Bulgur With Tomatoes Mint And Toasted Pine Nuts Recipes

BULGUR WITH RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Toast 1 cup bulgur in olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, 12 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped mixed parsley, mint and/or scallions, 2 tablespoons each olive oil, toasted pine nuts and chopped raisins, and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt.

BULGUR, APRICOT, AND PINE NUT DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pine nuts, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Add onion to pan, then reduce heat to moderately low and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add bulgur and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in water, apricots, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, until bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in nuts, feta, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

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.

LAYERED SALAD OF BULGUR, FENNEL, PINE NUTS, DILL, AND MINT

Steps:

• Place the bulgur or cracked wheat in a large salad bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup lemon juice, the olive oil, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt; drizzle this dressing over the bulgur. Layer on the scallions, parsley, dill, mint, and cucumbers. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.
• Bring the salad to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, cut the fennel bulb in half from top to bottom. Cut the halves into paper-thin slices crosswise. Add the fennel and pine nuts to the salad and toss. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste and serve.

BULGUR SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE DRESSING AND TOASTED NUTS

Steps:

• Put bulgur in a large bowl and cover with cold, lightly salted water. Let soak until tender, from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on coarseness of bulgur. Drain in a sieve, firmly pressing out excess water, and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Whisk olive oil with pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, tomato paste and spices. Add salt and pepper and taste; mixture should be pleasingly tangy. Add more pomegranate molasses and lemon juice as needed.
• Pour half the dressing over bulgur and mix well. Set aside to absorb for about 10 minutes. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. Add half the remaining dressing, all the nuts and parsley, and mix well. Before serving, taste again and add more dressing as needed.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH BULGUR AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Cut off and discard top third of tomatoes and scoop out insides (leave shells intact for stuffing), transferring to a sieve set over a bowl to drain excess liquid. Coarsely chop tomato from sieve and reserve for making braised eggplant .
• Sprinkle insides of tomato shells with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain upside down on a rack set in a pan while preparing filling.
• Simmer lentils in 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan until just tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
• Heat oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat until hot, then cook pine nuts, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
• Cook onion in oil remaining in pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add bulgur, chard, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining cup water, then remove from heat and let stand, covered, until bulgur is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in pine nuts, currants, parsley, dill, lemon juice, lentils, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon filling into tomato shells.