Bulgur, Brownies and Bread

 Bulgur, red quinoa, mint, parsley, lemon, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, olive oil

Bulgur Salad/Tabouleh

3/4 cup bulgur
1/4 cup red quinoa
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Soaked bulgur in 3/4 cup boiling water. Once quinoa is done cooking I added it to the bulgur to continue the "soak".  While soaking, mix "dressing":

zest of one lemon (optional, but good)
3 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil
2 tsp. finely minced garlic

Add to bulgur/quinoa and begin chopping vegetables:

1 cup chopped fresh parsley 
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 

Once the bulgur has absorbed all the water, add veggies and herbs. I also added a bit of sauteed spinach because, in my mind, the more greens the better! The flavors are even better after spending the night in the refrigerator. 

~I found this recipe at Kalyns Kitchen.

~Read about the benefits of mint and how to harvest here.

While in the kitchen, I also made bread and brownies. 

Brainy Brownies and Bread

I used my favorite No-Knead Bread recipe but was short on flour (I had used up some when I made brownies). The recipe calls for 6 1/2 cups of flour. Using what I had on hand, I used almost 4 1/2 cups of spelt flour, 1/2 cup of ground flax, and 1 1/2 cup ground oats (ground oatmeal). I also added about 1/2 cup whole flax seeds just before baking. This make a very dense, but yummy, bread.

The brownies have blueberry-spinach-goodness hidden inside. Like I said, the more greens the better. :) Added bonus? Getting kids to eat greens. 

The Brainy Brownies recipe comes from my "The Sneaky Chef" cookbook and can be found at The Sneaky Chef's website.

BRAINY BROWNIES:
Melt on stovetop:
6 T. of butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

While these are melting, mix:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. purple puree (spinach and blueberries)
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract

Add and mix in melted chocolate/butter when cooled.

Add and mix:
1/4 cup + 2 T. Flour Blend (see recipe) ----- I used spelt flour
1/4 cup rolled oats, ground in food processor
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
Sprinkle of sea salt (recipe calls for 1/4 t.)

Grease (I use coconut oil) a 9x13 or a 9in. square pan. (these brownies don't "rise" and are on the thin side so I prefer the 9 in. square).

Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

The kids love these brownies and don't even know that they are kinda good for you!