{"id":1993,"date":"2014-08-06T06:55:22","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T10:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localkitchener.ca\/?p=1993"},"modified":"2015-04-30T00:05:28","modified_gmt":"2015-04-30T04:05:28","slug":"barley-kale-tabbouleh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/localkitchener.ca\/2014\/08\/barley-kale-tabbouleh\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Smith’s Family Meals Review and Barley Kale Tabbouleh Recipe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cIt\u2019s never optional.\u201d \u00a0Cooking, that is, and so Michael Smith begins his latest book, Family Meals<\/em> (available now locally<\/a> and on Amazon <\/a>and Amazon.ca<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I completely agree with him.\u00a0 Feeding my family is one of my main responsibilities as a parent and the food that I give them should always be the best possible.<\/p>\n

How do we give our families the best possible food?\u00a0 By making it ourselves, from scratch, using wholesome, nourishing seasonal ingredients.<\/p>\n

And how do we help our children learn how to enjoy cooking and eating good, real food?\u00a0 By making it and eating it together!\u00a0 Smith points out that \u201cIt\u2019s the whole point of cooking, to come together as a family and share.\u201d<\/p>\n

Family Meals*<\/em>\u00a0 is a beautiful celebration of family cooking, with wonderful photography and a wide diversity of snacks, meals, make-aheads, tips, and tricks.\u00a0 The recipes are straight-forward and easy to follow.\u00a0 They use ingredients that are typically found in a well-stocked pantry or fridge.\u00a0 There is no use of processed foods, unless you count the \u201cJust-Add-Water Noodle Jar\u201d which uses instant ramen noodles but tosses the mysterious flavor packet, replacing it with a ton of real food!<\/p>\n

\"michael <\/a><\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s the recipes that make up the bulk of the book, what sets it apart from other cookbooks is the focus on family inclusion and tips for parents who want to set a standard for real food in their homes.\u00a0 One of my favorite tips came from the \u201cEasy Snacks\u201d section: Make a snack shelf in your fridge where your kids can look when they\u2019re hungry and find the \u201cSnack of the Day.\u201d\u00a0 Fill this spot with healthy munchibles like carrot sticks and other fresh fruits and veggies.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great idea and my family should incorporate it soon since our young assistant can now open the fridge!<\/p>\n

Another great tip is this: “Go beyond the farmers’ market and meet a farmer. \u00a0Support local so your kids can meet and get to know real people making real food.” \u00a0This is one reason why we’ve joined a CSA this year, and we couldn’t be happier! \u00a0Our young assistants\u00a0go to the pickup with us and see our farmer and her team and all the wonderful food set out for all of\u00a0us\u00a0CSA members. \u00a0There is a clear presentation for our kids that food is not made at the store, but grown by real people!<\/p>\n

\"barley <\/a><\/p>\n

Right, youngest assistant? \u00a0Real food is grown by real people!<\/em><\/p>\n

After reading through the tips and cooking tricks I spent\u00a0a quiet evening (Madame and the boys were gone) reading through most of the cookbook. I ended up writing\u00a0down 22 recipes I wanted to try.\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s just a starting place…. \u00a0I narrowed that down to one that I would share here on the blog.\u00a0 The recipe is Barley Kale Tabbouleh and it stood out to me mainly because of its use of two ingredients that are very local, barley and kale!<\/p>\n

\"barley <\/a><\/p>\n

I actually made the recipe twice, one time following it to the letter and another time with some substitutions and tweaks.\u00a0 Both turned out great but\u00a0I preferred the original recipe to my version which substituted cracked wheat berries for the barley.\u00a0 It turns out that the wheat berries became too gelatinous, causing the whole salad to be overly creamy.\u00a0 So I am glad to report that the original recipe is tested and turns out very well according to its instructions!<\/p>\n

\"barley <\/a><\/p>\n

Enjoy this salad as a side to a good summer barbecue or as a simple yet filling lunch by itself.\u00a0 Feel free to play around with the ingredients and ratios but start with the original first, it\u2019s awesome!<\/p>\n

\"barley <\/a><\/p>\n

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Barley Kale Tabbouleh<\/div>\n
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Author: Michael Smith<\/span><\/div>\n
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6<\/span><\/div>\n
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Ingredients<\/div>\n