Bulgur With Swiss Chard, Chickpeas and Feta

Monday, blech. An overcast, freezing, crowded bus Monday to boot. Luckily, things drastically improved when I got home. Cooking dinner with Evan turned into an impromptu dance party while we waited for this beauty of a meal to finish baking. I found this recipe in the NY Times “Recipes for Health” section.

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained

1/4 cup chopped dill

Salt and pepper

3 oz feta cheese, crumbled



Method:
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Toss the cooked bulgur with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread in the baking dish in an even layer.

Add water to a steamer pot, and bring to a boil. Place the Swiss chard in the steamer (you can use a pasta pot with an insert for this), and steam until it wilts, about four to five minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Chop coarsely and transfer to a bowl.
Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in a small frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant and translucent, 30 seconds to a minute, and scrape into the bowl with the chard. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chickpeas and dill. Season with salt and pepper, and toss together.

Lay the chard mixture over the bulgur. Top with the feta, and gently push the feta cheese down into this mixture. Bake 30 minutes or until sizzling. Serve hot.

I squeezed lemon juice on top and it was just right. To offset some of the health, a piece of chocolate cake was in order. I guess I’ve had worse Mondays.