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Published April 23rd, 2014
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Middle East Meets Wild West in Bend
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| By Susie Iventosch |
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| Forbidden Black Rice-Tabouli Chicken Bowl Photo Susie Iventosch |
Last month, my husband and I finally made our way to Bend, Ore., for the very first time and we found it to be quite a delightful place for dining. There are so many great restaurants and terrific breweries, too. One night, we decided to try a restaurant called Joolz, with a tagline of "Where The Middle East Meets The Wild West." This restaurant has a fabulous, exotic menu, with many choices ranging from Moroccan Camel Wings and Grilled Oregon Ribeye to Elk Kafta Burger - fresh ground elk, seasoned with red onion, parsley and poblano chili and topped with sweet red pepper-onion chutney and Rogue smoked blue cheese. Wow!
Still, even with these amazing choices, we had our eyes on the Forbidden Black Rice Chicken Bowl, which we both ordered. We selected the Mediterranean spiced olives and flash fried cauliflower with tahini dipping sauce as sides. What a flavor extravaganza! We were thrilled with our choices and left for home the next day still savoring that delicious meal. (We took the leftovers for lunch, so we literally were savoring the meal on the drive home!) The next day, I called the restaurant to try to coax some of the ingredients from them, and they gladly obliged, without giving the actual recipe away. If you enjoy the flavors of Middle East cuisine, you won't be disappointed by this yummy dish!
Joolz
916 NW Wall Street
Bend, Ore.
(541) 388-5094
www.joolzbend.com
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Forbidden Black Rice-Tabouli Chicken Bowl
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(Serves 4-6 people as main course)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup bulgar
2 cups water (or chicken broth)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup Trader Joe's Mediterranean Greek Yogurt Dip
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Heirloom Forbidden Black Rice (Lotus Foods puts this out)
2 2/3 cups water (or chicken broth)
2 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into small, bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
DIRECTION
To make tabouli, bring bulgar and water (or broth) to a boil in a small pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until done. Cool.
Mix cooked bulgar with parsley, tahini, TJ's Greek Yogurt Dip, lemon juice, and olive oil. Set aside. (Can be made a day ahead ... maybe even better!)
In the meantime, bring Forbidden Black Rice to boil with 2 2/3 cups water (or chicken broth). Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss cooled tabouli and black rice together in a large bowl, until well integrated. Add chicken, feta cheese and cumin. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place entire mixture into a greased baking dish. Cover tightly with foil or lid.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with a garnish of toasted sliced almonds, minced parsley and more feta cheese, if desired. You can also serve with an extra drizzle of tahini and a dollop of TJ's Greek Yogurt Dip.
This dish is fabulous the next day for lunch, too. And, it is wonderful at room temperature, as well as hot.
*The restaurant dish calls for tzatziki, but when I discovered TJ's Mediterranean Greek Yogurt Dip, I thought it was perfect for this dish!
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA