Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage

Main Dishes

Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage

Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage

Apolinaras is like a kid in a candy store at any establishment that sells tools or hardware stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful he’s so handy and likes to do all the maintenance on our cars and tackle home improvement projects. But, the other weekend I was so painfully bored following him around the aisles of Harbor Freight Tools, that I decided to check out the store next door, Ocean State Job Lots. I’d never been there before and probably won’t be back, because it was kind of a depressing discount store, but I was happy to stumble upon a large selection of products from Bob’s Red Mill. I ended up buying two new items to play with – bulgur and chickpea flour.

If anyone has suggestions on what to do with the chickpea flour, please let me know. We tried the bulgur right away and quickly fell in love. It’s nutty and very tasty and actually has less calories and fat than quinoa, but the same amount of protein and double the fiber per serving. It was nice to mix things up a bit! One of the first meals I made was a twist on a traditional caprese salad, inspired by beautiful summer heirloom tomatoes.

I mixed the bulgur with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then mixed in a hefty dose of chicken sausage, fresh mini mozzarella balls, mini heirloom tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. I will definitely be buying more bulgur from amazon, but if you don’t have any around, I think this dish would also be great with couscous or quinoa.

Caprese Bulgur with Chicken Sausage
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups quick cooking bulgur
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken sausage, sliced
8 ounces mozzarella balls, sliced in half (ciliegine, mozzarella balls in salt water from TJs)
1 pound mini heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh basil (0.8 ounces)

Directions:
Prepare bulger according to package directions. Briefly, add bulger and chicken stock to a medium stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Place bulgur in a large bowl.

Place remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and sauté chicken sausage for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned; place chicken sausage in the bowl with the bulgur, along with the mozzarella balls, heirloom tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, and basil, and mix well. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 521 calories, 24.6g fat, 11.3g fiber, 24.6g protein per serving
Cost: $1.66 per serving

Spinach, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Stuffed Pecan Crusted Chicken Breasts

I’m often asked how I manage to post original recipes so often while working long hours and hitting the gym the majority of the days of the week. Well, what I usually do is work in bursts. I may perfect three or four recipes in one weekend and then take a break. I...

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

I’ve gotten in a little summer routine in the kitchen lately. We can’t get enough zucchini and yellow squash and every Sunday I end up sautéing a bunch of the veggies (7 yesterday!) in my huge wok to enjoy alongside some chicken and carby side dish of some kind....

Chicken Salsa Quesadillas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I’m in the lobby of the Bright Angel lodge at the Grand Canyon right now sitting next to the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate, and taking advantage of the free internet! Apolinaras and my brother Richard braved a snow and...

Crab Topped Mahi Mahi with a Lemon Sauce over Brussels Sprouts

Apolinaras recently sold one of his business ventures so I decided to whip up a celebratory meal with several of our favorite splurge ingredients – lump crabmeat and wild Mahi Mahi fillets! I made a crab cake mixture and piled it high atop the fish. Apolinaras loves...

CABLT (aka Chicken, Avocado, Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) Sandwiches

I thought it would be fun to share a little pregnancy update today! I’m somehow already 34 weeks along – how crazy is that? Our little girl is very active and loves to kick and squirm around, especially after dinner when I’m relaxing. Apolinaras’ voice always seems to...

Mediterranean Eggplant Stacks

You may have noticed that I’ve been on a bit of a Mediterranean kick lately – chickpeas, roasted red peppers, and feta have all been making me very happy and this dish is no exception. I wanted to come up with a fun vegetarian main dish to serve at an upcoming dinner...

Mediterranean Lamb with Gnocchi

Kia ora! I’m finally gone through all our New Zealand pictures, so my next several posts will be recaps from our trip! New Zealand is just a breathtaking country and has something for everyone – mountains, beaches, wine country, even glaciers, volcanoes, and...

BBQ Chicken Tacos

I tune everything out when I’m reading, which can be a good or bad habit depending on the situation. Good because I can read in any environment and not get distracted, but bad for the same reason because I keep missing my bus stops! I have a 45 minute commute, and...