DGIM Generally Speaking

Culinary Literacy Corner

By: Helen Delichatsios, Culinary Literacy Expert

Picnics. Barbeques. Potlucks. You know summer has arrived! Want to impress family and friends? Tabouli (Tabbouleh) salad, a staple Middle Eastern dish, is a refreshing, cool, colorful, light salad that hits the spot. This is a recipe that I have also prepared with my patients during a Shared Medical Appointment! See the link at the bottom of this article.

Recipe:

Part I

Active prep time 5 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bulghar wheat
• 1 ½ cups boiling water
• 1 tsp of salt
• ½ tsp dried mint (or ¼ cup chopped fresh mint)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼-⅓ cup olive oil

Directions:

Add boiling water to the bulghar wheat. Cover. Let stand for 20 minutes. Add the lemon, olive oil, salt, dried mint, and mix. If using fresh mint, add in part II

Place in fridge for 3 hours for grain to absorb the liquid. Alternatively, you can leave in fridge overnight. 

Reflections on Chopping:

Chopping can be a limiting factor in meal preparation. Supermarkets sell pre-chopped vegetables; however, the Tabouli ingredients do not retain flavor and appeal when pre-chopped. Chopping is a mindset, an opportunity to reflect and meditate. Too many calls to return? Chopping is the perfect multitasking activity. But be careful. The recipe does not call for chopped fingers! Enlisting the help of a family member or friend not only cuts on chopping time but enriches relationships. Your guests have arrived and you are still not done with preparations? No worries, give the guests a knife and ask them to chop!

Part II

Chopping time: 20 minutes. (Note: Cut chopping time in half by recruiting a family member or friend!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 cucumber diced
• ½ cup chopped scallions

Optional add-ins: chick peas, shredded carrot, feta cheese garnish

Directions:

Mix chopped ingredients into the salad. Adjust oil/lemon/salt/pepper to taste.  

Take a moment to reflect on your creation. The multitude of colors; the aroma; the presentation. Food preparation, admiration, and appreciation remind us that eating can be a mindful activity.

Serve immediately, or the next day, or take for lunch. Good for up to 3 days.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

This 8-minute clip, “To improve patient diets, the doctor is in ...the kitchen” aired on 5/8/17 on PBS Newshour. Dr. Delichatsios makes a brief appearance at around 4:45.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Delichatsios’ work in culinary medicine, email her at HDelichatsios@partners.org

Read more articles from the Summer 2017 edition of Generally Speaking