There has been much said about the food blogger debate recently, and Jeanne”s recent post struck a chord with me. Blogging is personal and everyone has a different set of motives for blogging, and what they choose to blog about. Her comments about community were very true and something that I completely agree with. I count people whom I have met through blogging as amongst my best friends (there are too many to mention, and I hesitate to link to them as I would hate to forget anyone). There are others who I have yet to meet, and together we have celebrated, mourned, laughed and cried.
One of the many fantastic things about food blogging are the (virtual) events. Someone sets a challenge and bloggers all over the world take it up, usually cooking something to a theme. In the first years of my blog (pre twitter), this was how bloggers interacted. Events are something that I have been neglecting recently, which is a huge shame, and something that I intend to put right. I have put a list in my diary and have a plan in place to take part in more of them. For a comprehensive and up to date list have a look at the Food Blog Diary.
No Croutons Required, was started in February 2008, by Jac of Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa of Lisa”s Kitchen; each month the challenge is to make a (vegetarian) soup or salad to the current month’s theme – which this time is chilli.
I made a simple bulgar (bulgur) wheat and quinoa salad using a bulgar and red & white quinoa mix from the new Waitrose Love Life range. I often use both bulgar and quinoa, both are delicious, quick & easy to prepare as well as being good for you. A finely chopped red chilli and a good glug of chilli sauce gave both a warming kick and some sweetness, both which pair well with the saltiness of the feta. Ingredients are approximate. Use what you have. Leftovers will make a great packed lunch.
Quinoa, Bulgar, Feta & Chilli Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
2oz / 60g / 1/3 cup quinoa (I used a mix of red and white)
2oz / 60g / 1/3 cup bulgar wheat
3oz / 90g / ½ cup sweetcorn
½ red chilli – seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tbs sweet chilli sauce
Juice half a lemon
Glug of good olive oil
4oz / 100g / ½ block Feta cheese – crumbled
Handful cherry tomatoes – quartered
Salt & Pepper to tasteMethod
Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the bulgar and quinoa and simmer for about 12 minutes until tender. Strain into a sieve, rinse and allow to drain.
Add to a serving bowl with the other ingredients, mix well. Season to taste.
Click here for a printable recipe.
There is still time to enter this month’s Breakfast Club! The theme is cereal!
By strange coincidence I ate the very same red and white quinoa for my tea tonight!
Events are a great way to come together with people you never get to meet otherwise. I will be getting back into “event season” after the summer break. Thanks for the reminder about NCR, I keep meaning to enter that one.
I love the Waitrose Love Life range, and the quinoa bulgar mix is great, I found it in my sister in law’s cupboard, although it does not seem to be listed on either Ocado or Waitrose.com
Yay for events! It was how everyone did their food blogs years ago.
I did my random recipes this evening too!
Such perfect summer food. Now if only we could do something about this weather….
I know. Please someone do something! But did you see the programme this evening about the weather, that explained why rain drops are larger in the summer than winter!
This looks so tasty. I might make it just to take to work for lunch.
It would be a great packed lunch! Make extra when you make some!
I always love a recipe with “approximate” ingredients :) Looks wonderful though I could use some summer weather to go with !
Sadly I do not know where the summer is. Although hopefully the chilli will prove warming.
I have been looking for a quinoa recipe – this looks right up my street. Great lunchbox fodder!
Enjoy it Beth. I must eat more mixed grains.
What a wide variety of flavors and textures you got in there! So good and colorful too…
Event: Serve It – Grilled
Exactly. The dish is more of an idea than a recipe.
Ooh this looks delicious, I love avocado on any salad so I will be trying this range. Also I’ve never mixed bulgar and quinoa together so that will be nice.
I had not had them mixed before either. It works well.
That’s funny – Tinned Tomatoes was one of the first blogs I ever followed! And I still haven’t done the No Croutons Required challenge … I think reading your lovely post here is a sign that I need to.
Do take part in it! And maybe Breakfast Club too?
Your entry to No Croutons looks and sounds fantastic. I only recently started experimenting with combining grains after having seen Peter Berley do it a lot in Modern Vegetarian Kitchen. It’s surprising what a difference the different textures and tastes make when combined. I will try this!
Thank you Adam,
Try mixing grains in risotto type dishes too, I find that works very well!
Yes to your comments about events – I love them – though unfortunately am in a low point with them as I am quite strapped for time – but I have discovered so many of my favourite bloggers this way and some great recipes too. Though I have noticed as time goes on that events come and go and others find more diverse ways of sharing such gems – but I continue to love events.
Avocados do really taste amazing with the bulgur wheat… I haven’t seen your post before but yesterday when I was making my salad I topped it with avocado… it just seemed right ;)
Thank you for reminding me, haven’t cooked with quinoa for a while after disaster when I overcooked it…