Okay, we're back from vacation, so no more slacking on blogging or clean eating.  I have to admit, I did indulge in a Philly Cheese Steak while we were away.


On Tuesday night I decided I wanted to do a meatless meal since I had taken the The New Moosewood Cookbook out from the library.


I decided on Scheherazade Casserole and was not disappointed!
Here's my version of the casserole

• 1 cup bulgur wheat 
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp basil
• black pepper (to taste)
• cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 2  cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
• 1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes, drained
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup packed fresh parsley, minced
• 1.5 cups Feta Cheese (I only used 1/2cup since that's all I had on hand)

ONE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

TWO: Lightly oil a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.

THREE: Place bulgur in a small bowl with the boiling water. Cover and let stand for at least 15 minutes.

FOUR: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion, garlic, salt and seasonings over medium heat for 5-8 minutes. Add pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

FIVE: Place beans in a blender with 1 cup of fresh water. Grind until it resembles a coarse batter.  I would start with 1/2 cup of water and add more gradually, since mine was so watery from adding the entire cup first.

SIX: In a large bowl, combine bean puree with the soaked bulgur and sauteed veggies. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and 1 cup of feta. Mix well.

SEVEN: Spread the mixture into the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

EIGHT: Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, uncovered, at 350 degrees. 

This isn't my photo - I found it elsewhere on the WWW, since the casserole was so delish that we ate it all before photos!  oops!!!