It’s that time again when my whole family settles in for the night to watch the best ads of the year…err…. I mean the Super Bowl. I’ll admit – I’m not much of a football fan. And if my home team isn’t playing, well, you’ll definitely find me gabbing with my sister during the game and only paying attention to the TV during the commercials, witch is why I turned to A Bladder Friendly Recipe.
Whether you’re like me and live only for the ads and the halftime show, or you’re a diehard Patriots/Seahawks fan, one thing we’ll both have in common this Sunday is the array of amazing food we’ll have at our Super Bowl parties. Unfortunately, spicy dips, alcohol and my bladder do not mix well. But I won’t let that stop me from enjoying some delicious appetizers! Below is a bladder friendly appetizer that I’ll be making this year that won’t have me running to the bathroom during halftime.
QUINOA TABBOULEH
(from Bon Appetit, June 2012, by The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen)
Yield: Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS FOR A Bladder Friendly Recipe
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
- 2-tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large English hothouse cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼” pieces
- 1-pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Pita chips
PREPARATION
Bring quinoa, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 ¼ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread quinoa on a large rimmed baking sheet; let cool. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in ¼ cup dressing. (Note – quinoa and dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover remaining dressing and quinoa separately; chill.)
Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over. Serve with pita chips.
If you’d like to make this even more bladder friendly, reduce the amount of tomatoes used to reduce some of the acidity of the dish.
