This afternoon, shortly before picking Sam up at school, I was in the kitchen cooking up…breakfast. It’s true, I’ve been a little preoccupied with breakfast lately, but I’m not completely disoriented. In fact, my sense of timing has never been better. I’m ahead of the game. Tomorrow’s breakfast is done.
Lucky for Sam breakfast bulgur makes a great after school snack too. Admittedly, he regarded my offering warily at first. But in the end, he scarfed it down in record time.
Not an especially mouth-watering name, but bulgur is really quite tasty and versatile. Bulgur, wheat that has been hulled, dried and ground, is a quick cooking grain frequently used in a middle eastern salad called tabbouleh. But it is so much more than that.
Turns out that bulgur (as well as many other grains) makes a great addition to the breakfast scene and is a simple and delicious alternative to oatmeal. The following recipe uses another handy kitchen tool, the rice cooker. If you don’t have one, you can cook bulgur the traditional way, but the rice cooker gives you especially tender, fluffy results.
This useful machine is fitted with a round, removable, aluminum bowl. A simple button turns it on, and it goes off by itself when your grain has absorbed all the added liquid. It cooks basic grains in lots of different ways including risotto, pilaf, paella, and breakfast porridge (among other things).
Of course, you can cook grains without one–a pot with a lid will suffice, but the rice cooker makes perfectly cooked grains every time. And clean up is about as easy as it gets. Keep your eye out for a rice cooker at yard sales or thrift stores.
Breakfast Bulgur
- 1 cup bulgur
- 1 3/4 cups water
- pinch of salt
- 1 T. brown sugar
- 1 T. butter
Add bulgur to the bowl of the rice cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients–stirring to combine. The butter will melt during cooking. Cover and cook.
When machine switches to “OFF”, let bulgur steam on the warming cycle for 10 minutes. Fluff with wooden spoon and serve nice and hot.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, don’t fret. All you have to do boil two cups of water, add bulgur and other ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Check for water absorption at about 10 minutes.
I like eating mine with yogurt, apples and walnuts. Sam enjoyed his with milk, blueberries and cinnamon. It is lightly sweetened, but a drizzle of honey or syrup can be added if desired.
Leftovers? Put them in a container in the fridge and heat them up as needed all through the week!
Table Talk 