Bulgur Salad with Marinated Feta

This weather is messing with my mood. Gloomy one day, sunny the next. Even now, it's beautiful out and we're expecting snow. SNOW!!!  What the what?!?!?! I never know how to dress or what I'm going to want to eat. Do I need to put on a sweater and a scarf or is it shorts weather? Should I put up a pot of soup or are we having a light salad for dinner? I just don't know anymore. 

For times like these where I'm not sure what to prepare for dinner, I prefer hearty salads. I made this bulgur salad to serve with some grilled fish (it was one of those nice days when we wanted to fire up the grill). It's topped with feta that's marinated with herbs and lemon zest. Any leftover feta can be added to other salads. It goes nicely with tuna or, if you're like me and prefer savory breakfasts, can be added to a bowl of chopped tomato and cucumber and hard-boiled egg (yup, that's the kind of thing I eat in the morning).  

Bulgur Salad with Marinated Feta

Serves
6-8, as a side

Ingredients
For the marinated feta
1/2 cup feta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
Olive oil

For the bulgur salad
1 cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cucumber, seeds removed with a spoon, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt

Whole mint leaves, to garnish

Directions
For the marinated feta
1. Place the feta in a bowl. Add the lemon zest and oregano. Season with garlic powder and black pepper.
2. Transfer feta mixture to a tupperware or jar with a lid. Cover cheese with olive oil. Cover the container with the lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. 

For the bulgur salad
1. Place the bulgur in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Give it a quick stir and let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, until slightly softened.  

2. Strain the bulgur of any remaining liquid. Mix in the parsley, mint, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, and lemon juice. Season with salt, to taste. (At this point, you can either serve it or let the bulgur salad sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors develop). 

To serve: Transfer bulgur salad to a serving platter or bowl and top with marinated feta.  

Silent Sunday: Juliet (Somerville, MA)

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Juliet 257 Washington St., Somerville, MA (617-781-0958) julietsomerville.com

Chocolate Chip and Orange Mandel Bread

You may have noticed that things are looking a little different around here. I'm in the process of transferring all of my posts to this new site. It's quite an endeavor, but I think, in the end, it'll be worth it. Over the next month, I'll be continuing to add new features, like category lists. In the meantime, there's a search bar that will lead you to recipes. Just type "Drinks" and you'll get a list of all the beverages on the site.

I've been holding on to this mandel bread recipe for a while now. Last November, I was visiting my parents and helping while my grandfather had a minor procedure. My mom and I blocked off a day to cook meals for my grandparents to have throughout the week. While I worked on soups, salads, and entrees, my mom put together some desserts. I'd never thought too much about mandel bread, feeling that it was just a really dry cookie. But maybe my tastes have matured with age, because I couldn't stop eating them (especially all the broken bits that were left on the pan). 

When I returned home, I got to work on a recipe, loading the dough with mini chocolate chips and orange zest. For the rest of the week, this was my breakfast and dessert, paired with coffee in the morning and tea before bed. And, in between, I may have snuck one or two more. Self-control is not my strong suit. 

Chocolate Chip and Orange Mandel Bread

Yield
Approx 24 pieces

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Zest of 1 orange

For cinnamon-sugar topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
2. Add the butter and 1 cup of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at medium-high speed until it's blended. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Put the stand mixer on its lowest setting and carefully add the flour mixture. Mix until dry ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be sticky. 
4. Add chocolate chips and orange zest and mix to incorporate with dough. 
5. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or you can do 30 minutes in the freezer).
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
7. Divide the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Mold the dough into two, 3 inch wide loaves.
8. Bake for 25 minutes. 
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 250 degrees. 
10. Transfer the baked loaves onto a cutting board and slice each loaf at a diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. 
11. Return the slices to the baking sheet and sprinkle half the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the cut-side of the mandel bread. Flip the slices over and sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar on top. 
12. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. 
13. Remove from oven. Let cool before consuming.