Sorry, but I don't have a picture since I'm not set up to cook yet. But the general idea is that this stuff should look sort of like raw hamburger, except it's completely vegan (unless you serve it with cheese). It was one of my favorites in some Portland, Oregon Lebanese restaurants, and I reached the point where I could more or less replicate it at home.
The ingredient amounts are approximate and can be adjusted for taste, but you're shooting for a hamburger consistency.
1) Soak a cup and a half of medium bulghur with tomato juice in a bowl for an hour or two. The juice should cover the bulghur because the bulghur will expand as it soaks it up.
2) Using a garlic press, mash a few cloves of garlic into the bulghur bowl and let it sit with the bulghur. The idea is to let the acid in the tomato juice mellow out the garlic. I like lots of garlic. Your mileage may vary.
3) Peel and boil a medium sized potato and boil it until it's soft and mashable.
4) When the bulghur seems ready, drain the excess juice away with a strainer and dump it into a large bowl. Mash up the potato and throw that in too, along with a small can of tomato paste, salt to taste, and maybe a tablespoon of dried mint (again, your mileage may vary on the mint). Some dried chile is also good if you want a little heat (I do), but don't overdo it in this case. A little olive oil is also worthwhile.
5) Mix the whole thing up well in the bowl until you have the raw hamburger thing going on. If it looks too dry add more tomato juice, but that probably won't happen.
6) Let it sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. It's actually better the next day.
7) Spread some of it out on a serving platter in a big flat circle. Garnish it with chopped green onions, sliced radishes, fresh mint, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve it with hot pita bread. Some haloumi or feta and olives on the side work well with it. Also fava beans cooked in lemon.
My wife makes great homemade pita bread. If anyone's interested I'll see if I can talk her out of the recipe.
...and for a really great non-vegan kibbeh (minced lamb with bulgur & spices stuffed inside the bulgur 'shell') I highly recommend Boushey's on Elgin Street. They make them on site and (wa!) they're super delicious - warm or cold. Perfecto for lunch.
Rudy Schwartz
Sorry, but I don't have a picture since I'm not set up to cook yet. But the general idea is that this stuff should look sort of like raw hamburger, except it's completely vegan (unless you serve it with cheese). It was one of my favorites in some Portland, Oregon Lebanese restaurants, and I reached the point where I could more or less replicate it at home.
The ingredient amounts are approximate and can be adjusted for taste, but you're shooting for a hamburger consistency.
1) Soak a cup and a half of medium bulghur with tomato juice in a bowl for an hour or two. The juice should cover the bulghur because the bulghur will expand as it soaks it up.
2) Using a garlic press, mash a few cloves of garlic into the bulghur bowl and let it sit with the bulghur. The idea is to let the acid in the tomato juice mellow out the garlic. I like lots of garlic. Your mileage may vary.
3) Peel and boil a medium sized potato and boil it until it's soft and mashable.
4) When the bulghur seems ready, drain the excess juice away with a strainer and dump it into a large bowl. Mash up the potato and throw that in too, along with a small can of tomato paste, salt to taste, and maybe a tablespoon of dried mint (again, your mileage may vary on the mint). Some dried chile is also good if you want a little heat (I do), but don't overdo it in this case. A little olive oil is also worthwhile.
5) Mix the whole thing up well in the bowl until you have the raw hamburger thing going on. If it looks too dry add more tomato juice, but that probably won't happen.
6) Let it sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours. It's actually better the next day.
7) Spread some of it out on a serving platter in a big flat circle. Garnish it with chopped green onions, sliced radishes, fresh mint, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve it with hot pita bread. Some haloumi or feta and olives on the side work well with it. Also fava beans cooked in lemon.
My wife makes great homemade pita bread. If anyone's interested I'll see if I can talk her out of the recipe.