Spinach and bulgur cake

September 17, 2009  •  Category:

 

They say necessity is the mother of invention; I needed to use up some eggs and spinach and thought of making a country-style omelette inspired by the book on Lebanese rural recipes compiled by the AUB by Marek Battal. Well the recipe calls for whole wheat flour and water added to the eggs and vegetables to make a sort of cake cut into squares and served. I used burghul instead. The result is a dense cake with a texture similar to a quiche, except more rustic  or country-like. Perfect to prepare ahead and serve at room temperature as a snack or a light vegetarian lunch with a salad.


INGREDIENTS: This quantity will serve up to 8 as a main course and up to 16  as an appetizer.

  • 8 eggs size Large
  • 1 bag of frozen spinach (12 oz or 350g) , or collard greens or swiss chard
  • 4 scallions, chopped fine
  • 6 garlic cloves or 2 teaspoons of mashed garlic
  • 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup each of  red and green bell peppers
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or mint or both chopped finely or a mixture of fresh herbs, or more (up to 50g)
  • 1 cup of fine bulgur or burghul#1
  • 1 cup of chicken broth or vegetable broth or plain water
  • spices consisting of salt, paprika, ground allspice and cinnamon, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch of turmeric, cumin, black pepper and whatever else you happen to like, keeping in mind that the cake will be somewhat bland and needs to be spiced up to your taste. I like to add a couple of teaspoons of red pepper flakes and a pinch of cayenne.

METHOD:

  1. Beat the eggs in a large bowl.
  2. Defrost the spinach by  letting  it drain on a sieve over a bowl for a few minutes then squeezing the water out.
  3. Chop all the vegetables. Fry them for a few minutes in the olive oil then add the  herbs and the spinach and mix it all well.
  4. Add the spinach and veggies to the eggs and mix.
  5. In a small bowl, place the bulgur and measure one cup of water and pour it over the bulgur. Let the bulgur absorb the water for a few minutes then place the mixture in the large bowl with the eggs and vegetables.
  6. Add the dry spices to taste.
  7. Grease a 9 inch cake pan or a rectangular pan with some butter or oil and pour the mixture onto it.
  8. Heat the oven to 375F and place the pan in the oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes until the top is somewhat puffed up and the mixture is cooked through.
  9. Let cool and serve in small squares as an appetizer or in pie slices as a main course.

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NOTE:

Although this cake is delicious and light on its own, it can be paired with a tomato coulis or sauce very well, served on the side to dip into.

Comments

5 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Reply

    kano says:

    Hi Joumana

    I love this recipe. I am, going to try it this weekend. It looks great.

    On September 17, 2009 at 11:52 am

  2. Reply

    Jasmeen says:

    Wow! Amazing blog! I have a couple of questions:
    -If I am visiting Lebanon, what is the best way for a foreigner to experience the village life or to eat in a village kitchen?
    -Are there any stores in the villages that sell homemade products? For example, I have trouble finding good quality Sumak. A lot of the commercially sold ones are full of red food coloring (my Lebanese friends pointed this out to me when I made chicken mossakhan one time for them).
    -How can I get my hands on a copy of the Lebanese rural cookbook you refer to which is written by Marek Battal?

    Thanks!

    On June 12, 2010 at 3:27 am

  3. Reply

    Julie Thorson says:

    Just wanted to let you know how wonderful your site is. This recipe is something I’ll try this weekend.

    I lived in Beirut for two years when I was a little kid and still have wonderful memories. My mother had a Lebanese cookbook and I wonder if it was this AUB produced cookbook. What is the publication year? I think one of my sister’s still has it.
    One of my favorite (and simplest) recipes was the Lebanese coleslaw.

    On November 15, 2011 at 3:04 pm

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