Recipe: Refreshing Tabbouleh Salad, Hummus (Chick Pea Dip), Falafel (Lebanese), Beef Kibbe Patties - You are very welcome Janet! Here are your recipes:

Please, let me know if you want any other recipe.

REFRESHING TABBOULEH SALAD
Adapted from source: Amy Parker
Servings: 4-6

1/3 cup bulgar wheat
1/2 cup water
1 bunch curly-leaf parsley (approximately 1 1/2 cups chopped)
5 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced

Juice of one lemon (approximately 3 tbsp)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried spearmint or 2 tsp chopped fresh (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARE BULGAR:
Bring water to a boil. Pour in bulgar, stir once, cover and remove from heat. Let bulgar steam for at least 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.

WHILE BULGAR COOLS, PREPARE VEGETABLES:
Finely chop parsley. Don't be afraid to include some parsley stems as well. They're the most flavorful part.

Combine parsley, tomatoes, and onion. Add cooled bulgar.

Dress with lemon juice and olive oil. Add mint if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.

Storage: Tabbouleh can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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My suggestions for an appetizer are:

HUMMUS (CHICK PEA DIP)
Servings: 6

3 cloves garlic
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water*
1/2 lemon (juice from)
2 tbsp tahini sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
TO SERVE:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp paprika
warm pita bread

Mince garlic cloves in blender. Add chickpeas to blender; slowly add water to make it easier to puree {do not add all water}.

Add in lemon juice, tahini sauce, vinegar, cumin, and salt to taste. Add more water if need for desired consistency.

Place on a serving platter and drizzle on olive oil, sprinkle paprika on top for final touches. Serve with warm pita bread.

*Water may be substituted with milk.

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FALAFEL (LEBANESE)

1 lb chick peas (soaked for 24 hours)
1 medium onion, quartered
1 medium potato, peeled and quarted
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
vegetable oil for frying
2 tsp baking soda

Drain the chick peas and combine with onion, potato, and garlic cloves. Run all through fine holes of the meat grinder two times.

Add remaining ingredients except baking soda and vegetable oil. Mix well.Run through grinder once more. Mix again. Cover and leave to rest for two to three hours.

Heat oil for deep frying.

While oil is heating add baking soda to the chick pea mixture. With dampened hands, form mixture into balls the size of a walnut, then flatten slightly into a patty.

Deep fry, making sure patties are cooked through and are golden brown. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

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BEEF KIBBE PATTIES

1/2 cup bulgur
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts or chopped almonds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne, (optional)
1 lb ground beef
TO SERVE:
plain yogurt

In bowl, cover bulgur with boiling water, let soak for 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, pressing to squeeze out water.

In bowl, combine bulgur, onion, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Mix in ground beef. Shape into eight 1/2 inch thick patties.

In non-stick skillet, cook patties over medium heat, in batches if necessary and turning once, for 8 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Serve with yogurt.