Regular readers know that I buy a rotisserie chicken every week. It is my reward for going grocery shopping on a Thursday, after work. After work, when all I want to do is go home, curl up in a fetal position, and sob myself to sleep.
So, yeah. I get a chicken. I had been serving that chicken with chips and pickles for a totally worry free dinner. Except that I did worry. I worried that I was eating nothing healthy!! So, I decided that I would serve my chicken with some sort of healthy side salad dish type thing. “Side salad dish type thing” – the words just flow from my lips (or in this case fingertips) don’t they? Remember if anyone else refers to “side salad dish type thing” – you heard it hear first. I should probably copyright it.
Yes. I can’t spell. Isn’t it weird that someone who reads 50+ books a year, can’t spell? It drives my husband crazy. I say, it could be worse. I could be a control freak, who makes lists for everything, and tries to bend everyone the way she wants them to be. Oh wait. I am.
For your consideration, my first side salad dish type thing – Bulgur and Citrus Salad from Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchenby Amy Pennington, which I reviewed, here. It was the perfect start! It went great with the chicken, super easy to put together, and made interesting by the citrus/cinnamon combination.
Bulgur and Citrus Salad
- 1 cup uncooked bulgur
- 1 ½ cups boiling water (plus a smidgen more)
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint (I didn’t have any, so I just used more parsley)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- handful of dried currants or raisins
- half an orange, grated outer peel and juice only
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Put the bulgur in a medium sized glass bowl. Pour the boiling water over it, and cover it, allowing it to steam for 25 minutes. Drain any extra water off.
Stir in the pine nuts, parsley, mint, cinnamon, raisins, orange zest and juice, and vinegar. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir gently. Season to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 4 servings.
This will be my entry for Heart ‘n Soul Blog Hop.
Cookbook Used:
AND don’t forget to join me here on Thursday for Tackling Bittman!!
CherylK says
Bulgar is delicious. And this side salad dish type thing recipe looks delicious...I almost always have all these things in my pantry...except maybe the pine nuts. You actually had me at "super easy to put together".
Bella Rum says
I have the bulgur because I bought it ages ago, thinking it would be good for me, but I didn't know what to do with it. I guess it isn't so good for me if it just sits in the pantry. I'm going to copy this recipe and hopefully I'll try it. It sounds easy enough for me and very healthful. 🙂 Thanks.
Couscous & Consciousness says
Pam, this is a great side dish salad type thing, and I can see it would lend itself to all sorts of different variations. Delicious and very healthy alternative to the chips and pickle 🙂
I used to be a good speller, but last year or so I find I have to look up words I used to know how to spell - bit of age-related memory fade no doubt. Hope I don't start repeating myself soon 🙁
Sue xo
a moderate life says
Pammi! I am so sorry you want to sob yourself to sleep on a thursday! Why not think that the next day is friday and then it is the weekend! As for the eating healthy bit, this recipe certainly makes up for the occasional chips! I love bulgar wheat too. LOL and I cant spell worth salt either! thanks for sharing this on the hearth and soul hop! all the best and big hugs too! alex
JamieB says
grabbing rotisserie chicken (my reward for grocery shopping on Mondays, but shopping on Tuesday this week, still i need a reward) and was looking for a healthy side dish... so thanks! can't wait to make it!
grace says
cinnamun! ment! pine nutz! teriffic salud, and thanck heavans four spellchek. 🙂
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I buy a rotisserie chicken every week, too. This is definitely the kind of salad thingy I'd serve with it... if I had the energy by the end of the week to even make a salad!
Wearinbeads says
I love couscous and bulgar. I just wish I could get someone else in this house to eat bulgar. No matter how disguised, only white things get eaten off the other plate.
Chris says
FWIW, it's hard NOT to buy a chicken when they are only $4.99!
shabby girl says
Does it get any easier than that? I don't think so, except maybe couscous!
Marjie says
I would have spelled it "bulgar" too. It's not a normal word. So there. You can too spell.
Aurelia says
That looks delicious!
No, I don't find it weird at all about the spelling because I'm exactly the same! I'll get through 3-5 books a week (depending on work schedules...and if new books have been published!) yet I frequently have spelling slip-ups. The strange thing with me is that long complicated words I always get right, but the shorter almost "common" words I misspell lol!
Betsy from Tennessee says
Hi Pam, I like your "side salad dish type thing"..... Looks GREAT --and healthy...
Yes--we have enjoyed the warmer weather -and so have the birds and squirrels and even the chipmunks.
Hugs,
Betsy
Rachel says
I've never tried cooking with bulgar before.. looks interesting!
Joanne says
I worry about not eating healthy all the time. And my growing lack of spelling ability. I used to be good...but time and med school has worn down my abilities. Or displaced them with random facts about E. coli.
This salad looks wonderful! I've never had bulgur but I really want to try it.
June says
Oh lordy I laughed at the "I could be a control freak, who makes lists for everything, and tries to bend everyone the way she wants them to be." You just described me to a "T"...have we met somewhere in a former life? ...the salad looks fabulous!
Amy says
Wait. So what you're saying is that the milk I'm using to dunk my cookies in, is not actually making it healthy? Hm.
Salad sounds great, Pam. And for the record, I can't spell either. That's what Paul is for.
Lea Ann says
You are too funny...curl up in fetal position and sob yourself to sleep! Well this bulgar dish does indeed look healthy....and tasty I must admit. As always, great photos.