Happy Sunday… almost Monday!
My coworker, Erin, brought in some beauties from her parents’ garden in New Jersey the other week. I snagged a summer squash and green peppers with plans to roast and toss them in a simple bulgar salad. I figured it would be a nice light, summery dish. 🙂
Have you ever had bulgur? It’s one of my favorite go-to’s during the week because it’s cooks quickly and can be incorporated into a lot of dishes. It’s a whole wheat grain that’s cracked, pre-cooked, and full of fiber, protein, iron, and B vitamins.
I tend to eat bulgur the same way I do rice — so basically, with veggies or meats. My favorite way to eat bulgar is with spinach or kale, tossed with a few seasonal vegetables.
This recipe was created on a whim — I wanted to use Erin’s squash and peppers, as well as a couple of other things I needed to consume before it went bad, like my tomatoes and spinach. Let me know what you think.
Hope you had a great weekend! Did you get in any good runs? It’s been so hot, so all of mine have been on the dreadmill…
Ingredients
1 medium-sized summer squash, chopped
1-2 green peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup bulgur
4 cup spinach
1 small tomato, chopped
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease roasting pan with olive oil and set aside.
2. Wash and chop squash and peppers. Toss into a medium-sized bowl.
3. Add olive oil, kosher salt, ground pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic into bowl. Mix until well coated.
4. Add vegetables to greased roasting pan.
5. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times as needed.
6. Combine 1 cup bulgur with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until tender.
7. While the bulgur cooks, mix balsamic vinegar, spinach, and tomatoes in large bowl.
8. When the bulgar and vegetables are done cooking, add to spinach and tomatoes.
9. Mix well. Season with additional salt, pepper, or balsamic vinegar as needed.
10. Dish can be served immediately, at room temperature, or cold (great out of the fridge for quick snacks or work lunches).
Serving size: 2 as entrees, 4 as starting dishes
Running the States 