I saw this recipe in Woman’s Day magazine under Heart Healthy Recipes category.  I wanted to try this recipe because it had bulgur wheat as the main ingredient, which I have not tasted before.  I use cracked wheat regurlarly, so I always have it in home.  I thought that both were same.  So before using it in the recipe, I wanted to be sure and check if there was any difference between bulgur wheat and cracked wheat and found out the following; (Source: www.epicureantable.com)

Bulgur Wheat:
Partially hulled whole wheat kernels that are soaked, then steamed (hence pre-cooked if you will), dried and then crushed are called bulghur.  It requires no or little cooking.  Though modern processes involve oven drying or roasting some villages still sun dry bulghur on their rooftops. 

Cracked Wheat:
Raw whole wheat berries that are crushed to varying qualities of texture are called cracked wheat and require cooking.  These are also found in 3 grades of coarseness: fine, medium and coarse, the choice of which depends on use and preference.

To simplify it even more bulgur is wheat cracked after cooking and drying, whereas the wheat is cracked in raw stage for cracked wheat.
 
Are they interchangeable? 
This depends on whether the recipe requires cooking or not and your own degree of purism.  A salad recipe such as tabooli is uncooked, and so requires true bulghur as do recipes where bulghur is brought to the boil, cooked for a moment then left to rest off heat to swell as in a pilaf.   Recipes requiring longer cooking times or coarse grain bulghur can be replaced with cracked wheat, but will need more cooking time.
 
But both bulghur and cracked wheat are excellent sources of fibre, minerals and vitamins for your diet.

Moving on to the recipe,  I have scaled down the measurements given in the original recipe; still we had a lot of chili.  I made it for dinner and it was very filling.

Ingredients:
Water – 3 cups
Bulgur Wheat – ½ cup
Olive Oil – 2 teaspoon
Onion, chopped – ½ cup
Red Pepper, chopped – ½ cup
Chili Powder – 1 tablespoon or as per taste
Garlic, minced – 1 tspn
Ground Cumin – 1 tspn
Water – 2 cups
Crushed Tomatoes – 1 cup
Pumpkin Puree (canned) – 1 cup
Zucchini, medium, diced – 1
Frozen Corn, ½ cup
Black Beans (canned), drained and rinsed – 1 cup
Cilantro, chopped – ¼ cup

Accompaniments/Optional:
Reduced-fat Cheddar
Reduced-fat sour cream

Procedure:
1.  Put 3 cups of the waer and bulgur in a medium microwave-safe bowl.  Cover and microwave on high until bulgur is tender, about 13 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Add onion and pepper; saute 5 minutes.

3.  Add chili powder, garlic and cumin; saute until fragrant.

4.  Add remaining 2 cups water, the tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini and corn; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

5.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

6.  Stir in beans and bulgur; heat through.

7.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

My Notes:
My husband loved the chili.  The only thing I didn’t like was the flavor of the red pepper.  I will be trying it without the red pepper next time.

In Mexico these turnovers are also called Empanaditas.  This is a Mexican Appetizer.  I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens’ “Off the Shelf Baking” book.  The original recipe did not have a vegetarian filling.  So I decided to use black beans instead.  Added benefit, more fiber and protein than the original version.  My husband suggested to use soy granules, but what can be more Mexican than black beans?  I think I will try his suggestion the next time.

Dough for the outer cover:
Refrigerated Buttermilk biscuits 16.3 oz package(8 biscuits total) – 1

Ingredients for Filling (for 12 turnovers):

Black Beans 15.5 oz can – 1
Tomato Sauce/Crushed Tomatoes – 3 tablespoon
Chili Powder – ¼ teaspoon (I would increase a little bit the next time)
Salt – ¼ teaspoon (next time I would use even less)
Dried Oregano – ½ teaspoon
Garlic Powder – ½ teaspoon
Cilantro/Scallions – little
Oil – 1 tablespoon

Optional:
Milk for brushing
Salsa for dipping

Prepare the filling:
1.  Drain the beans from the can in a colander and wash it under running water.  Mash the beans with a potato masher or a fork.  My little helper was more than happy when I asked him to mash the beans for me. 

2.  In a skillet add the oil and after it heats add the mashed black beans, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, oregano and garlic powder. 

3.  Fry it for 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients combine well. 

4. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool.  Stir in cilantro/scallions.  I didn’t have cilantro so I used scallions instead.  The filling tasted very good by itself.

Preparing the Empanadas:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a large baking sheet.

2.  Remove the biscuits from the pack as the per the instructions and place them either on a floured surface or in the prepared baking sheet so that it doesn’t stick to the surface.

3.  The original recipe specifies to cut each biscuit in half horizontally (so you will have 16 circles for a box of 8 biscuits) and roll each piece of biscuit on a lightly floured surface into a 4-inch circle.  I did try this method but it was a bit difficult to get even shaped circles while cutting.

4.  Instead I cut each biscuit into 2 pieces using a pair of scissors and rolled them into balls.

5.  Then rolled it out into circles.

6.  I did have a doubt if handling the dough too much may make the end product very hard.  I tried with one turnover first to be sure and it baked very well and it had the same texture as the turnover which was cut horizontally.  So I followed the same method for the rest of the biscuits.  This method was so easy.

7.  Place about 1 tablespoon filling onto half of each circle.  Brush edges with very little milk.  Fold opposite side of circle up and over filling and seal edges with a fork.

8.  I also did not cut all the biscuits at once because I did not know if the filling would be sufficient.  So I dealt one by one.  I got 12 empanadas, for the filling, i.e., I used 6 full biscuits.  The remaining 2 biscuits I just baked it as it is.

9.  Place filled turnovers 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet, brush with milk.

10.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.   The aroma was so appetizing. Immediately remove from baking sheet.  Cool slightly on a wire rack.  Serving warm is key.  The turnovers tasted good later also, but it was best when warm.  We had store bought salsa at home and the turnovers tasted even better when dipped in salsa.

Freezing Tips:
These turnovers can be made ahead and frozen for later use.  Prepare it as per the above directions.  Let it cool completely on wire racks.  Place in an airtight freezer container; freeze for up to 3 months.  We ate only 6, so I froze the remaining 6 in Ziploc bags.  To reheat, transfer frozen turnovers to an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake, uncovered, in a 350F oven for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.

My Notes:
1.  Watch the amount of salt because the canned beans also has sodium and so does the refrigerated biscuits.  I used 1/4 teaspoon only, even then it was a bit salty.  Either I should have increased the chili powder or reduced the salt.
2.  I used reduced fat buttermilk biscuits.

I would like to send this recipe to DK’s AWED – Mexico event.  Thanks DK for giving us a nudge to experiment different cuisines.