Tabbouleh Wraps

My unofficial mission to try baking without refined sugar includes a similar goal of cooking with as little added salts and oils as possible. This is actually a fun challenge and it didn't take long to discover that we don't need those two additives for our food to taste fabulous. I've found that substitutes like lemon and lime juice, garlic and ginger, balsamic and apple cider vinegar, etc. can easily deliver that tangy, savory essence that we relish in our food.

This is the tabbouleh adaptation I've made a couple times. Tabbouleh is a fabulous veg meal - it's easy to make, renders lots of leftovers, and can be used in wraps, on salads, as a side, or as it's own meal. Anything versatile is a winner with me!

Tonight we tried tabbouleh wraps and I thought they were first rate. :) I decided to enlist some of my leftover corn tortillas for the task (but you can use whole wheat pita). As per one online suggestion, I spread some hummus on the warmed tortilla (which added an oh-so-tasty complexity to the dish). Next I laid down some romaine lettuce, added a heaping spoonful of savory tabbouleh and BAM: I immediately had an ethnic festival in my mouth! 

This is the salt and oil-free rendition I've been making:

1 cup bulgar wheat (can used quinoa if avoiding gluten)
2 cups water (for cooking bulgar)
1 small crate cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large cucumber, diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dried parsley (can use fresh)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
1 tsp minced ginger (can use jarred)
1/4-1/2 cup green onions
2 large carrots, grated
Pepper to taste

So colorful!

Simmer 1 cup bulgar wheat in 2 cups water on med-low until all water is absorbed. Once finished, put into new container and place in refrigerator to cool while you prepare veggie mixture.

Prepare your veggie mixture and combine with spices in a large bowl. Add the cooled bulgar wheat and stir thoroughly.

I find that the combination of lemon juice, balsamic, garlic and ginger make for such a savory taste-plosion that the addition of oil or salt would prove quite unnecessary! Aren't cooking loopholes fun? :)