Tabbouleh with Cantaloupe and Pecans

I like tabbouleh, but it's hit or miss with my family. I'll be honest, I think this would have been better without the addition of cantaloupe, but hindsight is 20/20. Make it and decide for yourself.

Tabbouleh with Cantaloupe and Pecans

1 c. bulghur wheat
1-1/2 c. boiling water
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. salt
Pinch of cayenne
1 c. chopped cilantro or parsley
Cubed cantaloupe
Chopped pecans
1 t. black pepper

Mix the bulghut, boiling water, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix well, then set aside for about an hour. The bulghur will absorb the water. Stir in the cilantro, cantaloupe, pecans, and black pepper. Chill for about an hour. Serve. Enjoy!

Blueberry Melon Salad

July is National Blueberry Month, among other things. I tend to associate blueberries with August (specifically August 1), but I will never turn down blueberries any time. They are just so good!

When my family went on a picnic the other day, I had already made a fruit salad, but when I came upon this one, I thought, what the heck? I was already making two pasta salads, why not two fruit salads as well? You can never have too much food for a picnic, after all.

Blueberry Melon Salad with Thyme

1 c. stevia
1/4 c. water
Juice from one lemon
4 sprigs of thyme
3 c. each cantaloupe, honeydew melon and watermelon, cut into chunks
One pint of blueberries

Mix the fruit together in one large bowl. In a small pot over low heat, mix the stevia, water and lemon. Stir until the stevia has dissolved. Remove from heat. Once cooled, pour over the fruit and mix well to coat. Refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Mermaid Succotash

My mom used to make succotash when I was a kid. I always thought the name was funny. I don't think hers was like this.

Mermaid Succotash

1/3 c. wakame
Olive oil
One large onion, chopped
Bag of frozen baby lima beans
One can corn (or frozen, if you prefer)
2 t. dried basil
2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
2 t. sea salt

Rinse the wakame and then soak for about 15 minutes. Drain. Depending on the style you bought, chop if you need to. Saute the onion in the olive oil. When it is softened and nicely browned, add the limas, corn, herbs, salt and wakame. Add 1-1/2 c. water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. I let mine simmer long enough to boil noodles.

I served the succotash with buttered and parslied noodles and cut up cantaloupe. It was a delicious take on the power plate!

Succotash comes from the Narragansett word msíckquatash or msikwatash , which means, "boiled corn kernels" or "ear of corn", depending on what you read. It is a dish primarily comprised of corn and lima beans, but some people add bell pepper to it (I don't). It was popular during the Great Depression and is often served at Thanksgiving - it is rumored it was served at the very first Thanksgiving.

You could substitute soybeans for the limas, if you prefer. I'll stick with the limas, thank you. I grew up eating limas and baby limas, so rather like them.