Freekeh Friday

 

It’s Friday! (Sounds of cheering from the crowd--exhausted cheering if you have small kids--but cheering nonetheless.) This morning I found something I’ve spent the last month trying to find.  It’s a Middle-Eastern grain called Freekeh. I’d had the recipe for over a month and finally found Freekeh. Fantastic!

So—although I have many other things to do today—I’m test-driving the Freekeh recipe today—right now, literally, as I begin typing this post—because this will not wait until tomorrow. “Freekeh Saturday” just doesn’t have the same tone to it.

Freekeh came across my radar a month or so ago. The recipe I saw looked good and I decided to give it a whirl. Freekeh is one of these new superfoods. I like the idea of getting a lot of nutrition from a food, but I need flavor too. This recipe would not have grabbed me if it looked healthy but bland. (This is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. Martha has some great recipes—I’ll give her that. I don’t like her superiority complex and her distant personality. She’s human, too—would it kill her to be a little warmer? But it’s a good recipe. http://www.marthastewart.com/1086725/freekeh-caramelized-shallots-chickpeas-and-yogurt. I didn’t use the greek yogurt as a garnish but I used everything else.) This recipe includes caramelized onion and cilantro and pomegranate seeds, among other things. Sounds good!

 

 

Side Story:

(If you’ve read this blog a few times you’ve noticed that I love telling the back story. There is usually a colorful back story to my tales and this is no exception.)

If I’d really wanted to make a production of this I would have made sure Hubby was home to be my guinea pig once I’d prepared this food. But I didn’t even know I was going to make this until a few hours ago. Hubby had lunch plans with a guy he hasn’t seen in a year. I decided I would not wait until dinner to make this because I have late afternoon plans with a friend I haven’t seen in a year. So the only option was to make it for my own lunch. (This alone is almost unheard of. I’m not sure I’ve ever made lunch that required an actual recipe. I grab an apple and some almonds and some cereal and eat in the car or leaning against the kitchen countertop. The last time I sat down for lunch (excluding when I am out) was probably 1993! The fact that I used the stove top for my own lunch is crazy! I even got myself a glass of water and sat down at the table! Who am I? Is this the Twilight Zone?

Number of times I almost set off the smoke alarm while making lunch: once.

Number of times I had to improvise ingredients: once. (Who really studies recipes ahead of time? Oh, people do that? Who knew? I had to use ground cumin as I had no cumin seeds. Turned out well.)

When I cook it looks nothing like a Food Network show, all organized and calm—much more like an episode of I love Lucy. There are pitfalls. I sometimes trip over things. Yes, things have splashed onto the ceiling. Lucy wasn’t the only feisty redhead who managed to make cooking look like a circus act. But this is me, take it or leave it. In typical Sarah fashion, I did not prepare the ingredients beforehand. I did not chop and measure and collect everything I needed because I had tons of things to do before I began cooking. It’s not really my style to gather everything meticulously and do everything with military precision. I roll with things. I improvise. I estimate rather than measure. I juggle tasks. I omit ingredients I dislike. I do it my way. (And that’s why you love me!)

My lunch turned out great! I would add more onion next time (I didn’t use a whole one, as recommended, because I was too busy to chop for more than thirty seconds.) I added more red pepper flakes as I wanted more heat. The cilantro and pomegranate seeds really made this dish, in my opinion. Well, this blog is in no danger of becoming a cooking blog. But I hope you’ve enjoyed my Freekeh Friday post and I hope you have a Super Saturday!