Tag: bulgur wheat
Turkish Style Bulgur Pilaf
Healthy and delicious!!
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Turkish tomato paste (or use regular tomato paste)
- 1 cup bulgur wheat (I used quick cooking bulgur from Trader Joes)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the tomato paste and cook on medium heat for a minute or two. I bought some Turkish tomato paste from Istanbul. I got the spicy kind, which has chilies in it- but regular tomato paste can be substituted. Add the bulgur and stir. Add the broth and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Turn heat off, fluff with fork and let sit for another 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.
Bulgur Pilaf with Red Pepper and Eggplant
This is a perfect accompaniment for the kebabs from yesterday’s post. I added delicious red pepper and eggplant to the grain and included harissa which is a Moroccan spicy condiment. It was a delicious dish!
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large red pepper, diced
- 1 small eggplant, diced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1½ cups bulgur wheat, washed and drained
- 2 cups hot water
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the harissa and tomato paste. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper, eggplant and jalapeno. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, mix well and simmer on a medium low heat, covered for about 5 minutes. Take the lid off and add the bulgur and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the hot water, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the bulgur rest for 20 minutes. Take the lid off, fluff with a fork. Add salt and dried mint. Check for seasonings. Serve warm.
Bulgur Wheat Salad with Tomatoes and Roasted Corn served with Roasted Cod
This was my first time using bulgur wheat. For a while I wasn’t sure how to use this particular ingredient. I love it in tabbouleh- the Middle Eastern dish with lots of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. It goes really well with a gyro or a falafel. The texture is very similar to couscous- and I think that is why I like it so much. I normally buy bulgur wheat salad at the Whole Foods salad bar- not really sure why I have never attempted to make it at home before.
A few days ago I was watching food television and saw someone using bulgur wheat and making something similar to tabbouleh. It looked really easy and delicious! I started researching online for exact cooking directions- turns out- everyone has their own way of cooking bulgur wheat. It’s very strange but each recipe I looked at, I saw different quantities of liquid being used to cook the wheat. After looking online for a good hour, I came up with my own measurements. I decided on 3/4 cup of bulgur wheat cooked in 1 cup chicken broth. I also noticed most recipes flavored the cooking liquid. I was already using flavorful chicken broth but decided to add to it even more. I added lemon juice, salt, olive oil and smoked paprika. The reason I used smoked paprika was because I wanted to give this dish a south western/spanish flavor. I was planning on serving this as a side dish with pan roasted cod topped with the tomatillo mango sauce I had left over. The extra flavor in the chicken broth made a huge difference- it added a nice tang and smokiness. I then added some cut up cherry tomatoes and green onions with roasted corn. I got fresh mint and cilantro from my herb garden and finished the dish off with a bit more salt. It was very refreshing- perfect for the summer months and best of all- very easy to make. This particular recipe was a side dish with the fish, but I think next time I will also add a protein in the salad to make it a complete meal- maybe some leftover chicken, shrimp or even cheese- and of course I will wash it down with my favorite summer drink, a Malbec Rose.