Bulgur With Roasted Red Peppers Chickpeas And Spinach Food

BULGUR SALAD WITH CUCUMBERS, RED PEPPERS, CHICK PEAS, LEMON & DILL

Steps:

• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Place the bulgur in a large bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and 1¼ cups boiling water. Cover the bowl tightly with saran wrap and let sit for 15-30 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Let cool, then fluff with a fork.
• Meanwhile, to soften the bite of the raw onions, place them in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for ten minutes, and then drain. (Feel free to skip this step if you don't mind the strong taste of raw onions.)
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, sugar, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the cooled bulgur, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, dill, parsley, and chick peas. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Chill until ready to serve or up to two days. Serve cold or room temperature.

BULGUR WITH ROASTED RED PEPPERS, CHICKPEAS, AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups water to a boil and add bulgur. Remove from heat and soak until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible; transfer bulgur to a large bowl.
• While bulgur is soaking, roast peppers over a low gas flame or under the broiler, turning frequently with tongs, until blackened on all sides, 8 to 16 minutes. Place in a bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let cool. Peel off charred skins; discard seeds and stems. Chop peppers into 3/4-inch pieces. Strain any juices from cutting board and bowl through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.
• In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup oil over medium-high. In batches, fry chickpeas until golden brown and lightly crisp, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and season immediately with coarse salt.
• Add chickpeas, peppers and reserved juices, spinach, and 2 tablespoons oil to bowl with bulgur and toss. Season with salt and ground pepper.

CHICKPEA & RED PEPPER DIP

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas in a food processor with the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, red peppers and coriander. Blitz to a paste. Season to taste. Serve in a bowl with toasted pitta breads.

SAUTEED SPINACH WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER

Steps:

• Place bell pepper directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner or under the broiler. Roast pepper, turning with tongs, until blackened all over. Transfer pepper to a medium bowl, and cover immediately with plastic wrap. Let steam 15 minutes. Discard skin, stem, seeds, and ribs; slice pepper lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips, and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add roasted pepper; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 30 seconds. Raise heat to medium-high. Add half the spinach, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining spinach, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes more. Stir in salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and serve.

SPICED BULGUR WHEAT WITH ROASTED PEPPERS

Steps:

• In a large microwave proof bowl, cover the bulgur wheat with stock. Cover with cling film and microwave on High for 4 mins. Set aside, covered; it will absorb the stock within another 5 mins. Make a dressing with spice mix, lemon zest and juice and olive oil, then season to taste. Add the onion, chickpeas, peppers and coriander, toss through the cooked bulgur wheat and serve warm or cold.