100 Days of Cookbooks: Tabouleh

Tabouleh from The New Yiddish Kitchen

Rating overall: 4

Taste: 4

Ease: 4

Appearance: 4

First, I have to say that using chopped up nuts instead of the bulgar in this dish is GENIUS! It added great flavor and texture to the tabouleh and I prefer it over the tradition recipe.

I didn’t have cashews in my pantry, so I used pecans and the flavor was lovely. It didn’t feel out of place at all. I could eat this by itself or as a side to a meat dish.

I’m not sure how well parsley keeps after being chopped, but I’m determined to figure out. This was just so good, I’d love to prepare it ahead of time eat it for my lunches or a quick and healthy snack. If I wanted to make this for the next day, I would keep the olive oil and lemon separate and add it right before I was about to eat it.

It’s a fact, this tabouleh rocks my socks!

This is also Whole30 compliment. Speaking of which…

I’m positive that I love making things difficult for myself. As I mentioned before, while doing the 100 days of cookbooks, I would also be starting Whole30 at some point. Well that “some point” is now. This just means searching through my cookbooks to find acceptable recipes that comply with Whole30. I’m actually quite pleased with the amount I’ve already collected, and a lot of them are also taking me out of my comfort zone (which is one of the big points of this challenge for me).

I also promise that there are non-paleo cookbooks coming. I just have a LOT of paleo cookbooks. The recipes I will be making will are all considered “real food” so don’t worry.

I wanted to take a moment to talk about Whole30. I’ve talked a little bit about it before, but today, I want to give some personal input on it. I love the program. I think its fabulous and a great restart for your body. When I’ve done it in the past, my skin looked amazing and I was always in a happy mood. Not just a good mood, but a happy one.

Here are some tips from me:

Plan ahead.

Don’t wing it. Buy good foods that are compliant and give away the foods that aren’t. If you don’t have good foods in your fridge and you didn’t clean out your pantry, you’re going to reach for something you shouldn’t as soon as hunger strikes. It also helps to have things already prepared for snacks. Cut up some cucumbers, make baba ghanoush. Make things ahead of time.

Bring out the tea!

I love tea. Hot or cold, make some tea and drink it. If you’re not used to drinking water and prefer the more sugary drinks, tea will help you get through the day. It’ll add some additional flavor and can even work on calming you down.

Get creative.

A lot of people stick to basics—chicken breast and broccoli for dinner (or something around those lines). Get creative! There are some really great recipes out there for Whole30. Check out the book Well Fed which is all Whole30 compliant recipes. If you don’t have that book at the library and don’t want to spend money, check out Pinterest! There are so many options for you!

Have fun.

Just because you’re on Whole30 doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Are you worried about what might be in your food at a restaurant? Check the menu before you go or ask the waiter. Still a little concerned or don’t want to bring attention to yourself in front of your friends? Have a dinner party at your house. Easy peasy.

Are you curious about what I eat on Whole30? I’ll start posting pics of my meals below the main recipe of the day for the 100-day project. My phone should come in tomorrow, so with luck I’ll be able to start that on Wednesday. You can also follow me on Snapchat or Twitter as ApronWarrior.

Do you guys have any questions regarding Whole30? Have you ever participated before?