Bulgar Pilaf with Roasted Vegetables

Thank you for all for your tips on how you restore the menu mojo.  Your words motivated me and I got back to cooking again with a bulgur pilaf with roasted veggies.  This recipe is vegan (but there is gluten in the bulgur), and came from The Splendid Table email list.  Sorry, I was so intent on eating I forgot to take pictures.  We adapted by leaving out the olives, mint, dill, and parsley (the Mr. likes things on the bland side) and using golden raisins.  It turned out SO delicious and the roasted veggies gave plenty enough flavor for us.  This will definitely be going in our recipe rotation, using the season's vegetables as they come.

BULGUR PILAF WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Reprinted with permission from Fresh & Fast Vegetarian by Marie Simmons. Copyright © 2011 by Marie Simmons. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Serves 4 to 6
Vegan 
Crunchy and nutty, bulgur is the fastest-cooking grain in the cupboard. Topped with almost any stir-fried, pan-seared or roasted vegetable, it makes a meal. 

• 3 red bell peppers, diced (1/2 inch)
• 3 zucchini (about 6 ounces each), diagonally sliced (1/4 inch)
• 2 large carrots, diagonally sliced (1/4 inch)
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges (1/4 inch)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cups coarse-grain bulgur
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts or skin-on almonds

1. Place a heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the peppers, zucchini, carrots and red onion in a bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.
3. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and spread the vegetables on the pan. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes. Stir with a spatula, turning the vegetables and moving them around on the pan so they'll brown evenly. Roast until browned and tender, about 10 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bulgur and raisins. Add 2 cups water and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir once to blend. Cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the olives, mint, dill, parsley and orange zest to the hot roasted vegetables. Add half of the vegetables to the bulgur and fluff with a fork. Spoon the bulgur into a serving dish and mound the remaining vegetables on top. Sprinkle with the nuts and serve.

Substitutions: Feel free to mix and match the vegetables: try asparagus in spring, tender green beans in summer and cauliflower florets in fall.
Make a Meal: Serve this satisfying main dish with a green leafy vegetable or a salad.


What did you cook up this weekend?

Farmer's Market Report :: June 10, 2011

This week the farmer's market brought the last of the season's asparagus.  I bought 3 bunches to totally tire myself of it and hold myself over another year.

There were also some greenhouse goodies including little squash, potatoes, and beautiful strawberries that the boys munched on as I shopped.

I bought an heirloom tomato plant to replace those of mine that haven't made it so far.

And finally-one of my favorite things about the farmer's market is the relationship you build with the vendors.  Last week I had to inform Becky at Bread Etc., that I am vegan and aiming when possible for gluten-free.  She says she is still working on a gluten-free bread (that tastes good), but she made me up some delicious granola, just for me and my special requirements.  I have been grabbing it by the handful all weekend.  Yum!

What did you find this week at the market?
Checking in with: Farmer's Market Report

On My Mind :: Cooking

Cooking has been the first casualty of our busy summer.  I know how important it is for my family to eat a home cooked, whole foods, plant based diet.  I know that studies show that when we cook healthy food at home, we drop our likelihood of obesity.  I know that it is one of the very best things I can do for the planet.

Somehow I just need to get all those messages over to the motivation part of my brain so that I can make more food like this strawberry rhubarb pie with a nut crust (from the Clean Food cookbook).  I will be at the Farmer's Market this afternoon seeking inspiration.  Hopefully, one meal at a time, I will move my family back to what is best for us.

How do you get motivated to cook healthy, home-cooked meals?
Linking to: Down to Earth