I added goat cheese and hazelnuts and used baby kale. If you don’t have baby kale use dinosaur kale chopped up.

Ingredients:
For Pilaf:
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes
5 juniper berries, crushed
1 1/2 c bulgur
1 1/2 c chicken stock
2 strips of orange zest
Salt and pepper
1 lb baby kale
1/4 c orange juice
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
For Glazed Figs
8 figs, halved
3 TBSP honey
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400. Put in a single layer in a small baking dish, drizzle with honey and balsamic. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a 12 inch skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onions and fennel and cook for 10 minutes untl soft and starting to brown. Add garlic, pepper and juniper berries, cook for 3 minutes. Add bulgar, zest and chicken stock, stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes. Add kale and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in goat cheese, orange juice and nuts. Top with figs and all the liquid from the baking dish.

Serves 4 – 6.

Preg a

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Grilled Eggplant with Date, Walnut and Yogurt Salad

This is from Diana Henry’s “A Change of Appetite” and like all the other recipes it is amazing. I served it with Kisir.

Ingredients:
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1/2 c pitted dates, chopped
1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 eggplants, sliced 1/2 thin
Salt and pepper
Juice of one lemon

Combine yogurt, dates, walnuts, olive oil and garlic in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Heat grill on high, brush eggplant with olive oil salt and pepper and cook about 3 minutes per side until soft.

Serve with yogurt any Kisir.

Kisir
Ingredients:
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 1/2 TBSP tomato paste
1 1/2 c bulgur wheat
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 c mint, chopped
1 1/4 c parley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP pomegranate molasses
1/2 c pomegranate seeds

Heat oil in saucepan and sauté onions and garlic for two minutes. Add cumin and chili, cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and 2/3 c boiling water. Mix in bulgur, remove from heat and cover for 15 minutes. Fork through and stir in tomatoes and herbs. Combine olive oil and pomegranate molasses in a small bowl. Stir 3/4 into the bulgur, but don’t soak it. Add more if it’s too dry. Stir in Pom seeds and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Lamb, Bulger & Herb Tart

This is yet another amazing dish from “Jerusalem.”

Ingredients:
Bulgur:
1 c Bulgur
1 c boiling water
2 TBSP self rising flour
1 TBSP olive oil
Salt and pepper
Lamb:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, sliced thin
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
2 TBSP cilantro, chopped
1/2 c toasted pine nuts
Tahini Sauce:
3 1/2 TBSP tahini paste
2 tsp lemon juice
3 TBSP water
Salt
1 tsp sumuc

Preheat oven to 400. Line an 8 inch springform pan with parchment.

Combine Bulgur and water. Let set for 30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and press into pan.

Cook onions, garlic and peppers in 2TBSP olive oil over medium heat, cook until soft. Add lamb and cook until browned, breaking up with a spoon. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 2 minutes. Press over bulgur. Bake for 20 minutes.

Combine tahini ingredients. Pour over lamb mixture season with chopped parley and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Sprinkle with Sumac and a few pine nuts.

Serves 6.