My life, over the last six months, has been tipped upside down and thrown on it’s head. Hence my lack of commitment to Eat This My Friend. Without delving too deeply into my personal life, I discovered that in times of total stress I completely lose my appetite. I have not been in the mood to eat, or cook. In fact, I have been forcing meals down, so that I am not running on empty. And to stop myself from dropping any more weight.
Whilst this might sound all morose, the truth is that I am very happy. Change is a tough process for some, and perhaps more so for me than most. It can leave us feeling extremely vulnerable.
Scary as the process may be however, if changes in life are necessary, they should be embraced fully. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Trying to embrace change, by taking charge of my world, and creating myself a new path. The turn of the new year often stirs up a whole gamut of desires, goals, aspirations, and the like. For me, I noticed that for the first time ever, I am excited about leaving the security of familiarity. Perhaps I am just growing up, finally.
So, a big part of being a responsible-grown-up-adult-person, is taking the time to take care of yourself. This year I have resolved to do just that. Which, luckily for all of you, involves more eating, more cooking, and therefore more recipes!
The first recipe for the year is something I have made countless times, one version or other anyway. It is a bit of a riff on the classic tabouli – a sweet version, with fresh seasonal fruit, dried fruit, and toasted nuts and seeds. It comes together very quickly, and is easily adaptable to what you have in the fruit bowl and pantry. I used bulgur wheat, but have used quinoa in the past, which makes for a yummy gluten free version. Use the recipe below as a loose guide.
Fruit and Nut Tabouli
Serves 2
- 1/4 cup fine bulgur wheat
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 mango, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 nectarine, sliced
- 1 plum, cut into quarters
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- handful raspberries
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup coconut flakes
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 dried apricots, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp currants
- Start by preparing the bulgur wheat. Stir the boiling water through the bulgur wheat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Whilst the bulgur wheat is set aside, prepare the fresh fruit and place in a bowl. Place the seeds and nuts in a dry skillet and toast for a minute or two, whilst constantly stirring or shaking the pan. Once they have a tiny glimpse of colour, remove from the pan and place in a bowl. Stir through the dried fruit.
- When the bulgur is soft, combine with the fresh fruit, and nut/seed/dried fruit mixture, and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
