I didn’t make dessert!
On Sunday evening, we headed over to an Easter party with family friends. My contribution to the party was a savory dish, chosen to ensure there’d be something I could eat for dinner while everyone else gobbled up their ham.
And so I brought my favorite Bug-a-Boo Pilaf.
Most people ate it as a side dish, but I took an extra-large portion for my main course. (I also ate hummus, steamed veggies, and salad brought by others.)
I must remember to use sesame oil more, as I said on Twitter.
Bug-A-Boo Bulgur Pilaf
(Makes four Katie-sized servings… in other words, “Four large servings”)
1 cup vegetable stock (I used Imagine No-Chicken Stock)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh, grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 zucchini, chopped
5 green onions, cut into about 1-inch pieces (don’t use the roots)
2 medium carrots, finely diced
3 cups bok choy or spinach (I’ve made this recipe twice now, once each way. Both work well.)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 cups cooked bulgur (it works best if you chill this in the fridge for a few hours before using)
In a bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Set aside. Preheat a pan or wok over medium-high heat and sauté the carrots and zucchini in your sauté-liquid of choice. Add in about 1/4 of the stock mixture. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes.
Add the green onions, bok choy (or spinach), garlic, and another 1/4 of the stock mixture, and stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Add the bulgur and the rest of the stock mixture. Stir constantly for about 5 minutes.
Time for dessert!
Normally I don’t buy any of the prepared desserts from my local Whole Foods. In the past, they only offered three vegan items: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate pudding, and chocolate cake. None were made with whole grains, and the chocolate cake tasted dry and boring when I once tried it.
But I always look, just in case something fun and new decides to surprise me. And on my most-recent trip to the store, an item did just that!
Please excuse the ugly photo. It does not do the date-nut bread (or cake, for it tasted more like cake) justice at all. Not only is this loaf made with only whole-grain flour, it’s also completely free of added sugar in any form (even agave). Its sweetness comes from bananas and dates. Check out the ingredients.
It tastes delicious—so soft and moist and sweet. I definitely had more than one slice. Now I’m going to have to try and figure out how to replicate this bread… a google search yielded no results. Dear Whole Foods, please share your secret recipe!
I transported my contributions to the feast—the loaf and pilaf—in an Easter basket.
Speaking of which…
As usual, I’m overwhelmed by all the kind words on yesterday’s photos!
I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it again: You all are incredible, and you make a girl feel like a million bucks! (For one thing, you certainly make me feel braver about posting photos of myself on my blog; that’s so nerve-wracking for me!) And for those of you with discerning eyes… yes, in yesterday’s photo, that is what you think it is, sitting in my basket. Get excited… I know I am! 
can’t have DATE cake for one! 🙂
haaaaaaaa!!!!!!! Girl, you’re hilarious!
Oh I am so slow… at first, I didn’t even understand your joke, Katherine! Now I get it and agree with Allison 100%!
Oh don’t worry Katie, I had to look twice at it, too!
I definitely steer far away from the inside of the grocery stores… I barely ever buy anything pre-packaged unless I’m seriously craving something and don’t have time to make it… which is very, very rare… the last time I indulged in buying pre-packaged was probably… I don’t even know it’s been that long… I do miss the feeling of having food already made for you though, so much easier but unfortunately so bad for you.
Samantha
– http://flavorator.blogspot.com/
I prefer to bake my own treats, but sometimes I can’t resist something pre-made. Especially when I’m really hungry 🙂
No I never buy prepared foods, ever. I am creeped out by the tongs! I have a small child and I know that little kids stick their fingers in the food and touch all over the tongs (and adult probably too)…just my own mental image of germs that I realized AFTER becoming a mom and realizing just how much kids touch things…lol.
But hey, convenience is a beautiful thing, right!
The 1st picture of the post..wonderful!
I love the Health Starts Here banana date bread! I work at Whole Foods, so I may be able to get the recipe 🙂 there’s also a pumpkin bread made with the same base ingredients.. anytime you see that Health Starts Here logo, it means there’s no added sugars of any kind, only whole fruit, no extracted oils, no eggs, and no liquid dairy (but watch out in savory items, unfortunately they may contain some cheese.. but don’t get me started on that lol)
Oh my gosh, Adam, if you could procure that recipe you would be my new best friend!!! !!! 🙂 I even went to the WF website, but no luck.
I don’t think I’d ever seen the “hsh” logo before… maybe it’s new at our Whole Foods in Texas. I’m super-excited to hear your news that there are other baked goods like the date loaf. You’d better believe I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for that pumpkin one!
Ok, got the recipe! 🙂
Although it was formatted by weight to make 23 pounds of batter lol, so I had to try to scale it down to one 1.5 pound portion of batter, so these measurements are rough, but it should still work out ok.. I hope lol
I’m anxious for you to try it, I’d like to see how close it comes to the store-bought version 🙂
HSH Date Nut Loaf
1/4 lb Dates, chopped, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
1/4 lb (about 1/2 cup) Date Sugar (if you can’t get date sugar, you could probably substitute it for another 1/4 lb dates, soaked and pureed)
1/3 lb (about 2 medium) Bananas, pureed or mashed well
1 1/2 tsp Powdered Egg Replacer
2 T Water
1/4 lb (about 1 cup) Whole or Sprouted Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Walnuts, coarsley chopped
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together date sugar (or soaked pureed dates), pureed banana, egg replacer, water, and beat at medium speed until well combined.
Add in flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix just until combined.
Fold in chopped dates and walnuts.
Transfer batter to a loaf pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife or toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.
Wow, Adam, thank you SO much!!! I will definitely be trying this! Hopefully soon :).
Is it ok if I link back to this, to let all the readers know? If not, that’s completely ok too! I don’t want to get you in trouble with Whole Foods or anything, because I appreciate so much that you took the time to get the recipe for me!!! 🙂
sure, that would be fine 🙂
Hi Adam!
I’d love to know the recipe too!!! 🙂
So I know it’s not healthy at ALL, but whole foods carrot cake owns my soul. It is seriously the most amazing thing ever. Actually, it’s just the one by us, because we got a slice at the one in San Diego while on vacation and it wasn’t nearly as good. I also love their hot bar and soups.
I’m excited for more recipes, especially if it involves chocolate!!!
That happened to me with their chocolate mousse! The one in Austin is DIVINE… but the one in Philly not so much :(.
I usually don’t buy prepared stuff (mostly because of cost), but I occasionally give in to the food bar at WF. We have a super-sized whole foods in my town, and the selection of food bar items is rather impressive (a bit overwhelming too). After a few times of feeling sick to my stomach from eating too many of their goodies for dinner, I tend to only go to WF for bulk items. I find they have great prices on all different kinds of oats!!!
That pilaf looks like it would be an awesome side dish!! All the veggies in it looks amazing! I do buy prepared foods, but I’m always veer careful to study the ingredients. Sometimes prepared stuff is paved with ingredients that I can’t even pronounce…those items don’t make it into the cart 🙂 that date bread looks sooo good though.
Costco sells the most AMAZING peanut butter cookies!
Really anything cooked at Costco is yummy, but i try to eat mostly homemade stuff.
I don’t often buy prepared foods either, but I once tried some pea-guacamole from Whole Foods–it was SO good!