09 April 2010

tabouli (tabbouleh?)

My friend Jillaire gave me a big bunch of parsley last week, as she and her family were headed for a little vacation and had no desire to bring the parsley along, nor to return and find it molding in the fridge. That's the kind of friend I am. You can dump your leftovers on me when you're leaving town and I'll usually find something to do with them.

My favorite recipe that uses a significant amount of fresh parsley is Ina Garten's Chicken Stew with Biscuits. But I had already done some calorie-overloading in the days before, so I wanted to find something healthier. I took a chance and Googled "parsley recipes." This recipe for tabouli/tabbouleh/however you want to spell it popped up. I had all the ingredients on hand (well, I had bulgur, not wheat berries) and it looked really yummy, so I whipped it up right away.

It was delish. I made a batch of my faux hummus to go with it, and stuck both in the fridge for the following day. That day, we headed out to Portland (big city + lots of shopping + one hour away = all day trip) and brought the hummus and tabouli in a cooler to munch on for lunch. It was yummy and healthy and made me feel better about my prior indulgences. :)

What's your favorite healthy food to pack along on a day trip?

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