Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 1 1/2 cups bulgar
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup apricot juice
- 2 handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 small carrots, grated
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp of lemon or lime, plus the zest of the lemon/lime
- 1 tsp crushed chillies
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup pistachios or almonds
- 1 handful parsley, chopped
- 1 handful mint, chopped
Bulgar, spinach and apricot pilaf
Method
To begin, place the chopped apricots in tepid water and preheat the oven to 180°C.
Place the bulgar in an oven tray and cover with the veggie stock and apricot juice.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes and at half time take out of the oven and fluff up with a fork.
After 20 minutes, have a taste and if not ready add some more stock and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
In the meantime, place the spinach, carrot and onion in a large bowl. Once the bulgar is ready, wait for it to cool down and add it to the bowl.
Mix the oil, lemon, chillies, cumin, salt and pepper in a separate container and stir well to make the dressing.
Drain the apricots and add them to the dressing and mix the nuts and herbs all together with the bulgar.
Mix well and season to taste. Add more olive oil if needed. Enjoy!
Submitted byKatinka Day
Tips and Tricks
If you buy fresh carrots with greens still attached, remove the green stems before storing in the fridge to prevent them drawing nutrients from the carrots. Check out our Facebook page for daily foodwise tips here.
Keep mint in a glass of water, like a bouquet of flowers and store in your fridge wrapped in a plastic bag. Mint should last a week or so stored in this way. Remember to change the water regularly to prevent mould and decay.
Leftover onions, especially cut, should be wrapped up securely or put in a sealed bag and stored in the vegetable crisper. They can also be frozen.
