Friendly With Fruits

• A steaming hot bowl of bulgur served with raisins, dates, cranberries or other dried fruits is a satisfying alternative to oatmeal for breakfast. Cooked or soaked ahead of time and refrigerated in serving-size containers, it can be heated up quickly in the microwave to ease the stress of the morning rush. Serve apricots and pistachios or plums and pecans mixed into a scant cup of chilled, cooked bulgur wheat with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil for a light lunch salad. Top bulgur with fresh berries or sliced seasonal fruit and add a dollop of honey yogurt for a quick, healthy dessert.

Vegetarian Versatility

• Faster to prepare than brown rice -- a staple of many vegetarian diets -- bulgur complements baked tofu, grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted root vegetables. Toasting the bulgur wheat to a light golden brown in a heavy, dry skillet before adding the cooking liquid gives the vegetarian dishes an added dimension of flavor. Jazz up bulgur with chickpeas or lentils and zesty spices to serve at room temperature as a filling for lettuce wraps or stuff the mixture into acorn squash halves and bake for a robust main course.

Entertaining Entrees

• Cooked in pineapple juice and mixed with pineapple tidbits, scallions and grated carrot, a layer of bulgur makes a colorful base for serving juicy, Hawaiian-style pork tenderloin or fresh, grilled seafood. Seasoned with chili peppers and cilantro, a combination of bulgur, black beans and corn kernels makes a zippy side dish that can be served hot or cold with fajitas, tacos and other Mexican mainstays. You can transform an old-fashioned casserole recipe that relies on canned soup into a contemporary one-dish meal by using bulgur instead of rice in a blend with broccoli, cooked chicken breast, sauteed mushrooms and sour cream thinned with chicken stock.

Traditional Tabbouleh

• Many people meet bulgur for the first time in tabbouleh, a classic side salad appearing on Middle Eastern restaurant menus. Sun-ripened tomatoes, red onions and handfuls of rough-chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint provide a cool counterpoint to the earthy bulgur flavor and texture of the salad. Dressed with fruity olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, the dish is traditionally eaten with lettuce leaves. Some variations feature chunks of cucumber instead of onion. Quick to toss together at home, tabbouleh is a zesty addition to summertime picnics, light lunches and savory snack platters.