Lemon Bulgur with Almonds and Shallots

I do not like diets.  I really hate the idea of eliminating things I love from my diet.  Also, I love to eat, so eating less is not really much of an option for me.   In my head, you can eat anything you want, as long as its in moderation.   Moderation being a very key word that I tend to forget.  Because I make a lot of cakes.

All that said, in six weeks my baby is going to a year old.   (WHAT?)  And I suppose its time for me to stop looking like I just gave birth.

I can hear all of my friends reading this and collectively groaning and saying, "You do NOT look like you just gave birth".   Fine, but I'm definitely not back at pre-pregnancy weight.  So its time for this family to eat a little bit healthier.   And Jillian Michaels is prepared to kick my butt for the next 30 days while I shred.

One of the changes we've made is to move away from rice and potatoes and we've been doing a lot more veggies as side dishes.  But I've also been experimenting with sides we've never had before.  And this bulgur is one of them.

I'm honestly surprised I've never had bulgur before.  I brought a recipe for bulgur risotto with shrimp and mint with me to Vienna and made the recipe a few times.  But I couldn't find bulgur (or even the German word for bulgur) anywhere so I just made a regular risotto.   I really loved this version of bulgur and ate it for lunch the next day as well.  I served it with grilled chicken breasts and my all time favorite summer vegetable, zucchini.   But this dish is worthy of being a stand alone.   I had it again the next day by itself.

Bulgur is a whole grain and is high in fiber so its very filling and satisfying.  While my husband didn't care for it, I suspect it was due to the toasted almonds.  Some people just don't care for nuts in their food, and he is one of them.   I'll be giving other bulgur recipes a try in the next few weeks and I'm confident we'll settle on one he loves as much as I loved this.

Lemon Bulgur with Toasted Almonds and Shallots

adapted from Every Day Food Special Issue, summer 2011

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large shallots, sliced in rings

1 cup bulgur

1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the shallots and cook until browned, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a medium bowl.  Add the bulgur to the pan and toast for a few minutes before adding the chicken broth (or water is fine, too if you wanted it to be vegetarian).   Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for 1 minute.

Stir the bulgur then cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork then transfer to the bowl with the shallots.  Add the almond, lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, parsley, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.