Herbed Bulgur and Lentil Salad

I can't help but picture my mom's face as she reads this post title, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the computer screen thinking, "Cooked onions?  Eggplant?  Now lentils????  Who is this blogger and what has she done with my daughter?"  Never fear mom, I'm still me, and you'll be able to see for yourself in a few days.  Promise.  For those of you who aren't as familiar with my eating habits, my mom has good reason for skepticism here.  I'm pretty sure the last time I deigned to eat a lentil, some intense parental coercion and bribery was involved.  I'm just getting adventurous these days.  Actually, I read this week that our taste buds change every 7 years.  So you see, it all makes sense.  I'm 28 and well in the throes of my 4th taste bud cycle change.  This is apparently the cycle that brings about a love of mushrooms, pickles (who could forget my overnight fascination with the pickle?), cooked onions, eggplants, and now lentils.  But I'm getting off-track here.  It is time to reveal the...

Recipe: (from Spark Recipes)
1 cup dry lentils, preferably green or yellow (but I used pink because that was all I could find)
2 cups water
1 cup dry bulgur
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used fresh squeezed lemon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
2 tbl. mint, chopped
2-3 tbl. dill, chopped
fresh black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped (I omitted.  Taste bud change notwithstanding, I still don't do raw onions.  Don't push me.)
1 bell pepper, diced (I used half a red and half an orange)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped

Optional additions (calories not included in nutritional information but noted here):
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (25 calories, 2 g fat per serving)
1/2 cup black olives (10 calories, 1 g fat)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (50 calories, 5 g fat)
(Diva Note: I added the feta cheese and black olives to mine.)

Wash lentils.  Place in a medium sized saucepan. Cover with water.  Bring just to boiling then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.  They should be tender but not mushy.  Drain and transfer to large bowl.  (If using yellow or pink lentils, adjust cooking time to 15 minutes.)

While lentils are cooking, place bulgur in a small bowl, add boiling water, cover with plate, and let sit for 10-15 minutes.

Add everything to the lentils except tomatoes, walnuts, and lemon wedges if using.  Mix gently, cover tightly, and refrigerate before serving.

 Just before serving, garnish with tomatoes, walnuts, and lemon wedges if you are using (which I did not do).

Serves 8.

Look at all those pretty colors.  How could that not make you happy?

Nutritional Information per serving - for 8 servings - before any 'optional' items):
Calories: 159.2
Total Fat: 7.1 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 300.4 mg
Total Carbs: 21.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.7 g
Protein: 4.8 g

And, since there were a few ingredients unfamiliar to me in this dish, I'll specifically discuss the motivation to include such oddities as lentils and bulgur in your diet.

Lentils - are a member of the legume family and a source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.  They provide good amounts of six minerals, 2-B vitamins, and protein - all with virtually no fat.  Sounds like a super food to me!
Bulgur - (Full disclosure: I walked the entire stretch of Whole Foods searching for bulgur before finding it in the very first aisle...bulk food items in case you are wondering.)  is an inexpensive source of low-fat protein.  In fact, it has less fat, fewer calories, and twice the fiber of brown rice.  It is a great way to maintain a healthy digestive system. 

Verdict: Healthy food isn't much good if it isn't appetizing.  This, my friends, was...... delicious.  Why have I never eaten bulgur before?  Why have I been avoiding lentils most of my life?  The texture, due mainly to the bulgur, was a bit coarse and could be off-putting to some.  But the overall dish was a little bit nutty, a little bit sweet, a lot garlicky (seriously, if you plan on kissing anyone later that night, they should have some too), and very savory.  Oh, and according to the package, pink lentils have a nuttier flavor than the yellow and green variety, which I have to say I could taste and did enjoy.  But I wouldn't be averse to trying other colors and seeing what impact that has on the overall flavor.

I served as a side dish to some pork chops and homemade applesauce.

And since the article from which I took this recipe says that it keeps in the refrigerator for several days and tastes even better as the week goes on, I am looking forward to adding it to grilled fish, chicken, and pork chops throughout the week.