Another one of my winning recipes from this week came to me from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook: Good Carbs, Good Fats, Great Flavors. It’s called Wheat & Dried Fruit Porridge. I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say that the only experience I have with the word “porridge” is through fairy tales. Something about Goldilocks and porridges of various unsatisfying temperatures…

So I don’t know what possessed me to try this one. My only bulgur wheat experience comes from tabbouli and I’ve never had porridge. My expectations were fairly low going into this one, but both my breakfast-hating husband and I ended up loving the warm, creamy sweetness of this dish. And it really was creamy! I don’t know why, as there’s nothing guilt-worthy in this recipe. I think that the dried fruit in the simmering water lent a lot of flavor to the mixture. Oh and it has 48% of the fiber you need in a day, in one steamy cup. Even better!

I found that the cooking time that the Eating Well folks suggested was totally off. I ended up following the directions from my bulgur box and I would recommend that you do the same. The original recipe calls for cooking the grain for only 4-5 minutes. I found that it needed at least 10 minutes cooking time. Just make sure that almost all of the liquid if absorbed before serving.

Another guilt-free breakfast! Now if only I could get my ass out of bed in time to prepare these goodies before having to run to work each morning. That’s literally a mission impossible. So realistically… I guess this will only have to be a weekend treat.

Wheat & Dried Fruit Porridge
Adapted from The Essential EatingWell Cookbook
Serves 2 (about 1 cup each)

1/3 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/3 cup dried cranberries (E.W. recommends currants)
1 T honey or to taste
1/4 t ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
Pinch of salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup bulgur

Combine apricots, cranberries, honey, cinnamon, salt, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in bulgur; cook, stirring constantly, until the bulgur starts to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand until most of the liquid is absorbed and the fruit is tender, according to the directions on your box of bulgur. Divide between 2 bowls, dust with a little cinnamon and serve.