Bulgur and black beans

From this week: green bell pepper

From weeks past: bulgur, black beans, pickled jalapeno

Staples: onions, garlic, vegetable oil, spices

I know a girl named Becky. She's a serious lady. She runs a gun range.

And she loves burritos. In fact, she's Superintendent of THE burrito lunch club.

But Becky is a sensible lady. She tries to watch her figure, and cheese, sour cream, and flour tortillas are tough on the ole waistline. So she makes this:

SURPRISE! I'm Becky, and although I'm not a very serious lady and I don't really run a gun range and I'm not great at watching my figure, I make this! All. The. Time.

I swear, it tastes like the inside of a burrito. And it's super easy. I never remember exactly what the water/bulgur ratio is and I'm sure I've done it 5 or 6 or 10 different ways, but it comes out great every time.

Technically, I don't think the bulgur is cooked properly; it's wet and kind of dense, not fluffy like tabbouleh. But I think that's what makes it so awesome. It has the rich gooeyness that cheese adds to a burrito, but no cheese.

It's great in a bowl, by itself or topped with a tiny bit of sour cream.

I've even been known to put it in a tortilla with extra veggies and salsa. And cheese.

Oops.

Bulgur and black beans

Serves 3-4

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pickled (or fresh) jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/2 cup bulgur (you can get in bulk at Whole Foods)

3/4 cup water

1 can black beans, drained

1 tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tbsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and sautee until soft and onion is translucent. Add garlic and sautee until just lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Stir, raise heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until water is gone. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.