Saturday, September 13, 2014

Barley Pilaf

I have just recently gotten into barley big time.  I had really never cooked with it before a few weeks ago, but I am loving it.  A few years ago, we had switched from white rice to brown rice in an attempt to eat more whole grains, but I never really loved the brown rice and we ended up switching back.  I have lately discovered barley as another alternative to rice and it is fantastic.  It has a great nuttiness to it and I love the slight bit of firmness it retains after being cooked.  Did I mention it's awesomely healthy?  High in fiber, high in protein, and very low in fat.  It is also loaded up with potassium, iron, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.  This recipe is a pretty simple way of cooking it--it does take some time, but most of the work happens in the oven so as long as you plan a little ahead, this is easy peasy.

Barley Pilaf

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 70 minutes

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2/3 cup pearl barley
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts (can substitute slivered almonds)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 1/3 cups chicken broth
  • chopped green onion
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the barley, pine nuts, garlic and onions.  Saute the mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and the barley is golden.  Scrape into a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle on the salt and pepper.  Stir in the chicken broth.

Bake uncovered for 60-70 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the barley is tender. Garnish with green onions.

Source: adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Produce Used: Garlic, onion, green onion

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