That's Just Bulgur!

So in preparation for what was to become the best dinner of all time, I needed to buy bulgur for stuffing. What is bulgur you ask? According to the most reliable source of all time, bulgur is "made from durum wheat grains that are boiled and dried or toasted" (Wikipedia). Of course you can't just get 3/4 of a cup of bulgur, so I bought a pound, what seemed like a small amount of whole grain cracked wheat. Alas, three recipes later and I still have most of a bag left. That stuff goes a long freakin' way.

The first use, went into making Bulgur, Herb, and Feta Stuffed Cornish Hens. I've been eyeing the Cornish Game Hens at Aldi since I started shopping there a year plus ago. They're only $2 a piece and I have fuzzy memories of eating them with my mother on Christmas Eve when I stopped going to my stepfamily's festivities and spending the night with just her wrapping lots and lots of presents. So thus, hens! And really, this recipe is easy and absolutely amazing. (You can leave out the pine nuts if you want. They're expensive and unnecessary. Don't skimp on anything else though.)

Of course the dinner left me with lots of bulgur that must be consumed before I move out in three days, so I decided to make the Tabbouleh recipe that's on the back of the bag. And some hummus. Why not? After two mint juleps and a shot or two of brandy, Christine and I said why not Mediterranean food? Why not indeed!

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur
3 cups finely minced parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
3 scallions, finely minced
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbsp salt
2 tomatoes cut into 1/2" cubes
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil

Place 1 cup bulgur and 1 cup water in a bowl. Let stand for thirty minutes. When bulgur is done, in a large bowl gently mix together all ingredients, except lemon juice and olive oil. Add lemon juice. Toss. Let chill for one hour. Before serving, toss again with oil.


I accidentally made this recipe with twice the bulgur it called for, so I had a lot. I mean, a helluva lot. I like to eat it cold over lightly salted romaine, but in theory it could be warmed as well. Really light, excellent summer food. And keeps well. So well in fact that I tried to do something with it for our Spanish dinner party. Like wrap it in grape leaves. And bake them. Mmmmm.


Erin's Awesome Tabbouleh & Feta Stuffed Grape Leaves

4 cups tabbouleh
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp dill
1 tbsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
30 grape leaves

Mix all ingredients except grape leaves. Rinse and pat dry grape leaves. Place one tbsp of mixture in the middle of the leaf. Fold in the top of the leaf. Then fold the bottom of the leave to cover the previous fold. Then roll them jelly roll style. Steam for 10 minutes. Serve warm.


It was a complete crap shoot whether this would work or not, but really quite great! And my first time with grape leaves (they were gentle, don't worry). And while not Spanish at all, no one questioned this after seven bottles of wine turned into sangria. Nor did they notice that I was making Mexican sangria, which is so vastly superior to Spanish sangria it's not even fair.

Mexican Sangria

1 bottle red wine (crappy is fine for this one -- Winking Owl, anyone?)
1/4 cup lime juice
2/3 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 orange, cut into slices
1 lime, cut into slices

Mix. Served chilled over ice.