Bulgur

Risotto de Bulgour aux Pois et Asperges At the restaurant, this is made with spelt, a chewy grain that requires much longer cooking than does the more readily available bulgur called for here.

Packaged Near East tabbouleh mix, available at most supermarkets, is a good source of bulgur, but we don't use the accompanying seasoning pouch. Bulgur-wheat berries that have been steamed, dried, and then cracked- is also found in natural food stores.

Prepare a batch of this breakfast dish and store it in the refrigerator. Then simply reheat single servings in the microwave.

"One Saturday morning I came up with this bread recipe, and now my family asks for it all the time," writes Priscilla Unger of Alberta, Canada. "My husband insists on having his first slice while the loaf is still warm from the oven, but I prefer mine toasted and topped with marmalade." The slightly sweet bread is great with butter and preserves.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Packaged tabbouleh mixes, available at most supermarkets, are a good source of the fine bulgur recommended in this recipe, but don't use the accompanying seasoning pouch if one is included. Bulgur - wheat berries that have been steamed, dried, and then cracked - is also found in natural foods stores. Although this salad is wonderful with standard supermarket lentils and a coarser grind of bulgur, the French lentils and fine bulgur produce a delicate, more refined version.

Fine bulgur might seem like a specialty ingredient, but it is actually in most supermarkets under the name Near East Taboule Wheat Salad Mix — just toss away the seasoning packet.

Offer pita bread alongside.

"My first real job was as a paralegal — but I hated it," writes Marcia Porch of Winter Park, Florida. "There were plenty of signs that my interests lay elsewhere; it just took me a while to recognize them. My co-workers caught on faster: They would tease me because there were always cookbooks on my desk. So I started moonlighting at a bakery on the weekends. Eventually this led to a culinary career that has included owning a catering business. These days, what I make at home has to have do-ahead steps and no complicated ingredients, and be healthful and simple to assemble. " If you have trouble finding plain bulgur (cracked wheat), use one cup of bulgur (but not the seasoning packets) from two boxes of wheat salad mix, found in the rice and pasta section of the supermarket.

A versatile alternative to couscous, this is a summer starch that doesn't have to be served warm. If you have fresh or cooked leftover vegetables in the kitchen, toss them in to make a main-course salad. You can also play with the herbs to suit the dishes this will accompany.

This salad of bulgur and fresh mint is a specialty of Rachel's sister-in-law.

Who knew bulgur could be such a great substitute for rice in risotto? And without all that stirring. No, bulgur won’t replace Arborio rice anytime soon—but you’ll be surprised at how good it can be.