This is another great website/blog that I follow: Weelicious. I made this recipe as a side dish with grilled pork chops glazed with honey-balsamic glaze from this recipe. Also, we had a side salad with romaine lettuce, apples, craisins and slivered almonds.
Mushroom Barley
(weelicious.com)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, diced
1/4 Tsp Sugar
1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped (I used an 8oz package, probably about two cups chopped)
1 Garlic Clove, chopped (omitted, for hubby)
1 Tsp Salt, divided
1 Cup Pearl Barley, rinsed (I used the quick cooking type, no rinsing required)
3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock (I used two per the barley box–actually slightly less, see below)
I added 1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay)
I added ~1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the sugar and cook for another 5 minutes or until onions start to caramelize.
4. Remove the onions to a plate and add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme and 1/2 tsp salt to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes or until the water from the mushrooms start to evaporate, (I then added 1/2 cup of wine and reduced for ~5 minutes at a high heat) then remove to a plate and set aside. (At this point I strained out what was left of the wine and added it to the stock to make 2 cups of liquid)
5. Add the chicken stock (and remaining wine) into the same pot and bring to a boil, add the barley, 1/2 tsp salt, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes (mine only took about 15 minutes-follow the directions on the box) or until tender.
6. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pot to combine and cook until heated through.
7. Serve.
Verdict: Really yummy. This is a great side dish. I’m sure it would be good without the changes that I made, but I think this makes for a more “grown-up” version.
Husband’s take: He liked it a lot. He said it was really good, and then said it was slimy, like snails. Apparently that is a good thing.
Changes I would make: Already made them, would probably make the same changes if I had the ingredients (wine, thyme) available, but if I didn’t, then I’m sure it would be good as is. If you wanted to make it vegetarian, it would work with water or vegetable broth for the liquid.
Difficulty: Easy.
There are the barley, pork, and glaze. The salad was in the fridge.
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