::recipe::

Woo hoo! It's recipe time!

This one I found on the besthealthmag.ca website. :)

I decided on this one because it looks healthy and delicious. And I love shrimp. Beleive it or not, I used to h.a.t.e it and then one day I magically became obsessed. Lol.

This recipe calls for bulgur wheat but I'm sure you can use something like barley or couscous? Don't take my word for it though. Lol. I'm pretty sure though that you can also substitute with quinoa.

This recipe is called "Bulgur Wheat & Shrimp Salad".

The title in itself makes my mouth water. And this is definitely something that I am going to try this week after a hectic day at work. ;)

You can serve this warm or cold. Whichever you prefer.

Anyways, enough blabbing.

Get to cooking globetrotters!

Bulgur Wheat and Shrimp Salad

A coarsely ground wheat grain, bulgur has already been parboiled, so it's quick to prepare and makes an ideal pantry standby to use in salads, as well as in hot dishes. This nutty-textured, colourful bulgur wheat and shrimp salad is full of goodness, and is very attractive to the eye.

Ingredients

250 g bulgur wheat

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1 carrot, coarsely grated

1 tomato, diced

6 baby corn cobs, sliced into rounds

1/2 cucumber, diced

200 g shelled cooked shrimp (I prefer no shell and deveined though)

Lime & Chili Dressing

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 teaspoon dry chile flakes

Sat and fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

1. Put the bulgur wheat in a saucepan over medium heat and pour 650 mL of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the bulgur wheat is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Tip the bulgur wheat into a flat dish, spread out, and leave to cool slightly.

2. Combine the onion, carrot, tomato, corn, cucumber and shrimp in a large salad bowl. Add the bulgur wheat and stir together.

3. To make the dressing, put the oil, lime juice, garlic, chile flakes, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork until combined. Stir the dressing into the salad, tossing to coat all the ingredients evenly. If not serving the bulgur wheat and shrimp salad immediately, cover and keep in the refrigerator.

Some More Ideas

For a Bulgur Wheat and Feta Salad, replace the shrimp with 7 ounces diced feta cheese. Another alternative to the shrimp is diced tofu.

To make a Bulgur Wheat and Ham Salad, combine the cooked bulgur wheat with 150 g thinly sliced Parma or serrano ham, trimmed of all fat and cut into strips, 3 chopped scallions, 1 seeded and diced yellow bell pepper, 200 g halved cherry tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons capers. Make the dressing by whisking together 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, and 6 finely crushed allspice berries. Season to taste and toss with the salad.

Plus Points

Bulgur wheat is a good source of starchy carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and B vitamins, as it all contains the particularly nutritious outer layers of the grain except the bran itself.

The inclusion of raw vegetables in this salad not only adds texture and colour, but also vitamins, particularly those with antioxidant properties.

Shrimp, like all seafish, contain iodine, which is needed for the formation of the thyroid hormones and the functioning of the thyroid gland itself.

Prep Time & Cooking Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Serves 4

Bon Appetit!

-S.*