Tag: barley

Barley Rice Salad

Barley Rice Salad

I love barley. In the winter, I’m always making stews that overflow with barley. Until now, however, I haven’t found something to use it in during the summer months. Here, I’ve used it in a salad with some rice and veggies. Cross that one off my list of grains to try saladifying!

I’m not sure why I love barley so much. It doesn’t have a big flavour, and isn’t as versatile as rice or quinoa. I like the little chew it gives to a dish. I guess it’s as simple as that.

It seems like I’m trying to find a way to make salad out of every grain in my cupboard. Grain salads are great for me, because they make great leftovers to bring to work. I’m always thinking of what to bring for lunch the next day. I do my best to limit the number of days I have to buy lunch, so that’s really important for me.

I’ve kept the dressing very simple lately. I just restocked my apple cider vinegar, which is fantastic for salad dressing. It’s tart and acidic and has more flavour than white vinegar, so you don’t need to add many other ingredients. One reason I kept things simple – fresh basil. Our rooftop garden is overflowing with delicious basil, and I’m happy to highlight it in the salad. Nothing compares to fresh basil.

Cooking tip: cook the barley in advance and freeze in portions. Do this on a day that isn’t too hot, so you’re ready to go when you need it. I didn’t do this with the rice, because rice is quicker to cook up when you need it.

Barley Rice Salad

Barley Rice Salad meets the Garlic Scape Monster

Barley Rice Salad

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup brown or mixed rice, dry (I used a fun one from Bulk Barn called Black Pearl)
  • 1 – 1.5 cups pearl barley, cooked
  • 1 cup corn kernels, cooked (can use canned, frozen, grilled)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped green garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic clove)
  • 1/2 – 1 cup sliced fennel
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes, quartered (and drained, if using a waterier variety)
  • 2 tablespoons basil, chiffonade or finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground yellow mustard seed
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • pinch of cayenne, or your favourite ground chile (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber

Preparation:

  1. Cook rice using your favourite method (stovetop, rice cooker, steamed, etc.). Remove from heat, transfer rice to a large nonreactive bowl, stir in barley and set aside to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare and mix together the garlic, fennel, tomatoes and basil. Stir into rice and barley mix and put in the refrigerator.
  3. In a small glass with a pour spout, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne until the mixture emulsifies (it will come together and thicken slightly). Pour dressing over salad, bit by bit, and gently toss until well coated. You may not need to use it all.
  4. Top with chopped cucumber and serve.

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Winter Warming Ginger Tomato Soup

Ginger Tomato Soup

This is one of my favourite soups in the winter. It’s fresh and gingery, a little spicy and very hearty. For a more brothy, soupy soup, you can reduce the amount of barley to 1/2 cup. The introduction of either chipotle pepper (a smoked pepper), or smoked paprika gives it a rich, rounded flavour. Fresh ginger gives a bit of a bite, but also a slight citrusy flavour that cannot be replicated with dried ginger.

Feel free to add in any random veggies, or leftover stuff in the fridge (within reason). This kind of soup can be a great ‘use it up’ meal!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 tsp oil
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped (plus some of the celery leaves, if you like)
  • 6 medium mushrooms, halved or quartered (depending on size and preference)
  • 1-2 medium carrots, cut into thick slices
  • 1-2 large potatoes, cut into big chunks
  • 2tbsp fresh grated ginger (dried will be quite different, so I do not recommend it)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chipotle pepper, powdered (if you don’t want spicy, you can use smoked paprika instead)
  • 1 cup corn kernels (can use fresh, frozen or canned)
  • 1 796 ml can of diced tomatoes
  • 4+ cups of broth (a lightly flavoured one, like vegetarian or chicken, can substitute with water if needed)
  • 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup of barley, dried
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a pot on medium heat.
  2. Once heated, add onion and celery. Cook until golden and soft – can add a tablespoon or so of broth or water to help with this. Be sure to cook off any extra liquid before the next step.
  3. Add the mushrooms, and saute until soft and lightly browned.
  4. Add the carrots, potatoes, ginger, garlic and chipotle (or paprika). Stir, and cook for a couple of minutes.
  5. Add the corn. If you’re using frozen or cold corn, cook until the corn warms up a little.
  6. Add the diced tomatoes.
  7. Add 4 cups of broth (or water). Make sure the liquid covers the vegetables completely. Add more broth or water if necessary.
  8. Cover. Let this cook for about 20 minutes on low heat.
  9. Add the barley. Cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until barley is cooked through. Stir occasionally, and check to make sure everything is still covered in broth. Add more broth or water as needed.
  10. Add the chopped parsley and chopped peppers. Cook for another 10 minutes.
  11. Add salt and pepper, to taste.