Raw Is All the Rage
Tom Colicchio was seriously mean last week when he pounded Jacqueline about how she didn’t know the recipe of her (failed) chicken liver mousse after preparing it hundreds of times. Jackie – I feel your pain. I have simmered enough bulgur wheat over the years that I should remember the proportions of water to grain and its cooking time. In fact, the first recipe I ever shared on Endless Simmer was for a salad with bulgur wheat.
But I still googled for a recipe. And this is when I found an awesome idea: cook bulgur with chickpeas. Because I never muster the forethought of soaking and boiling dried beans days ahead of when I would consume them, I always turn to canned beans. I don’t think to prep them very much. But now, I will think different. The Second Lunch provided guidance to cook a big batch of this bulgur wheat and chickpea combo and save it throughout the week for a few different meals. It took her up on it. Her timing was right on. But more, the chickpeas became ultra tender and not chalky as they sometimes can be coming right out of the can. So thank you, The Second Lunch. I dedicate this salad to you.
Raw Kale Salad with Bulgur, Chickpeas and Avocado in a Cottage Cheese-Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
Sorry, I had to name everything in the title of this salad. All of the ingredients are too important not to mention. Amongst my friends raw kale salad is becoming a major topic of conversation. Raw kale is not bitter like some greens and can take a huge smacking of an aggressively flavored dressing; the green just won’t wilt under its weight.
I decided to jump on the trend. On top of raw kale add cooked (like this) bulgur wheat and chickpeas, chunks of avocado, scallions and salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix two spoonfuls of cottage cheese with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar and pour over salad. (I asked, it’s okay to add cottage cheese to salad.)
the only problem with raw kale is how *$^%*&# long it takes to chew it properly ;P
and BTW have i not been touting cottage cheese on a salad since you first started covering cottage cheese? add sunflower seeds!! hot damn.
@erica. duh. of course. thank you for your cottage cheese guidance (http://bit.ly/9c5aHK). and you are so right on with kale. that sucker is chewy. and i think i officially like kale better than swiss chard.
how about soaking the kale in the vinegar for a while before making the salad. that’s still raw, non? my first trip to san francisco included a stop at a raw food vendor for a raw wrap that had vinegar soaked collards on the outside (like a tortilla), raw hummus (no idea how that worked) and a bunch of other things I can’t remember. It was delicioso.
@westcoast – vinegar soaked collards used as a tortilla?!
i need way more detail
raw kale is the best! Epecially with a healthy dose of my special amino acid caesar style dressing. yum. I´m a huge huge huge fan. Unfortunatel overdid it a bit the first time I had it. ate four huge bowls and had a little bit of stomach pain afterward…but what doesn´t kill you….
aw! jus’ doin’ my part to spread the salad love 🙂
with kale, i know a lot of raw foodists do this thing where you rip up the kale and “massage” it once or a few times… it’s supposed to make the kale lose much of it’s stiffness and perhaps would help w/chewing?
like this one… (which i have not tried, just an example)
http://www.elanaspantry.com/raw-kale-salad/
Aww, thanks Gansie! Actually, you inspired me to do it again for dinner.
And Erica- massaging the kale does really work – you break down the fiber slightly and it helps.