Tabbouleh
Let me preface this by saying that I know how lame it is to not use fresh lemons for juicing. As much as I like to cook though, I love to eat that much more, and being a single man I use shortcuts that will result in food going into my mouth quickly. This is adapted from a family recipe and I like mine really juicy.
4 bunches curly parsley
2 scallions
½ cup dry bulgur wheat
2 medium tomatoes, chilled (refrigerating makes them easier to cut later)
1-2 lemons or bottled lemon juice
1 tbsp. sumac
A few thin-sliced red pepper rings for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper to taste
Put the bulgur in a saucepan and cover it with water. Boil it, cover it and set it aside to cool.
Chop the stems off the parsley. Wash all the parsley, then chop it finely in a food processor, moving the chopped parsley into a large mixing bowl when each batch is done (you will only be able to get ½ bunch of parsley into the food processor at once, so the chopping will require a few batches).
Dice the tomatoes and add them to the bowl.
Finely chop the scallions. Add them to the bowl.
By now the bulgur should be cooled. Add it to the bowl.
Here’s where it gets a little tricky. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix. I use a spatula to fold all the ingredients together. I have no set amount of olive oil to lemon juice ratio; you just have to add a little bit of each until you strike a balance that is to your taste. I prefer a lot of liquid. Just keep adding a bit more of each until it tastes right to you, continuously mixing while you do so. Add salt and pepper now too.
When you have found the flavor that you like, sprinkle the sumac on the top, then add a few pepper rings to garnish.
