Aromatic Barley Food

HEARTY BARLEY TURKEY SOUP

Steps:

• Bring water and turkey carcass to a boil in a large pot; add 1 1/2 cup chopped onion, 3 stalks celery, 1/2 cup chopped carrot, peppercorns, 1 pinch thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Simmer, skimming excess fat and foam from top of stock as needed, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add more water to stock as it evaporates. Remove carcass from stock and cool. Pull meat from bones and shred; refrigerate until needed. Strain stock and return liquid to pot.
• Mix 1 1/2 pounds carrots, 2 onions, 6 stalks celery, barley, mushrooms, 2 bay leaves, salt, marjoram, black pepper, and 1 pinch thyme into turkey stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup, stirring occasionally, until barley is fully cooked, 1 hour and 20 minutes. Add turkey meat to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

BLACK BEANS AND BARLEY

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium heat.
• Add onion and red pepper.
• Cook for 3 minutes.
• Add garlic.
• Cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add cumin.
• Remove from heat, and set aside mixture in a bowl.
• In the same pan, add broth, water, barley oregano and hot sauce.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer until barley is tender, adding extra water as necessary, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in beans, salsa, lime juice and onion mixture, and heat through.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.

TRADITIONAL IRISH STEW WITH PEARL BARLEY

Steps:

• Start off by trimming and cutting away excess fat off the meat.
• Pat the pieces dry and in a bowl toss them with flour.
• In a heavy-based saucepan, over high heat, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and brown the meat pieces in small batches and then remove and set aside in a bowl.
• In the same saucepan, over medium heat add in the rest of the olive oil and add in the chopped onions, garlic and bay leaves and saute till translucent, takes about 10 minutes.
• Return the browned meat pieces to the pot and add in the dried thyme and give it all a good stir.
• Sprinkle pearl barley on top and pour in all of the stock and season with salt and pepper.
• Increase the heat and bring it to a simmering point.
• Spoon off any scum that rises to the surface, then cover the pan with a well-fitting lid and leave to simmer over a low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.
• After the hour is up, spoon off scum if any and then add in the potatoes and carrots and give all a good stir and leave it cook for another hour.
• Carefully stir in 2 tbsp of chopped parsley and take it off heat.
• Garnish with the remaining 1 tbsp of chopped parsley and serve!