Clean Eating Mediterranean Style
A perfect start to our Clean Eating challenge is a recipe for Tabooleh. It is delicious and extremely nutritious and it’s my husband’s favorite Mediterranean side salad. Last night we paired it with a big Greek salad and a small portion of garlic sautéed Greek seasoned chicken for a fabulous dinner salad. Since we set our intentions this weekend to join the Clean Eating challenge together, we were both excited to have our first meal. As the base to our Tabooleh, I made a big greek salad with romaine lettuce and heirloom cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and a tiny bit of feta cheese. I used a light homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. We piled the Tabooleh on top of the salad, spread the sautéed chicken around the edge and enjoyed some steamed cauliflower, hummus and carrots to dip on the side. A very satisfying meal.
Tabooleh Ingredients
2 cups bulgur wheat (medium grind #2)
3 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 4-5)
1/4 cup chopped mint (fresh is best, but if only dry is available use 2 Tablespoons)
2-3 large tomatoes chopped into small 1/4 inch pieces
1 large cucumber chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 head romaine lettuce
Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and let it sit until the wheat kernels are soft and cooled completely. Add all chopped vegetables except romaine lettuce and stir. Mix the oil, lemon juice and spices and pour over wheat vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Greek sautéed Chicken
1 large chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (serves 2)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic smashed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon fine herbs
½ teaspoon basil
Heat the oil in sauté pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and spices and stir until chicken pieces are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken pieces on salad.
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Pour all ingredients into a salad dressing emulsifier and mix until well blended.
Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ cup olive oil
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic smashed
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons honey
Pour all ingredients into a salad dressing emulsifier and mix until well blended.
- 2 cups bulgur wheat (medium grind #2)
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1½ cups chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped green onions (about 4-5)
- ¼ cup chopped mint (fresh is best, but if only dry is available use 2 Tablespoons)
- 2-3 large tomatoes chopped into small ¼ inch pieces
- 1 large cucumber chopped
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- Pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat and let it sit until the wheat kernels are soft and cooled completely. Add all chopped vegetables except romaine lettuce and stir. Mix the oil, lemon juice and spices and pour over wheat vegetable mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Greek sautéed Chicken
- 1 large chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces (serves 2)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine herbs
- ½ teaspoon basil
- Heat the oil in sauté pan. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and spices and stir until chicken pieces are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken pieces on salad.
