A while ago a friend gave me a bag of bulgur. Interesting gift, you say?
I must have looked a little quizzical, maybe even cross-eyed, because she gathered herself up and said, "Well, I know you like to cook and I was at this bulk food store and you said you liked tabbouleh, so I got you some." (Note to self: Practice poker face, especially when presented with surprise gifts by well-intentioned friends.)
It's true I love tabbouleh -- cucumbers, mint, lemon, tomatoes -- and bulgur.
This pound of bulgur -- minus the two cups I've used in the past year to make said beloved tabbouleh -- is taking up valuable pantry space, though. I don't love tabbouleh enough to make it every week. (And it's not beloved by Mr. Rosemary, either.)
So, onto to a search for a warm bulgur-based side dish. Maybe you've become lazy like me, and despite the fact that I have an embarrassingly large cookbook collection, I often end up searching the Internet instead of going to my own library of books, as well as my healthy pile of "gonna try" recipes I've clipped or copied.
I searched my own files and came up dry. Not quite all the ingredients for that one. Or that one either.
In the end, I did go to the Internet and found one that I could use. I had all the ingredients, even the dried mushrooms and a bit of leftover wine.
Started out great: the comforting aroma of onions and mushrooms sauteing with a bit of garlic, then the wine and broth reducing.
But in the end, it was pretty bland. To perk up the color, despite the welcome pop of carrot, I added some chopped spinach just until it wilted.
And it looks pretty good, doesn't it?
But it remained merely meh. (Is there reason bulgur rhymes with vulgur?)
So here I am, with a year's worth of bulgur and months til tabbouleh season.
Any tried and true bulgur recipes out there?
My son-in-law has made risotto with both farro and bulgar. Do a Google search for bulgar risotto and I think you'll find some recipes to try! Good luck using it up :)
ReplyDeleteYou mean I don't have to eat tabbouleh forever?!? I''l keep looking, Susan; thanks for aommenting!
DeleteI've never met a tabbouleh I didn't love! I have a couple of great recipes on the blog if you're looking for ideas ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue. I'll try one of your tabbouleh recipes, too! They're a peg above the ordinary!
DeleteI don't often use bulgur. Really should -- it's good stuff. I actually probably could eat tabbouleh every week -- love the stuff. Hmm, need to visit the bulk food aisle at my grocery store. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was just a fleeting fancy with whole grains, John; but I'm willing to give it another try! (Yes, tabbouleh anytime.) Share any successes. A bulgur cocktail ?!?!?
DeleteKibbeh…ground meat, bulgur, onions and herbs fried up in a patty or ball.
ReplyDeleteRosemary, how I wish I had friends gifting me big bags of bulgur! (Say that 3 times fast!). As you know, I just recently made an orange tabbouleh. And I could eat your beautiful traditional tabbouleh every week. But I, too, would love some new recipes for it...so I'm going to keep my eye on what you do with it! : )
ReplyDeleteHi Rosemary, Just wanted to stop back by and say "hello"…hope all is well.
ReplyDelete