Bulgur pilaf with chickpeas and chicken - recipe

I would like to experiment little with bulgur and add more taste to it when I use it in my cooking. Today I decided to make a bulgur pilaf with chicken and chickpeas, as that was what I had at hand. It turned really good and fluffy. I think I will make this my picnic dish when we go out with the whole family. It can be served with alot really: a salad, pieces of meat, fish or just a bowl of yoghurt seasoned with mint and g,arlic. The choices are endless.

Ingredients:
1 cups bulgur with vermicelli
1 tbsp tomato puree
3-4tbsp oil
400g can of chickpeas
1 tsp cumin, garam masala, paprika powder
0,5 tsp ground ginger, garlic

Fried chicken:
4-5 chicken tenders cut to bite size
3-4 tbsp oil to fry in
1 tsp curry, paprika, cumin, parsley, ginger and garlic

Method:
1. Begin with cutting the chicken tenders in bite size pieces and marrinate in all the spices. Let sit for ten min. Then fry in an non-stick pan with few tbsp of oil on high heat. Turn ocassionaly and set aside once golden brown.

2. On a pot add few tbsp oil and the bulgur with vermicelli on medium heat. Add all the spices and the pure as well. Add the drained chickpeas. Salt and pepper to taste. Then add 2,5 cup of boiled water and let it come to a boil on high heat. Then turn the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 20-30 min until the bulgur is soft and fluffy.

3. In a big serving dish, mix the bulgur pilaf with the chicken pieces. Serve with a nice tangy salad and maybe minty yoghurt.

Enjoy!

Bulgur with chicken and potato stew - recipe

As we've been incorporating less rice into our meals, I've found myself turning to bulgur more often. It's been a hit with the family—tasty and satisfying, and it pairs well with nearly any stew. This time, I opted for a simple chicken and potato stew, using up ingredients from my pantry and freezer before our next big grocery trip.

I always worry about whether the kids will enjoy new dishes, but thankfully, they've been pleasantly surprised each time. Their hearty appetites and willingness to try new foods make me feel like a lucky mom.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

3 potatoes

2 onions

1 bell pepper

half a zucchini

fresh parsley

paprika, curry, 7-spice mix powder

1 vegetable stock

salt and pepper

2-3 tbsp tomato pure

Method:

1. Dice the chicken in 1 cm pieces and add to a deep pan with few tbsp of oil. Add rest of the vegetables and add the spices. Mix and let everything fry on high heat for 5 mins. Add 1 cup water and lower the heat. Add the tomato pure and let simmer for a good 30 min. Taste it and season if necessary.

2. Cook the bulgur according to package instructions. Typically, I heat a pot with a few spoons of oil and salt, then add 1 cup of bulgur. After mixing well, I pour in 1 1/4 cups of boiling water along with the vegetable stock cube. Lower the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff the bulgur with a fork once done.

Serve the stew and bulgur together, accompanied by a tangy green salad for a complete and satisfying meal.

3. Once the stew and bulgur is done, serve them together with a nice tangy green salad.

Enjoy!

Polenta-crusted Chicken and Bulgur - recipe

In my family, rice is often eaten several times a week, but I prefer not to indulge in it as frequently. I find it to be too heavy,  and  recent recommendations suggest that it should not be eaten too often. Instead, I like to cook bulgur. It gives a lighter feel and healthier in my opinion. However, my husband finds it rather bland. Fortunately, I enjoy using spices and seasoning to jazz up my cooking, which adds flavor to dishes. Also, using bulgur helps balance out the unhealthy aspects of fried chicken.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts, cut into thin fillets and pounded to 1 cm thickness

1 cup bulgur, cooked according to instructions on the package

1/2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1/2 dried coriander powder

1/2 cumin powder

1/2 cup polenta

2 eggs beaten

vegetable oil

Salad: tomatoes, paprika, cucumber, lettuce and lemon juice

Yoghurt sprinkled with dried dill

Method:

1. Start by cutting the chicken breast into halves lengthwise and then pound it evenly so that the thickness is 1 cm. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen towel and put aside. Mix half of the spices together with the polenta in a flat bowl. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In another bowl beat 2 eggs together. 

2. Cook the bulgur according to the instructions. Add the other half of the spice mix to the water to add seasoning and taste. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Dip the chicken in the egg and then polenta and make sure there is an even coat of the polenta on the chicken. Fry it in a frying pan with vegetable oil on medium high heat until golden brown on both sides. Put the fried chicken on a paper covered plate to soak up all excess oil.

4. Wash and cut the salad ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice. 

5. Once everything is cooked, serve it in a wide plate with a table spoon of yogurt sprinkled with dill.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Reggae Reggae sauce and Bulgur - Recipe and Review

I don't use store bought sauces very often, but sometimes you just find those gems that are just perfect among all the others. The reggae reggae jerk/bbq sauce by Levi Roots is one f those lovely sauces. So how do i use it? Well, my favorite way is very simple and easy to make. And it involves chicken. Here is how I make it:

Ingredients:

Few chicken pieces of your choice, I use chicken drums, wings and thighs

Reggae reggae sauce, jerk/bbq

few sliced veggies of your choice, I used leek, aubergine, potato, zucchini, celery

Bulgur

2-3 tbsp oil

salt and pepper

paprika powder

Method:

1- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Put the watched pieces of chicken in a roasting pan. I usually use an enamel roasting pan with a lid.

2- Choose veggies of your choice such as zucchini, potatoes, paprika, aubergine, leek and celery. Dice them to bite size and add them to the roasting pan. Pour over the reggae reggae sauce over the chicken and vegetables and put on the lid. If you don't have a lid, cover with aluminium foil. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until it looks grilled. 

3- For one cup of bulgur which serves 2 persons, use one cup of water in a sauce pan. Add few table spoon of oil and add seasoning such as salt, pepper and paprika powder. Let it come to a boil on high heat and then put on a lid and reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender and fluffy.

4- Serve the chicken with the vegetables and bulgur and if you like some tablespoons of Greek yogurt. 

This will taste grilled/barbecued and the sauce gives it a lovely sweet BBQ flavor which is not to overpowering. The chicken was tender inside but had a crusty outer layer which made it juicy and flavorful. The Greek yogurt is a great condiment that adds a round, creamy flavor and removes any over powering taste. The vegetables are caramelized to perfection with this sauce. The great thing with this sauce is you don't need any other seasoning, not even salt. I would definitely use this jerk/bbq sauce for other grilling/BBQ meals. I have heard people saying this sauce is spicy, but I think it is not spicy at all, it just gives it a very pleasant heat but nothing spicy that children would not be able to handle. I recommend this sauce for other meats as well.

Enjoy!