Syrian Sleek

Sleek is a tasty, protein and nutrient packed vegan dish! From what I've read, it's a traditional dish in Syria. Sleek is easy to make and only contains 6 inexpensive ingredients. The hardest part about this dish is letting the dry black eyed peas cook for an hour. And if you're tight for time and can't wait an hour for your beans to cook, you can always substitute canned black eyed peas (just be sure to find low sodium ones).


Basically, this dish is easy to make and has great flavor. What are you waiting for? In my opinion, the best part of this dish are the caramelized onion. Caramelizing onions is a process you can't rush. You need to slowly cook the onions on a medium-low heat. This slow cooking causes the sugars in the onions' layers to caramelize steadily (not burn) and becoming golden, delicious and oh-so sweet!


However, I have to admit, cutting onions is a rough process for me. I know most people tear up when cutting onions, but my reaction is so out of control. Tears literally drop out of my eyes and I look as if I'm full-on sobbing. When cutting a large amount of onions (i.e. more than one small onion), I have to stop frequently for fear that I'll cut off a finger because I can't see. But I love onions, especially caramelized onions, so I feel like it is all worth the effort (and tears).


Also, I should warn, this recipe makes a lot of sleek. But good news, the kale/black eyed pea/Bulgar mixture freezes really well (i.e. sleek sans caramelized onions). So make this whole recipe and freeze it in airtight containers for future healthy meals!!

Syrian Sleek

Yields: 6 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried black eyed peas

• 1 pound fresh kale, trimmed from the rib and torn into 1-inch pieces

• 1 cup dried Bulgar wheat

• 1- 1 1/2 pounds onion, sliced

• 4-6 Tbsp. olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste