There was a moment when I poured the can of tomato sauce into the skillet and thought “Uh-oh.” There was no way this dish could be good. Of course, the pan contained nothing more than bulgur wheat, water, onions, and a can of plain old tomato sauce at the time. And then came the glorious taco seasoning. Since Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry such things, and I wasn’t about to go to a second grocery store, I promptly got online and found this gem of a recipe (drumroll please): Taco Seasoning Mix. I want to put this taco seasoning on EVERYTHING. (Well, maybe not the Chocolate Whopper cookies—they’re perfect as they are.)

I was really bowled over by these Bulgur Tacos, which came from Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook, one of the standards of my family’s collection (even my brother has one.) I’m willing to admit that since my expectations were low for this dish, this might have made it seem more amazing than it was. BUT it was also easy and also good for you (tofu is in it too!) No wonder I’m smitten.

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Adjustments: Instead of taco shells, I used whole-wheat tortillas and heated them in the oven with some cheddar, so the cheese would be all melted and waiting for the bulgur wheat. (Yum!) Instead of shredded lettuce, I used spinach since that’s the greens I keep on hand. And naturally, I used homemade taco seasoning instead of the envelope suggested. As much as I loved it, it does pack a wallop. I might use 4 or 4-1/2 teaspoons of it next time, instead of 5, or maybe reduce the salt in the mix. Then again, I may not. Also, the mix called for 1/2 tsp of instant minced garlic. I didn’t have this, nor was sure what it was, so I used 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder instead since dried herbs are usually stronger than fresh. (But does garlic powder count as dried? And could something described as “instant minced” possibly be fresh? Ah, well.)

Assessment: I loved this. I’ll make it again. I will try to make my parents cook this even though I imagine they’ll be wary of the tofu. I would consider making this for a casual dinner for friends. (That’s a solid endorsement if ever there was one.)