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What is a Balaboosta?
Balaboosta (n.)(bah-lah-b00-sta) A Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook, and gracious hostess. She does it all and does it well.
I make simple food with easy recipes and I like to try new things. My family and friends love my cooking and always ask me to share, with them, what I know about food, flavor, and technique.

I'm not a professional chef and I've had no formal culinary training. What I know and do in the kitchen comes from three women...Nana, Grandma Della, and Rose, my mom. Each one of them knew more about putting a meal on the table than any fancy chef in a white hat. They were the ultimate Balaboostas.

What I offer you is a lifetime of experience in the kitchen with my compliments and theirs. I hope they'd be proud. I will bring you my recipes as I make them with photos of the actual food I'm preparing. I'm no professional photographer either but I promise, my food will speak for itself in every picture.

The food on my table isn't stacked in a trendy tower.
Instead, my food is stacked with flavor and full of my passion for cooking. So please come in, make yourself comfortable, and enjoy.

To see amazing detail in any photo just click on it!
Don't forget to SIGN MY GUEST BOOK at the bottom of this page and/or LEAVE A COMMENT (be sure to leave your email address if you'd like a response)

Disclaimer: While most of my recipes are "Jewish Style", I do sometimes cook with pork. This might have been a great disappointment to some but my grandmothers knew that I live in modern world. I light Shabbos candles religiously but I have to admit...I do not keep a Kosher home.

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Bulgar Wheat Pilaf

Bulgar wheat is a natural whole grain high in fiber and low in fat. Bulgar wheat is one of the 'good carbs' you hear about. There are many similar grains like buckwheat (kasha), barley, and quinoa to name a few. Bulgur is different than cracked wheat because it has been pre-cooked which make is quick to prepare in your kitchen. By simply soaking in broth or water and mixed with other ingredients it can actually be eaten without any additional cooking.

Many of today's lifestyle change recipes advocate staying away from anything white. Bulgar is the perfect replacement for white rice in any recipe. It has a nutty and chewy texture which can be enhanced with an onion, garlic, mushrooms, and fresh herbs.

To See Details: RIGHT CLICK ON THE PHOTO to enlarge in a new window.

Ingredients...
  • 2 tablespoons oil (canola or extra virgin olive)
  • One chopped onion
  • 4 minced cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 cup chopped mushroom
  • 1 cup bulgar wheat
  • 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable broth works best)
  • Optional: 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
Here's how you do it...
  1. Heat your frying pan on medium.
  2. Add the oil to the pan.
  3. Add the chopped onion stirring occasionally until translucent, approximately 4 minutes.
  4. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes.
  5. Add the chopped mushroom and continue the same for another 2 minutes.
  6. Add the bulgar wheat and stir occasionally for another minute. This will toast the wheat.
  7. Add the broth, stir, allow to come to a rapid simmer.
  8. Cover and reduce the heat to low.
  9. Allow to simmer this way for 10-12 minutes.
  10. Uncover the pan (if you chose to use parsley stir it in at this point)
  11. Replace the cover and turn off the heat.
Transfer to a covered serving dish to keep warm.

Bulgar Wheat Pilaf makes a great side to any meat, poultry, or fish. It's exceptionally good when there's a sauce or gravy involved.

Bon Appetit!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks awsome. Can you freeze or chill this after you make it and reheat? Thanks!

The Balaboosta said...

Yes, the Bular Wheat Pilaf and be frozen in a zip top freezer bag and reheated in either the microwave or in a saute' pan. Either method you use sprinkle a tablespoon of water or broth to keep it moist during the reheating process. This is a delicious recipe...I hope you love it.
As always I appreciate your questions and/or comments.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I don't know if you will read this as it has been a while since the last comment, but I just wanted to know whether you can eat bulgur wheat a day after it has been made - I put it in the fridge yesterday and want to eat it today, so should I just reheat it in the microwave or saucepan? Thanks for your help