quick & easy ... and unusual, too!

many people are only accustomed to seeing bulgur or borgol, de-branned parboiled and (sun) dried grains of wheat, used in dishes like tabbouleh and other such salads or as part of savoury-type preparations. bulgur wheat, in reality, has many uses — it can be kneaded to produce a dough which is later stuffed and fried, cooked like rice into pilafs, used in stuffings and sometimes as part of breads and in baking. a multitude of ways to use it have been therefore developed over the centuries that people have been using it.

one should note that bulgur is not the same thing as cracked wheat; the latter is not cooked at all whereas bulgur wheat is, as one of its steps of processing. bulgur also comes in different varieties and ranges in colour from dark brown to pale gold. the one i use is actually a straw colour and much lighter than the usual darker type sold commercially. interestingly, it also has not only been people of mid-eastern extraction using this grain — history reports it being used in both rome and china (central asia).

this following recipe is for a simple and quick "bread" that uses this healthy grain and leaves you with a baked good that goes well on its own as a snack or served with a soup or a salad. while one might think this to be on the heavy side due to its ingredients, it is far from it. in reality, it is moist, quite light and mildly sweet — perfect for slathering with a good salted butter. i even bet no one would ever be able to tell you what the "secret" ingredient is! give it a try and you'll see.

look here for more wheat information and recipes.


bulgur & pecan wholewheat loaf

somewhat in between a cake and a bread, this is a nice deviation from the norm in the world of quick breads. apart from the waiting time for the bulgur to soak, this one can be thrown together in a matter of minutes — all it requires is some stirring and baking. after baking and cooling, its crust is slightly crunchy and chewy due to the bulgur wheat and its inner crumb, light and tender.

(recipe source: williams sonoma)

ingredients:

1/2 c (3 oz / 90 g) medium grain bulgur wheat
3/4 c (6 fl oz / 180 ml) boiling water

1 1/2 c (7.5 oz / 235 g) wholewheat flour
1/2 c (2.5 oz / 75 g) all purpose flour (or soy flour, pastry flour, etc)
1 tbsp (11 g) baking powder
1 tsp (7 g) salt
1/4 c (2 oz / 60 g) packed brown sugar
1/2 c (2 oz / 60 g) chopped pecans or walnuts (toasted)

1 1/2 c (12 fl oz / 375 ml) milk or soymilk
1/3 c (3 oz / 80 g) melted shortening or margarine/butter
2 eggs

method:

preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 9 inch (23 cm) loaf pan (small loaf pan won't work here).

in a medium bowl, place the bulgur wheat and boiling water together and cover completely. let this rest for 30 minutes so it will full absorb the water and cool down.

place the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together and set aside. chop the pecans or walnuts and dry roast them over medium heat for a few minutes constantly stirring until they look done.

in another bowl, beat the milk and eggs together. melt the shortening or margarine.

in the dry mixture, add the blended milk and eggs and then the shortening. mix well but do not beat. you just want to blend them together.

add the pecans and bulgur and stir to blend well.

pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

the top will look cracked but that is fine.

let cool for several minutes and then place the bread on a cooling rack and let cool. can be served slightly warm.

cut into 1/4 inch slices with a serrated knife.

the bread will stay moist several days. wrap it in tin foil.

enjoy!

breakfast sausages of a different sort

i am always looking for different ways to cut certain unhealthy things out of my diet or adding new interesting and tasty alternatives [to meat]. while i still enjoy eating meat here and there and savour it when i do, i tend to eat a lot less than i used to.

these breakfast type "sausage" patties are a neat alternative to the regular meat ones and have the added benefits of being made from grains, are compelety vegetarian, and are healthy — apart from tasting great.

note that when you make these, there are different kinds of bulgur wheat grinds — basically, coarse, medium and fine. each grind has a specific use. here we are using a medium grind, or the number 2 one. also, you need vital wheat gluten flour which is necessary to hold the mixture together and give it a chewy texture. alone, it would not hold up without it. sage is also essential for the flavouring, so don't hold out on it.

remember, any recipes i post here are open to interpretation and none of them are really going to be exactly the same as the real mccoys however i want to post things that are almost the same as the real thing. i was quite happy with the results of these and always have a batch in my freezer for when i am in the mood for them.

vegetarian style breakfast sausages

ingredients:

1 c. bulgur wheat [no. 2 type (important)]
1 c. boiling water

1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp (or ground up cube) vegetarian beef flavouring
1 tsp salt

2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten flour

1 egg white

method:

in a bowl, combine the bulgur with the spices and the hot (boiling) water. let the hot water get absorbed by the bulgur by covering the bowl so the steam does not escape about 20 to 30 minutes.

stir in the oil, garlic and vital wheat gluten flour and mix well with a wooden spoon. add the egg white and mix again. let rest 10 minutes.

prepare a cookie sheet and heat oven to 350 F.

take a 1/4 c. measuring cup and fill it about half way. compact this well by pressing down. make sure it is well pressed. carefully remove the patty by turning it over and whacking it down on the cookie sheet. fix it by using your hands to press things back together.

do this will all the mixture. bake for about 10 to 12 minutes until it is firm and somewhat browned. you may turn them and cook another 2 to 3 minutes if you like but it is not necessary. take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit before handling.

use right away or freeze. you can also fry these later along with your morning eggs in the same pan.