Bulgur

My nutritionist suggested that I use bulgur in place of rice in my cooking.  I'm interested to hear feedback about the grain from anyone who has used it.  Is it easy to prepare?  Does the texture compare to rice?  How about the flavor?  Any recipes that you enjoy using it it?  Let me know!  Thanks!

hmmm, never heard of it, i'd be interested in knowing as well.

Bulgur is no more difficult to prepare than rice. You can simmer it on the stovetop or just soak it in hot water. I imagine you could cook it in a rice cooker too if you wanted though I haven't tried this myself.

The texture is a bit chewier than rice and it's rougher since it's cracked wheat kernels rather than whole grains. It has a bit more flavor of its own than rice - maybe a bit nuttier - but it's quite mild still. I typically use bulgur only when making taboulleh - just because I don't often have it on hand. It would be tasty in all kinds of pilafs or salads. I have also substituted pearl barley when I don't have bulgur.

If you are experimenting with whole grains you might also check out wheat berries and millet. Wheat berries you probably wouldn't eat on their own but cook up a bunch and keep them in the fridge, then throw a handful into oatmeal, pilafs, bread dough, etc. Cooked millet has a consistency similar to couscous. You can eat it as a hot breakfast cereal or as a substitute for rice. I add this when making bread, too.

I'm still expanding my whole grain horizons but those are ones that I have come across and enjoyed!

Another alternative is: Quinoa. Just make sure to wash it thoroughly before cooking.

UD