Get Your Protein Fix: Bulgur Risotto with Corn & Shrimp

Bulgur Risotto with Corn & Shrimp (plus asparagus)

Unfortunately, Mac Monday is going to be on a brief hiatus this week.  I know any recipe I share won't be as creative or adventurous as a Mac recipe, so I'm not even going to try.Instead, at the request of a best friend, former soccer teammate at Davidson, and most recently a triathlete, I wanted to share a protein-rich and healthy carb-loaded meal, perfect for the pre-race day dinner!

          I first found this recipe when I was holed up in my apartment for 2 weeks in early February: partly because of the absurd amount of snow North Carolina got, but mostly because crutches and snow don't mix.  I'd had knee surgery #4 at the end of January and was desperately seeking ANYTHING to keep me entertained and not stir crazy. My mom was amazing and was helping me for those weeks and even more amazing, was cooking dinner for A and I almost every night!  I found this recipe and fell in love for a few reasons: 1) risotto is delicious and I became slightly obsessed in Florence, 2) corn is always a sweet addition to any meal, salad, appetizer, really to anything, and 3) shrimp is a nice, and seemingly fancy, treat plus it is super easy to cook!  

Bulgar wheat from
Fresh Market

          Bulgur wheat is a strange-little seed-like food that's in the wheat family.  It's incredibly rich with fiber and is a healthy source of carbohydrates.  It can be a little hard to find sometimes... your best bet is a fresh/health food store like Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods.  Many popular grocer stores do (or did) have it; I had previously gotten it at the Harris Teeter across the street, but they recently did inventory and decided to not carry it anymore since they didn't sell very much of it (argh).  Luckily, there's a Fresh Market down the street and they had it - really fresh and inexpensive.  The shrimp in this recipe gives it an extra boost of protein to make it a yummy, well-rounded meal (and the whole recipe only takes about 15 minutes!).

This meal is great for anyone who's active and might need an extra boost the day before an event (ahemm.... A & M).  It tastes amazing for being so health... One serving of this delicious and healthy creation will provide you with:

347 Calories

45g Carbohydrates

8g Fiber 

AND 24g of PROTEIN!!!

Enjoy and Good Luck M on Sunday!!!

BULGAR RISOTTO WITH CORN & SHRIMP

makes about 4 servings (I like to double it for leftovers)

Ingredients:

Detail of Bulgur Wheat

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic (of course, I add a little extra garlic, an additional 1-2 cloves), finely chopped

1 cup bulgur wheat 

1/2 tsp salt

12 oz fresh or frozen (thawed) raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined 

2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 limes -- 1 juiced, and 1 for wedges (I squeeze 2 limes into it, so 3 in total)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (you can be generous with the cilantro, I certainly am)

Finished dish, with asparagus & cilantro added on top

Preparation:

- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

- Add bulgur wheat and salt; stir 1 minute more.

- GRADUALLY stir in 2 cups boiling water (you can do this in the microwave for simplicity), 1/2 cup at a time.  With each pour, wait until the bulgur absorbs the water before adding more; by the end you want the bulgur to be slightly soupy (which takes about 8-10 minutes of cooking time) and fyi -- you might not use all of the water or you might need a little extra.  Go by texture, not specifics from the recipe.

- Add shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink (about 2-3 minutes).  

- Add corn, bell pepper, lime juice, and red pepper flakes; stir & add water as necessary to keep bulgur creamy.

- Continue cooking and stirring until corn and pepper are warmed through (about 1-2 minutes).

- Add cilantro & serve with lime wedges.

          A & I served it with asparagus on top, because we like asparagus, but mainly because we had to use it up before it went bad!  It was great; we steamed the asparagus and didn't add anything to it.  We cut it into thirds and served on top.  I mixed all of mine together and it was great!

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm... delish!!

...Thanks M for the request and good luck on Sunday!