Four Things & Moroccan Recipe #978

A while ago, the lovely Jess tagged  me to do a fun little survey. Being the space cadet I am, I’ve been forgetting and forgetting! I only have one quick recipe to share tonight though, so there’s no better night to remember what I’ve been meaning to do:

1. Four TV shows that I watch

• Bruins hockey
• the morning news
• Two and a Half Men
• random Food Network shows when I’m bored/need background noise/etc. Really, the only thing on TV that I dedicate myself to and set time aside for, is the Bruins.

2. Four things that I’m passionate about

• Teddie/horses/animals in general
• photography
• foooooood – including but not limited to baking, cooking and eating
• life

3. Four words/phrases I use a lot

• “Hi!” or “Hello!”
• “Hi, this is Jess at [my workplace] just calling you to let you know your order is done!”
• “how was work?”
• “what’s goin’ on?”

4. Four things I’ve learned in the past

• Everything really does happen for a reason, even if it seems it’s unfair.
• Getting frustrated or stressed gets you nowhere.
• It doesn’t hurt to ask questions.
• People have better things to worry about than the way you look/are dressed/how you did your hair.

5. Four places I would like to go

• England
• Colorado
• Canada
• Italy

6. Four things I did yesterday

• Played with Teddie
• Baked
• twiddled my thumbs
• ate a lot of food

7. Four things I am looking forward to

• Spring.
• The cold being over with.
• Setting up my desk tomorrow so I can finally use my computer without sitting on the floor.
• Using CS5

8. Four things I love about winter

• snowdays
• watching the pretty snow fall
• …I’m a little bit bitter about how cold it is right now, so that’s all I’ve got.

9. Tag four people to play along

Uhh, I think I’m a little late to the party on this one – who hasn’t done this?! If you’re raising your hand right now, I’m tagging you 🙂

And Yes, you read that right. I haven’t had a desk this entire time because the stupid winter delayed its delivery. I no longer have a butt and my knees are permanently deformed probably, too. Since I’m just using a little coffee table still, I’ve either been siting cross-legged/kneeling/leaning/whatever in attempts to try and be comfortable.

I’m whining about it. But whatever.

Since I love you guys, I’m not letting it negatively affect my sharing of recipes.

This is where some of you just roll your eyes in the back of your head because of the above fig picture, thinking to yourselves “JESS! We’re sick of all of your Moroccan dinner recipes involving cinnamon and dried fruit! Enough already!”

Well then. If you ask me, enough is never enough. I’ve been loving me some Moroccan tagine-esque dishes. What’s better than a spicy-sweet savory dish, marrying the spices of ginger, cinnamon and cumin with the sweetness of dried figs, raisins and fresh apple, pulled together with nutty bulgur wheat?

All I hear is silence. That’s right – there’s nothing better. Except maybe peanut butter and jam sandwiches, but that’s not a fair comparison because you can’t mess with that classic.

Anyways. This is enough for two-three servings. I had it for dinner last night, wrapped in collard green leaves, and for lunch today alongside a sweet potato.

Whether you eat it plain, stuff it in a collard wrap or pair it with another veg – it’s a winner.

Moroccan Bulgur Recipe #978

• 1 c. cooked bulgur
• 1/2 med. yellow onion, diced
• 1 t. coconut oil
• 1 clove garlic, mashed
• 2 large white mushrooms, chopped (optional – I had two mushrooms in my fridge that needed using, but this could easily be omitted)
• 3/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• pinch of ground clove
• 3/4 t. ground cumin
• 1 med-large Granny Smith apple, chopped and tossed with a bit of lemon juice
• 3 dried figs, chopped
• 2 T. dried cranberries, chopped
• 2 T. raisins
• 1 c. cooked chickpeas
• salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium pan over medium heat, heat the coconut oil. Add in the yellow onion and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook one more minute and then the mushrooms. Cook until tender. Add in the spices (you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water at this point) and combine. Stir in the dried fruits, apple, chickpeas and bulgur and combine well.

Serve either in collard green wraps, over a bed of spinach, or enjoy plain!

And now I’ve gotta fly because they’re replaying the B’s game from this afternoon, that I was only able to listen to while at work. It was a great game, though, and I’m so psyched I can actually watch it now!

What, if any, is your favorite sport to watch?