Bulghur-Spinach Casserole

Bulghur is a type of parboiled durum wheat popular in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and India, which can be reconstituted for consumption by soaking or cooking in water. There are a number of uses for bulghur, including tabbouleh, kibbeh, various pilafs, and even as a sweet cereal with sugar and milk. In future posts, we will talk more about some of those more conventional uses for bulghur, but right now, we would like to post a recipe for a vegetarian casserole that really highlights the nuttiness and earthiness of bulghur, and may serve as a good introduction to this grain for someone who hasn't had much experience with Middle Eastern cuisine.

Bulghur can be found in most Turkish, Lebanese, or Middle Eastern markets, and may show up in some gourmet supermarkets alongside other fashionable grains like quinoa and cracked rye. It's usually available in the US marked by a number between 1 and 4, indicating the fineness of the grind, with 1 being extra fine, and 4 being extra coarse. When buying bulghur, pay attention to the grind coarseness, as it will affect the cooking time, as well as the mouthfeel of the finished product.

Bulghur-Spinach Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup bulghur, #3 coarseness
• ~1 lb spinach
• 1 can, 28oz. chopped tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 3 tbsp minced garlic 
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 cup shredded gouda 
• black pepper
• salt

Cooking Directions

1. Bring three cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the dry bulghur and a bit of salt. Reduce the heat to a steady simmer, and cover the pot. Allow the bulghur to cook in this way until the water is absorbed - about fifteen minutes. Whenever the bulghur finishes cooking, take it off heat, and allow it to rest in the pot. NOTE: When the bulghur looks like it's finished cooking, do taste it to make sure - it should have the consistency of cooked rice. If there's any crunch, it's undercooked - add some additional water and continue steaming.
   
2. Chop the onion and sautee in about a tsp of oil over high heat in a large pan. Add the minced garlic to sautee as well.
   
3. Add the tomatoes, with their juice, to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow the mixture to simmer for a bit to reduce the juice and thicken the sauce, about fifteen minutes. While it simmers, you may season it with the mint, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste.
   
4. If using frozen chopped spinach (recommended), just add the spinach to the tomato mixture and heat until thawed and cooked. Otherwise, if using fresh spinach, remove the stems and blanch the leaves in simmering water before adding them to the pan.
   
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fold in the cooked bulghur. Transfer the entire mixture to a pregreased 2-1/2-quart casserole dish. Cover the top with the shredded cheese - here we specify gouda, but several other cheeses would work well, like gruyere or parmesan. Put the dish in the oven to cook for about fifty minutes, or until the cheese is beginning to brown on the top.