Bulgur With Herbs Recipes

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH BULGUR AND HERBS

Steps:

• Place the bulgur in a bowl and add 1/4 teaspon salt. Mix together. Bring 1 cup water to a boil, and pour over the bulgur. Allow to sit for 30 minutes or until the bulgur is soft and fluffy. Transfer to a strainer and press out excess water. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes, about 3/4 inch down from the stem (or far enough down that it will be easy for you to hollow them out). Using a teaspoon or a grapefruit spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds, taking care not to cut through the skins. Place in a strainer set above a bowl. Rub the seed pods against the strainer to extract the juice. Discard the seeds. Carefully scoop out the pulp, and chop fine.
• Mix together the bulgur, herbs, garlic, pine nuts, the chopped tomato pulp, 1/4 cup of the strained juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Season the hollowed out tomatoes with salt and pepper. Fill each tomato with the bulgur filling (you may have some stuffing left over). Place in a baking dish that is small enough to fit the tomatoes snugly. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over each one, and place the caps on top. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the pan, and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.
• Puree the garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the yogurt, along with the mint. Serve the stuffed tomatoes with a dollop of the yogurt.

BULGUR PILAF WITH CHICKPEAS AND HERBS

Steps:

• Drain the soaked chickpeas, and place in a pot with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste and continue to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, until the chickpeas are tender.
• Place the bulgur in a 2-quart bowl. Place a strainer over the bowl, and drain the chickpeas so that the hot broth covers the bulgur. Set the chickpeas aside. Cover the bowl, and allow the bulgur to sit until fluffy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Strain and press out excess liquid.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the scallions. Cook, stirring, until tender, two or three minutes. Stir in the garlic, and continue to cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the bulgur and chickpeas. Add the herbs and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and toss together. Remove from the heat, add lemon juice and pepper, taste and adjust salt. Add more lemon juice if desired. Serve hot or room temperature.

STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS WITH TUNA, BULGUR AND HERBS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss peppers with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast, stirring once or twice, until peppers are tender, 15 to 22 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add bulgur and toast, stirring, until it smells nutty, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin and 1 teaspoon salt, and sauté until tomato paste darkens, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in stock or water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until bulgur is soft all the way through, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain off any remaining liquid and set aside to cool.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until shimmering. Add celery and sauté until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add onion, green bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic and anchovies (if using). Sauté until vegetables are just tender but not soft (a little texture is welcome), 4 to 6 minutes. If mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon or two of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
• Put tuna in a large bowl and use a fork to break into chunks. Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil, mayonnaise (or yogurt) and lemon juice and mash until tuna is broken into small flakes. Mix in onion-celery mixture, bulgur, herbs and capers and stir well. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice as needed.
• Make a slit lengthwise down each pepper to open it up. Stuff the bulgur mixture into the open peppers, then pinch the peppers so that the stuffing holds the two sides together. (It's O.K. if the peppers aren't completely closed.) Arrange on a platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and garnish with herbs. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

BULGUR WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Put bulgur in a bowl, then pour hot water (2 cups) over it and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until hot, then cook almonds, stirring, until golden, about 1 minute.
• Drain bulgur in a medium-mesh sieve, then return to bowl and stir in scallions, herbs, store-bought roasted-almond oil (or additional olive oil), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and almonds (with oil). Season with salt and more lemon juice if desired. Serve at room temperature.