Salad for Supper
Who likes to stand over a hot stove when it’s 100 degrees outside? Not me. It is so hot and humid in Baton Rouge right now that by the time I walk from my front door to my car, my hair has already begun to mat with moisture. When I return home, it’s really nice to have a dinner to assemble, rather than one to cook. The middle of the week is usually a good time for that kind of meal for me; I tend to be more ambitious either at the beginning or towards the weekend. Taboulleh always reminds me of my dad; he loves it and makes it often. Ina Garten’s recipe for Chicken with Taboulleh Chicken calls for roasted chicken, but I still have several breasts left from Monday’s grilling, so I just chop up a couple and toss them with the bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, tomato, and cucumber. The chicken dresses it up to entrée status, and as a side, I toss some potatoes with oil and seasonings and stick them in the oven. What could be easier?
Chicken Taboulleh Salad
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 cup bulgur wheat
juice of 4 lemons
¼ cup olive oil
Lots of kosher salt
Ground black pepper
2 bunches mint leaves, chopped (or about a cup, if you are gathering it from your garden)
1 bunch chopped parsley (I like the curly kind; it’s crunchier than the flat)
1 large cucumber, diced
Cherry tomatoes, quartered (as many as you like)
2 grilled chicken breasts, diced
Pour the water over the wheat, and add the lemon juice, oil, and a palmful of salt. Stir and cover to let it sit for about an hour.
While it’s marinating, you can prepare the potatoes.
Roasted New Potatoes
6-8 small new potatoes, cut into small cubes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
This is my favorite way to fix potatoes, especially fresh ones. Roasting them gives them an outer crispness that I love. I also like to leave them unpeeled, to preserve the earthy flavor; just make sure you scrub them under running water. Toss them with a good coating of olive oil and arrange the cubes in a single layer with little overlapping. Salt and pepper well, and roast in a 425-degree oven for about 45 minutes. Watch them after 30 minutes; how long it takes to get them done all depends on the size and how many are on the baking sheet.
While they are cooking, chop the rest of the Taboulleh ingredients. I put the herbs in my food processor, and chop the cucumber and tomatoes by hand. Add vegetables and diced chicken to the salad. Put it in the fridge until the potatoes are done. It’s even better the next day; my husband likes it wrapped in a tortilla.
Taboulleh Chicken Salad adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Ina Garten, 2002.