Food Matters Project #39: Bulgur Wheat Mango Salad with Avocado

Remember last week how I talked about how awesome salads are?  Well, this week we have another one!  I’m hoping all of you will be trying out some of these soon!

Another Monday brings a new Food Matter Project post!  This weeks host is Jessica, of Cheese Please.  She chose Mark Bittman’s Chickpea Salad with Mango Chutney.  Also, check out what other FMP participants posted here.

I actually made this recipe last week, I needed a salad that was filling and healthy to prepare for the Nashville Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon.  I’m putting together a post about my trip to Nashville- so be on the lookout for some delicious food photos.  Until then, make this salad and enjoy it!  This is perfect for the spring, as the weather begins to warm up.  I found myself eating this out on our porch, sitting in our new chairs, and sipping a glass of wine.  Relaxing!

Bulgur Wheat Mango Salad with Avocado
Adapted form: The Food Matters Cookbook (pg 174)

This salad would also be great in mid- to late-summer when peaches are in season, just swap two of them for a mango.

1/2 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 avocado, sliced

Cook bulgur wheat according to package directions.

In a large bowl, mix together the cooked bulgur wheat, chickpeas, garlic, onion, cilantro, mango, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Serve with the avocado on the side, or in the salad.

Masa Harina Taco’s with Shrimp Salad

Since we’ve started this blog, I’ve been much more adventurous in buying new foods.  I’ve always tried new things at restaurants, parties or at my parent’s house.  But over a number of years I stuck to my grocery list and never bought anything just because (just because: the label looked pretty, or the photo on the package enticed me).

Let me tell you, the “just because” purchases are the best ones ever!  Obviously, it’s not until I get home that I read about the product I have bought.  Sometimes it turns out to be a dud, it’s not very appetizing or just doesn’t work.  Other times, it’s a winner!

This is one of the winners.  Although I had seen masa harina- it’s the flour that makes tortillas and tamales, the dough is made out of dried masa- I never knew what I could make with it.  Finally, I came across this recipe and I knew we had to try it.  Of course, then when I do walk into a store and I need a specific item- they didn’t have it (why does that happen?)!

I’ve been thinking of putting in an order at Bob’s Red Mill for quite some time now, so there is no time like the present, right?  I’m sure you’ve all seen Bob’s packages of various flours, beans and cereals in your grocery aisle.  (I did order some other products, but that’s for another post!)

We haven’t had many mexican dishes recently, so I couldn’t wait for this one.  The texture of this little taco is definitely not the same as a tortilla.  It’s thicker, grainier, but it’s soft and lightly sweet.  It’s hard to describe, which means you will all have to make this for dinner sometime soon.

Although we did do a shrimp salad, feel free to add anything- stewed meat with salsa, corn and black bean salad, or guacamole with some veggies.  This is just an example of how versatile this dish can be.

Masa Harina Taco’s with Shrimp Salad
Adapted from: Big Girls Small Kitchen

1 1/2 cups masa harina
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water (room temperature)
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 lbs peeled, deveined shrimp
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup corn
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 avocado, sliced or diced

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Combine the masa harina and salt in a bowl.  Mix well, and then add the water.  Stir well until combined.  Let it stand for about 5 minutes, the mixture should thicken.

Heat the oil in cast iron or non-stick pan.  When the oil is heated, shape a patty out of the masa harina and gently add it to the oil.  Cook for about 10 minutes, and then flip it over and cook it for another 5 minutes.  Put the patty on a baking pan.  Continue to do this until all of the masa harina was gone.  (The number of patties will depend on how big or small you make them.  We made ours smaller than hockey pucks, and had about 8 of them.)  Once all of your patties have been made, put the baking pan into the oven for about 10 minutes.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Turn down the heat and add the shrimp.  Boil the shrimp, covered, for about 3-4 minutes.  Once the shrimp turns a pink color, drain and rinse with cold water.  (If you use frozen corn, you can always add it to the water with the shrimp.)  *Skip this step if you have cooked shrimp already*

Chop the shrimp into small pieces.  Then add the chopped shrimp into a large mixing bowl.  Add the red onion, mayo, lime juice, mustard, crushed red pepper flakes and jalapeño.  Mix all of the ingredients together to make the shrimp salad.

Make each masa harina taco with some shrimp salad and avocado.  Feel free to add hot sauce, cheese or lettuce (or anything else you’d like).

Black Bean Citrus Salad

Corn is just overflowing at our farmer’s market.  This summer we’ve been trying to eat mostly fresh ingredients (lots and lots of tomatoes!), and corn is a summer-must-eat on my list.  So when I was browsing the Eat, Live, Run blog, I noticed Jenna posted a great lunch salad and it had corn- I was excited.

Naturally, I assumed you’d have to cook the corn, and then add it to the salad.  Boy, was I wrong!  Yes, you can eat raw corn- I never knew that.  And it’s so delicious, clearly I’ve been missing out.

If you’re like me, you might ask how this is possible.  What you have to do is peel of the corn husks, peel of the silks (the hairy stuff) and wash the corn.  Cut off an inch off of the pointy side of the corn, so you can set it down on a flat surface.  Grasp the stalk end holding it vertically over a cutting board, and carefully slice downward over the cob cutting off the kernels.

Great salad that incorporates the fresh vegetables available this month, and it’s very healthy!

Black Bean Citrus Salad with Quinoa
Adapted from: Eat, Live, Run

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 15oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
1 large grapefruit, divided into segments & chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels chopped off
1 jalapeño, optional
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 large avocado, diced

Cook quinoa per package directions.  Once cooked and cooled, add to a large bowl.

Into the bowl, add the: black beans, red onion, grapefruit segments, bell pepper, corn kernels, jalapeño and cilantro.  Toss well to combine.

In a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, olive oil and salt.  Pour dressing into the bowl, and toss well to combine.

Once you divide the salad over bowls or plates to serve, top off with avocado pieces.