Brown coarse Bulgur with Sauce Marocque

Write, write, before you forget! On one of my isle prowling in the Turkish shop a bag of whole grain bulgur found it's way into my basket. Sat for a while in the pantry because unlike the quick cooking bulgur you'll find in the aisle of your supermarket this one needed some time to cook. Another thing was that I wasn't too sure the kids would like this version. They love couscous, but this one definitely had a healthy glow to it...

Turns out I needn't worry, it was gobbled up like it was one of the big P's (pizza, pommes frites, pancakes). Cooking this bulgur resembled cooking risotto or pilav. Made a moroccan style tomato sauce to accompany.

Directions brown coarse bulgur:

(5 minutes active cooking, simmering 20 minutes, absorb 20 minutes. Serves: 6)

- 4 tbs butter/margarine

- 320 gr bulgur

- 600 ml broth (I used half chicken/half vegetable)

- 1 tsp salt

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add bulgur and saute for about 3-4 minutes while stirring continuously. Add heated broth and salt, give a quick stir, cover and let simmer over low heat until bulgur absorbs all the liquid. Stir every once in a while to make sure the bulgur doesn't get attached to the bottom and distribute the broth evenly. This takes about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and place a cloth napkin/teatowel (a napkin will do great) over the saucepan and replace the cover! Leave in a warm spot for another 20 minutes. It will stay warm and continues to steam while the napkin takes care of excess moisture, excellent way of cooking.

Sauce Marocque

(takes about 40 minutes, start when you add broth to bulgur or make in advance and re-heat when ready)

2-3 chicken breasts, diced fairly large
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
675 gr. fresh tomatoes, skinned, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
10 dried abricots, quartered
1 tbs brown sugar
2 pinches (knife tips) hot spanish pepper
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
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Optional: I added some broccoli and green beans
3 tbs parsley, fresh chopped
3 tbs coriander

In another large sauce pan, brown chicken in the olive oil to a light golden colour and remove from pan. Set aside. Saute onions and garlic over low heat in remaing oil and add peppers, saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, the rest of the spices plus abricots and simmer to reduce moisture from tomatoes, half covered, on medium heat. Aim for a thickening sauce which will take about 15-20 minutes. Then add vegetables of your choice, chicken pieces and fresh parsley and coriander and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables and chicken are done.