A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a recipe for barley, which I had never cooked before. I must admit, I don't care too much for barley in soups, so I was extremely apprehensive about serving this as a side dish. Well....it's now turned out to be a household favorite!
A little background about barley. It is a cereal grain derived from the annual grass Hordeum Vulgare and has many uses. It serves as a major animal food and as a base malt for beer. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley bread of various cultures. Wild barley ranges from North Africa and Crete in the east to Tibet in the east. The earliest evidence of wild barley in an archaeological context dated back to about 8500 BC.
Enjoy!
Stacy
Barley with Mushrooms, Spinach and Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic glove, minced
2-3 cups finely chopped mushrooms (any variety is fine...just dice them fine)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups stock (I use beef, but you could use vegetable broth)
1 cup pearl barley (I found mine in a bag in the store like rice)
pepper to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes until they start to brown; then add rosemary.
Add beef stock and barley then season with pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes (consistency will be like risotto).
Stir in the spinach until wilted then add cheese and serve.
This is great with steaks, chicken and fish!
Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Image Courtesy of Google Images
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic glove, minced
2-3 cups finely chopped mushrooms (any variety is fine...just dice them fine)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups stock (I use beef, but you could use vegetable broth)
1 cup pearl barley (I found mine in a bag in the store like rice)
pepper to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes until they start to brown; then add rosemary.
Add beef stock and barley then season with pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until the barley is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes (consistency will be like risotto).
Stir in the spinach until wilted then add cheese and serve.
This is great with steaks, chicken and fish!
Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Image Courtesy of Google Images
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