Bulgur and Ricotta Cups

When moving food for Passover, I realized I have an almost-empty bag of bulgur.  I made a batch of bulgur pudding, but there was still some left.  It was barely enough for any one recipe.  I also had bit of ricotta left from the matzoh lasagna that wasn't getting any younger.  Ok, let's see what happens when you put them together.

What I had in mind was a vegetarian protein with a decent amount of fiber.  What I ended up with were upside-down mini-muffins that would make a good hors d'oeuvre in a finger food display or large "croutons" on a salad.  The latter is what I ended up doing, plating it for the photo as an appetizer/salad that would go for $12 at a fancy restaurant.  Yes, for just that.

*1/2 C fine or medium bulgur, dry
*3/4 C ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 Tb minced shallot
*1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
Pan spray (preferably olive oil)

1.  In a bowl, pour 1 C boiling water over the dry bulgur.  Allow it to soak for half an hour, then fluff with a fork.

2.  Add remaining ingredients and stir into a paste.  This part can be done ahead and kept in the refrigerator up to 12 hours.  Longer, and you may want to add more water.  You can change out the herbs to fit whatever you're making.  I thought basil went well with the salad.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375º.  Pan spray a mini muffin pan like it's an ingredient.  In addition to greasing the cups, this is the oil that's going to "fry" the outsides and create a nice browned, crunchy layer.  Basically, I didn't feel like getting out the fryer and chose to bake these.  If you want, go ahead and make them like a cheesy, bulgur version of falafel.

4.  Fill the muffin cups just to level.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are set and you can see the browning around the edges.  Carefully pop out onto a cooling rack.  Can be served at any temperature.  Serve with some kind of garnish for an hors d'oeuvre like a sprig of fresh basil or a dollop of tapenade, as part of a plated appetizer, or instead of croutons in a salad.

Makes about 18

Difficulty rating  π