{"id":5499,"date":"2012-01-25T17:09:53","date_gmt":"2012-01-26T00:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/?p=5499"},"modified":"2012-01-25T17:09:53","modified_gmt":"2012-01-26T00:09:53","slug":"bringing-back-bulgur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/bringing-back-bulgur\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing back bulgur"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

There was a time when I cooked bulgur several times a month.\u00a0 The par-boiled and ground wheat was cheap, filling, and a great base for one-pot meals with vegetables and chicken.<\/p>\n

I loved the mild, nutty flavor and nicely chewy texture.\u00a0 But bulgur slipped out of my repertoire when I began experimenting more in the kitchen and homey pilafs gave way to sophisticated risottos.<\/p>\n

This winter, though, I’ve rediscovered the simple pleasures of the quick-cooking grain in my quest to put more whole grains on our plates.\u00a0 Prepared in the style of a risotto with mushrooms, butternut squash and spinach, it makes a terrific entree for Meatless Monday or a side dish for grilled meat.<\/p>\n

Bulgur is a staple in the Middle East and\u00a0 may well have been the first convenience food.\u00a0\u00a0 Archaeologists date the cereal back at least as far as Bulgaria in 5900 BC,\u00a0 where it was pre-cooked and dried before being ground, much as it is today.<\/p>\n

You may have eaten it in tabouleh or kibbeh, the meatballs popular throughout Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. \u00a0It retains most of its nutrients and is a far better source of protein and fiber than brown rice\u00a0 Look for it in the bulk bins of natural foods stores or in the supermarket cereal aisle alongside the steel-cut oats and seven-grain blends.<\/p>\n

Unlike many whole grains, bulgur cooks in 20 minutes or less.\u00a0 It can be soaked in boiling water or simmered in chicken broth.\u00a0 Vegetable broth is a good alternative but makes for a slightly sweeter dish.<\/p>\n

I give the grain a risotto treatment \u2013 minus the constant stirring \u2013 in this pilaf of winter vegetables.\u00a0 Half a cup of dry white wine, stirred in after the bulgur cooks for a few minutes, makes all the difference in the finished dish.\u00a0 Baby spinach is added in the last five minutes for the nutritional blessings of greens without all the prep work of kale and chard.<\/p>\n

Bulgur has earned a prominent place in my pantry once again.<\/p>\n

BULGUR PILAF WITH MUSHROOMS, BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SPINACH RECIPE<\/strong>
\nServes 6<\/em><\/p>\n

1\/2 medium butternut squash (about 1 1\/2 pounds)
\n4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
\nSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste
\n1\/4 pound button mushrooms, thickly sliced
\n1 medium onion, chopped
\n3 cloves garlic, minced
\n1 1\/2 cups bulgur
\n1\/2 cup dry white wine
\n2 1\/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
\n1\/2 pound baby spinach, rinsed and drained
\n3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
\n1\/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for passing<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.\u00a0 Peel squash, scrape out seeds, and cut into 1\/2-inch cubes.\u00a0 Place cubes in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.\u00a0 Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, toss and season with salt and pepper.\u00a0 Bake for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender but not mushy.\u00a0 Set squash aside while the pilaf cooks.In a 5 quart dutch oven, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add onions.\u00a0 Cook onions about 5 minutes, until soft and golden.\u00a0 Add mushrooms and cook until limp, about 5 minutes more.\u00a0 Stir in garlic and bulgur.\u00a0 Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grain begins to toast. Pour in wine and cook a couple of minutes more, stirring occasionally, until wine is absorbed. Pour in broth, stir well, bring to a boil, and lower heat.\u00a0 Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Stir in spinach, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.\u00a0\u00a0 Stir in squash.\u00a0 Cover, turn off heat, and let stand\u00a0 5 minutes. \u00a0 Stir in 1\/4 cup cheese and serve.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aleta Watson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There was a time when I cooked bulgur several times a month.\u00a0 The par-boiled and ground wheat was cheap, filling, and a great base for one-pot meals with vegetables and chicken. I loved the mild, nutty flavor and nicely chewy texture.\u00a0 But bulgur slipped out of my repertoire when I began experimenting more in the … Continue reading Bringing back bulgur<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5499"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5537,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5499\/revisions\/5537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}