Bulgur for Breakfast

• Before you cook bulgur in milk for breakfast, boil it with a bit of salt and let it soak in water overnight. The next morning, add an equal amount of milk to the water -- you can tweak the ratio of water to milk, with more milk making for a creamier dish -- and bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and stir often. After five or 10 minutes, depending on how much bulgur you're cooking, you'll have a creamy porridge with a consistency a bit thicker than that of oatmeal. This dish tastes like a slightly more substantial version of cream of wheat, with a heartier texture and more wheat flavor.

More Bang for Your Bulgur

• Use a medium-grained bulgur for breakfast porridge; fine-grained bulgur works better for tabbouleh or kibbe, while coarse bulgur works well in soups, casseroles and pilaf. If you find plain bulgur cooked in milk a little bland, stir in a spoonful of unsalted butter, and maple syrup or brown sugar to taste as the cereal simmers. Likewise, bolster the nutritional content and flavor with additions such as chopped pecans or cashews, dried apricots, blueberries, dried apples or raisins. A big dollop of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon also heighten the flavor of the dish.

A Creamy Dessert

• Cook bulgur in milk for a thick and flavorful dessert pudding. Boil the bulgur in shallow water with a dash of salt in a saucepan until the grains absorb the water, then add a few cups of milk. Allow the ingredients to simmer on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add chopped nuts, diced apricots, raisins, sugar and honey to the mix, and stir in warm seasonings such as orange zest, rosewater and cinnamon. To cut down on sweetness and add more texture, incorporate boiled white or garbanzo beans. The pudding should have a thick, creamy texture; add more milk to thin it out or chill it in the refrigerator if it needs thickening. Serve this dessert hot or cold.

Bulgur Sans Milk

• Boiled bulgur is a staple in salads such as tabbouleh, which features bulgur, cucumbers, plum tomatoes, mint and red onions spiced with olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. Incorporate bulgur into bread recipes to add a hearty texture or simmer it in a savory risotto. Add boiled bulgur to a vegetable casserole, or let it slow-cook in a soup or stew.