The Urban Omnivore

Looking to diversify our dinner table and add a new source of whole grain and fiber to our diets, we decided it was time to buy a bag of bulgur wheat and see what we could do with it. A brief search through our cookbooks revealed a recipe that combined legumes, dairy, whole wheat, and veggies into an attractive looking meal we like to call “The Moroccan Miracle”. Bonus points for being a one-dish meal.

The following recipe is based on “Moroccan-Spiced Sweet Potato Medley” from the Vegetarian Meals - Good Housekeeping’s Favorite Recipes cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (vary this for heat; 1/4 teaspoon is perfect for us because its hot enough for me and not too hot for Katie…sometimes I add some crushed red peppers to my own serving to increase the heat)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bit sized pieces
• 1 can(14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup bulgur
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dark seedless raisins (you can increase this if you want to add more of the “sweet” taste)
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (you can use dried if necessary)
• plain low-fat yogurt or raita (recipe below)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch (or larger) skillet. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, bulgur, and water; heat to boiling over medium/medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low/low; cover and simmer until you can easily stick your fork into the potatoes (about 20 minutes) and the water has been fully absorbed. Stir in beans, raisins and cilantro; heat through and serve with yogurt/raita.

We like to make a simple cucumber and tomato based raita to serve over the top…

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain, low-fat yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.