Exotic Middle Eastern flavours inspire tabbouleh salad

Downtown Winnipeg can help you get creative with your lunch box this summer.

Downtown Winnipeg Farmers' Marketchefs are teaming up with CBC Manitoba to serve up DIY cooking demos on Thursdays this month.

Earlier today, executive chef Beau Schellfrom the Merchant Kitchen taughtmarket shoppershow to chop and assembledelicious, locally harvested ingredients. The lead taste tester for this cooking demonstration was CBC Manitoba's Ismaila Alfa, host of Up to Speed on CBC Radio One 89.3 FM.

The best way to prepare any herb is to pick it [instead of chopping] and remove as much of your stems as possible. ...Parsley is the staple ingredient of a tabbouleh.- Chef Beau Schell, the Merchant Kitchen

Schell prepared a Manitoba quinoa tabboulehsalad, a dish inspired by the flavours of Middle Eastern cooking.

Fresh parsley and mint accompanied byfluffygrains are mixed withfresh lemon.

All of the ingredients in thisrecipe can be purchased from vendors at the downtown Winnipeg farmers market.

Cooking demonstrations take placelive at the farmersmarket from the corner of Portage Avenue and Edmonton Street, but can also bewatched via live stream onFacebookand atcbc.ca/manitoba.

Each 30-minute demonstration starts at 11:30 a.m. and is followed by a repeat demonstration at 12:30 p.m.

A limited number of samples are available for tasting.

Manitoba quinoa tabboulehsalad

Featuring garden variety Manitoba vegetables and herbs, seasoned in a bright and fresh lemon dressing.

Things to find at the market:

• Parsley
• Mint
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Pita

Ingredients

• 2 bunches of parsley.
• 1 bunch green onion.
• 1 bunch of mint.
• 2 tomatoes.
• cucumber (seeded).
• 1 lemon.
• 2 tbsp.olive oil.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 1 tbsp.olive oil.
• cup quinoa (any colour).
• cup water or broth.
• Salt to taste (for the quinoa).

Directions

1. Rinsethe quinoa in water for five to 10 minutes, which removesany saponin that is on the outside of the grain.
2. In a small pot, toast the quinoa in olive oil on medium heat for oneminute.
3. Add water to thepot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
4. Fluff with a fork.
5. Season to taste and allow to cool completely.
6. Dice both tomatoes and cucumber.
7. Rough chop theparsley and mint and add to the tomatoes and cucumber mixture.
8. Cut thegreen onions and addto the mint and parsley mixture.
9. Add the cooled quinoa.
10. Squeeze alemon over the salad.
11. Drizzle witholive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
12. Serve with pita or naanbread.