Mediterranean Feast!

Menu for the feast:

Hummus and pita chips
Store-bought stuffed grape leaves

Tabbouleh with Garbanzos
Vegetable Moussaka
Grilled Veggie Kabobs
Whole Wheat Baguette with Roasted Garlic


Tabbouleh with Garbanzos

1-1/2 cups bulgur wheat
1 medium-large tomato, diced
1 medium cucumber peeled and diced
Generous 1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used even more lemon juice)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup currants, (I used dried cherries)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
A few pinches each of cinnamon and cayenne

Put the bulgur in a large bowl and add 1-1/2 cups boiling water. Stir and let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If necessary, drain excess water from the bulgur. Add the tomato, cucumber, and onion, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir well with a fork.

Add the garbanzos and cherries to the bulgur. Sprinkle with the basil and parsley and add the spices. Drizzle the dressing over the tabbouleh and toss well. Let the salad stand for about 30 minutes before serving and taste again for seasoning; you may need a little more oil, lemon juice, salt, or pepper.
The salad can be prepared in advance and kept at cool room temperature, or if refrigerated, allowed to come to room temperature before serving. I added the pine nuts right before serving.

Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

I marinated zucchini chunks, large mushrooms, yellow  and orange pepper and red onion in the juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and black pepper for several hours-then grilled for ten minutes. Pictures show before and after grilling:

Vegetable Moussaka

1 large eggplant (1 ¼ pounds) ends trimmed cut width-wise in ¼ inch rounds
Some olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1 15 oz can of lentils drained
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
¼ cup parsley
1 t oregano
¼ t cinnamon
¼ t salt
Ground pepper
½ cup fat free half and half
2 large eggs
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1/8 t freshly ground nutmeg
Cooking spray

Heat oven to 425

Lightly coat eggplant slices with cooking spray and arrange on baking sheet. Bake until golden-20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven to 350

Meanwhile in large pan heat some olive oil and cook onion until translucent, throw in the garlic (if I do this too early I always burn my garlic). Add lentils, tomatoes, parsley oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes.

While eggplant and lentils are cooking, whisk together half and half, eggs, and 2 T of the cheese and nutmeg. (I really think buying the whole nutmeg and grating it fresh for this is nice-but using regular ground nutmeg works just fine too).

Lightly coat an 8 X 8 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange one-third of eggplant in a single layer in dish. Spread half the lentil mixture over the top. Repeat with remaining eggplant and lentil mixture ending with a layer of eggplant. Pour half and half mixture over all sprinkling with remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil.

Bake moussaka covered 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through and golden on top. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve warm.