Barley Time

We all know of my love for whole grains. As Summer shifts to Autumn, I feel my grainy desires shifting as well, from the crisp and cool, to the warm and comfy. Having perfected quinoa, I'm now turning my compulsiveness toward barley.

Of course, we all love barley in soups, but, inspired by Kashi's seven grain blend (plus sesame) which I super love, I wanted to give it a go in more of a pilaf style. I have a couple barley recipes in my queue, I think from epicurious and The New York Times, but first wanted to give my own simple concoction a try. Since this was my first barley attempt this year, I only did a half recipe to serve two. Except, it turned out so delectably, I ended up scarfing down the whole batch. So next time I'll definitely double up.

Simple Barley Pilaf

1 tsp. oil
1 stalk celery, trimmed and diced
1/2 an onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup sliced mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pearl barley
1 1/4 cup of your favorite broth (I used low sodium chicken)

Heat oil in sauce pan. Sauté celery, onion, and mushroom about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and barley and bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste at the table.

Serves 2.
Nutrition Information Per Serving: Calories: 165. Total Fat: 3g. Sat. Fat: 0.3g. Cholesterol: 0mg. Sodium: 67.1mg. Carb: 31.3g. Fiber: 5.1g. Sugars: 3g. Protein: 5.1g.