What a heat wave! Now, I know that what I consider an impressive heat wave is typical weather for a lot of folks. But here in Upstate New York, five days in a row above 90º F (32.2)º C is pretty darn hot. Especially when you live in an old brick house with no air conditioning! We’re just not acclimated. We usually get a handful of days that hot in the summer, but not all at once. When they’re occasional, the brick has a chance to cool down and our house stays quite pleasant. The windows are many and large, so there’s excellent ventilation — a bit of a curse in winter, but oh so welcome when it’s hot.

This recipe is one of my go-to meals for hot days. It’s quick and easy and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. During a real heat wave like this past week, I’ll grill the chicken early in the day, or even a day or two in advance if I know the heat wave is coming. The bulgur can be cooked in the morning, too, or even the whole dish if you want to eat it cold. To be honest, it’s so yummy I’d make it even if I lived at the North Pole!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Penzeys 33rd & Galena seasoning (or your favorite chicken rub)

¼ + ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin, divided

½ cup uncooked bulgur

1 cup boiling water

2 oz. (55 g) fresh green beans

1 small cucumber, about 5 oz (140 g)

4½ oz. (130 g) cherry tomatoes (about 8 – 10)

1 small bunch scallions

1 small bunch fresh parsley

1 small bunch fresh mint

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 oz. (454 g) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

1.) Preheat the grill. Rub your preferred seasoning blend on the chicken (I used a combination of 1 teaspoon Penzeys 33rd & Galena with ⅛ teaspoon cumin.)

2.) Brush a little olive oil on the heated grill. Add the chicken, close the lid, and cook about 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the chicken from the grill; let rest at least 5 minutes before chopping into ½” (1 cm) pieces.

 

 

3.) Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the bulgur, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook 15 minutes or according to your package directions.

4.) While the bulgur cooks, prepare the vegetables and herbs:

• Snap the beans into bite-size pieces.
• Peel and chop the cucumber.
• Quarter the cherry tomatoes.
• Finely chop the scallions for 3 tablespoons.
• Chop the parsley and mint for ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) each.

5.) Mince the garlic, then mash it into a paste. Do this by laying the knife blade nearly parallel to the cutting board, pressing firmly with the other hand, then drawing it toward you.

6.) When the bulgur has about 2 minutes left to cook, stir in the green beans. Re-cover the pot and let it finish cooking.

7.) Combine the cooked bulgur, chicken, vegetables, and herbs in a large bowl. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, remaining cumin, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in the dressing and stir gently to mix.