Bulgur Stuffed Summer Vegetables Recipes

EGGPLANT-AND-BULGUR-STUFFED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat skillet over moderate heat until hot, then cook eggplant, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened on all sides and tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, peel eggplant, then cut flesh into 1/2-inch pieces.
• While eggplant cooks, core tomatoes and cut off top 1/2 inch from each. Cut tops into 1/4-inch dice and set aside. Scoop out insides of tomatoes with a melon-ball cutter or a spoon into a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl, leaving shells intact. Force pulp and juice through sieve, discarding seeds. Add enough water to juice to total 2 cups and set aside. Sprinkle tomato shells with 1/4 teaspoon salt, then invert onto a rack set in a shallow baking pan and drain 20 minutes.
• Scoop flesh from zucchini halves into a bowl using a melon-ball cutter or spoon, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Coarsely chop flesh and set aside.
• Cook chopped zucchini and onion in 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bulgur, sugar, allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until bulgur is coated, about 1 minute. Add juice mixture, diced tomatoes, and currants and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover skillet, then let stand until liquid is absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 10 minutes.
• While bulgur stands, put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Arrange tomato and zucchini shells, cut sides up, in an oiled 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan. Brush insides of shells with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total), then sprinkle zucchini only with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Put bell pepper halves in an oiled 13- by 9-inch baking pan, then brush insides with some oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Stir eggplant pieces, 2 tablespoons parsley, and salt and pepper to taste into bulgur mixture. Spoon stuffing into vegetable shells, then drizzle stuffing with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cover pans loosely with foil.
• Bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetable shells are just tender but not falling apart, 20 to 30 minutes for tomatoes and zucchini and 30 to 40 minutes for bell peppers. Cool vegetables to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley just before serving.

BULGUR-STUFFED YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out the pulp, leaving 8 shells (reserve the pulp).
• Put the squash with the cut side down in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch nonstick baking pan. Pour the water into the pan.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Drain the liquid. Turn the squash over. Leave the oven on.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, process the reserved squash pulp and mushrooms for 10 to 15 seconds, or until coarsely chopped.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the squash mixture and onion for about 3 minutes, or until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the broth, peas, bulgur, roasted bell peppers, dillweed, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the bulgur is tender. Spoon into the squash shells. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and pine nuts.
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, or until warmed through.
• To skip the baking and processing steps, thinly slice the squash and mushrooms, then cook with the onion as directed above. Simmer with the broth, peas, bulgur, roasted bell peppers, dillweed, and pepper, also as directed in the recipe. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan and pine nuts.
• (Per Serving)
• Calories: 53
• Total Fat: 1.5g
• Saturated: 0.5g
• Trans: 0.0g
• Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
• Monounsaturated: 0.5g
• Cholesterol: 1mg
• Sodium: 34mg
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 3g
• Protein: 3g
• Dietary Exchanges
• 1/2 Starch
• 1/2 Fat

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH BULGUR AND HERBS

Steps:

• Place the bulgur in a bowl and add 1/4 teaspon salt. Mix together. Bring 1 cup water to a boil, and pour over the bulgur. Allow to sit for 30 minutes or until the bulgur is soft and fluffy. Transfer to a strainer and press out excess water. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice off the tops of the tomatoes, about 3/4 inch down from the stem (or far enough down that it will be easy for you to hollow them out). Using a teaspoon or a grapefruit spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds, taking care not to cut through the skins. Place in a strainer set above a bowl. Rub the seed pods against the strainer to extract the juice. Discard the seeds. Carefully scoop out the pulp, and chop fine.
• Mix together the bulgur, herbs, garlic, pine nuts, the chopped tomato pulp, 1/4 cup of the strained juice and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Season the hollowed out tomatoes with salt and pepper. Fill each tomato with the bulgur filling (you may have some stuffing left over). Place in a baking dish that is small enough to fit the tomatoes snugly. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over each one, and place the caps on top. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the pan, and cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.
• Puree the garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Stir into the yogurt, along with the mint. Serve the stuffed tomatoes with a dollop of the yogurt.

STUFFED SQUASH WITH BULGUR AND FETA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve each squash lengthwise; slice off a sliver of skin from each half so they sit flat. Scoop out flesh with a small spoon, leaving a 1/4-inch border; chop finely, and reserve. Place squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet, skin sides down; set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved chopped squash, onion, almonds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add bulgur and 2 cups water; simmer over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes (bulgur should still be slightly crunchy). Remove from heat; stir in feta.
• Mound bulgur mixture in reserved squash halves. Bake until squash is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.