from 3/21/2007

It's the first day of Spring!! Does it get any better than that? (the answer is: none. none more good.)

And, it's not only spring, but GORGEOUS outside! And, I will definitely have to get offa the ol' ass this evening because Mags is taking an impromtu road trip, so I'm the official dog-walker today through Sunday. Which is good. 'Cause I need to get back in gear of exercise after hibernating during the cold weather last week. And, I can take the K-Bear over there to frolic with her babies, and he loves that.

Did I mention that it's spring? I feel like a tiny shoot sprouting up through the ground. Still tender and in need of careful tending, with lots of love and light. I like it.

Last night I got invited to an impromtu first-cookout-of-the-year at Ani's, with she and Maggie. They supplied veggie dogs and burgers, tons of veggies that they skewered (on chopsticks!) with just a little olive oil, salt and pepper. And, I threw together a quick salad from the stuff I had, and it was really tasty and healthy and gorgeous!

Bulgur-Beet Salad
(makes about 10 servings)

1 c. bulgur (cracked wheat)

1 ½ c. boiling water

1 large (or 2 small) fresh beets, peeled and grated

½ c. onion, diced

1/8 t. cayenne

¼ t. cumin seed

3 T. olive oil

3 T. balsamic vinegar (I used an organic black fig balsamic – yum)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1" piece of ginger, minced

2 T. fresh basil (I also used ½ T. dried cinnamon-basil)

salt & pepper to taste

½ c. pecans, lightly toasted and chopped

1 ½ c. radish sprouts (my friend Jen sprouted these babies herself, and they are spicy and delicious!)

Put the bulgur into a bowl that has a lid. Pour the boiling water over the bulgur and cover. Set aside and let soak for about 40 minutes.

Saute the onion with the cayenne and cumin seed over low heat until soft and fragrant (about 4-5 minutes).

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper, garlic, ginger and basil

When bulgur is ready (you may have to drain a tiny bit of water that hasn't been absorbed, but the bulgur should be tender/chewy), add the grated beets, onion and dressing, and stir until it's all uniform and that gorgeous red color.

When you're ready to serve it, add in the pecans and sprouts (so they don't get all wilty). But, even after it's all mixed together it saves great for a couple days in the fridge. I'm eating some of the leftovers right now. Healthalicious!

Here's the approximate nutritional info, but it's actually a bit healthier than this, 'cause it's all organic, and I didn't have all the vitamin info for the bulgur and sprouts to add into the calculator. But, it should be pretty close.

per serving:

Calories 129.9

Total Fat 6.9 g

Saturated Fat 0.8 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 4.5 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 143.1 mg

Potassium 133.3 mg

Total Carbohydrate 15.4 g

Dietary Fiber 3.9 g

Sugars 1.4 g

Protein 2.9 g

Vitamin A 1.5 %

Vitamin B-12 0.0 %

Vitamin B-6 1.8 %

Vitamin C 5.3 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 3.5 %

Calcium 1.2 %

Copper 3.4 %

Folate 6.4 %

Iron 3.1 %

Magnesium 2.8 %

Manganese 12.8 %

Niacin 0.7 %

Pantothenic Acid 0.7 %

Phosphorus 2.1 %

Riboflavin 0.9 %

Selenium 0.6 %

Thiamin 2.3 %

Zinc 1.7 %