There is something intrinsically gratifying about a hearty grain salad. Fresh and chewy, brimming with greens and chopped vegetables, it’s nutritious, versatile and satisfying. This bulgur salad is tumbled with lemon, spices and fresh herbs, along with chopped peppers and grated carrot for juicy sweetness and crunch. It’s spread over a bed of greens and topped with shrimp for a light and healthy complete meal.

There are myriad iterations of a grain salad. For instance, quinoa or couscous can be substituted for the bulgur. The shrimp may be omitted or switched out for crumbled feta for a vegetarian option. The salad can be arranged on a platter or stuffed into pita pockets. The consistent key is to generously season the grains. Don’t be shy with citrus, spices, garlic and, of course, salt to drive flavor into the dish. Add a combination of crunchy chopped vegetables and greens for texture, nutrients and additional flavor.

Don't be intimidated by the lengthy list of ingredients in this recipe. They are essential to building the flavor of the salad, and it’s likely you have many of the components on hand. For do-ahead prep and quick assembly, the bulgur salad can be made in advance and refrigerated until use, and the shrimp can be served either warm or chilled.

Shrimp and Bulgur Salad

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Bulgur:

1 cup bulgur

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 large carrot, finely grated

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, finely diced

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound medium (18/20) shrimp, shelled and deveined

Kosher salt

3 ounces baby greens or arugula

Extra-virgin olive oil

Juice and finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Combine the bulgur and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let steam until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Fluff the bulgur with a fork. Stir in the lemon juice, oil, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Add the scallions, carrot, red pepper, jalapeno, parsley and cilantro and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.

Heat the olive oil and the red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook until pink in color and just cooked through the centers, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

Arrange a layer of fresh greens in a serving bowl. Spread the bulgur over the greens. Top with the shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice. Garnish with the lemon zest, additional parsley and/or cilantro. If desired, garnish with crumbled feta, as well.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Carrots deserve our attention. They are more than just a ubiquitous vegetable you hope your kids will eat. Sure, these colorful roots are a blast of nutrients and naturally sweet. They're a go-to method to ensure we get our daily dose of vitamins. They undeniably play an important supporting role in stews, soups and sauces, or as a colorful flourish to leafy green salads and vegetable medleys. However, carrots are more than just a token flavor agent and accompaniment to a main dish. They are versatile and exciting and can easily be celebrated as the star attraction.

This recipe shines the spotlight on the humble carrot. It’s the center of the plate, dusted with a blend of harissa spice, which is a fiery, fragrant North African condiment. Harissa is a mixture of ground and smoked chiles, garlic and spices such as cumin, coriander and caraway seeds. It can be a dry spice blend or a paste. It’s easy to concoct your own blend, which you can make in extra quantities and store to use as a seasoning for meats, fish and vegetables.

The sweetness of the carrot marries well with the spicy heat of harissa. A creamy yogurt-tahini sauce is a cooling accompaniment that evens out the dish. Serve simply as a vibrant show-stealing side dish, or as a light veggie main course, layered over a leafy salad with crumbled feta, or piled on a bed of harissa-seasoned couscous tumbled with chickpeas.

Roasted Harissa Carrots With Tahini Sauce

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: about 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Yogurt-Tahini Sauce:

2/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of kosher salt

1 1/2 to 2 pounds carrots, peeled, ends trimmed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Finely grated lemon zest for garnish

Finely chopped cilantro leaves and mint leaves for garnish

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until use.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

If the carrots are thick, halve lengthwise. Cut the carrots in equal lengths (or leave whole, if desired). Place in a large bowl with the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, cayenne and black pepper over the carrots and toss again to evenly coat.

Spread the carrots in one layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until crisp-tender and charred in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the carrots, shaking the pan once or twice.

Remove from the oven and garnish with the lemon zest, cilantro and mint. Serve warm or at room temperature with the Yogurt-Tahini Sauce.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Shopping tip: If you spy a lumpy bag of bacon ends in the market, buy it. Bacon ends are key to this salad, which essentially takes a classic BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich) and tosses it into a big salad bowl as a deconstructed version of itself. It’s not a vegetarian’s dream, admittedly, but for bacon lovers, it’s heavenly.

You can find bacon ends in vacuum-packed pouches in the deli and meat departments of your market. At first glance, the contents of the hefty packages, jammed with irregular hunks of bacon, are unidentifiable. They are not the neatly fanned bacon slices with which you are familiar. Bacon ends are just that -- the hunks and ends of the meat that are trimmed and (gasp) discarded during production of those neatly arranged bacon strips. I am here to tell you that the chunks are revelatory. They are thick and meaty, with lots of pointy edges that will crisp to perfection when cooked.

The best way to cook bacon ends is in the oven or on a grill. While the ends cook, their fat renders, leaving behind crispy chunks of pure meaty bacon you can sink your teeth into. The danger is gobbling them all up in one go (speaking from experience, this is not recommended), so you will need to exert a modicum of self-restraint with your crispy bacon ends.

A light and bright way to eat them is in a salad, where they are distributed among layers of fresh and leafy vegetables. This will make you feel righteous and balance out the porky excess. The salad below includes all the fixings of a BLT, including creamy chunks of avocado (which technically make it a BLAT), and croutons brushed with some of the rendered bacon fat. Need I say more?

Another note on sourcing these bacon ends: If you can’t locate a package in your market, ask your butcher or the nice people in the meat department if they have a stash. You can be sure they will know exactly what you are searching for -- they just might not want to share.

BLT Salad With Crispy Bacon Ends and Avocado

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 to 1 1/2 pounds bacon ends

2 cups coarsely torn bite-size pieces of country or sourdough bread

Dressing:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

1 large head red leaf lettuce, leaves washed and torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups arugula

4 small vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 large Hass avocado, diced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange a rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. (This will capture the bacon fat.)

Trim any excess fat from the bacon ends. Cut the large pieces into bite-size chunks. Arrange the bacon on the rack. Transfer to the oven and roast until the bacon fat is rendered and the ends are crispy golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the ends to a plate.

Brush the bread with some of the rendered fat in the baking pan, then discard parchment with the remaining fat. Spread the bread on the rack. Return the baking sheet and rack to the oven and toast the bread until golden and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes.

Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly to emulsify.

Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add the bacon, half of the croutons and dressing to your taste and toss to combine. Garnish with the remaining croutons and serve with the remaining dressing.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood