Barley Risotto With Sundried Tomatoes And Shiitake Recipes

BARLEY AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Steps:

• For the vegetable stock: Add the vegetable stock, onion, carrots and celery to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then maintain at a simmer while making the risotto.
• For the risotto: Add the olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat. When hot add the barley and saute until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, Vidalia onions and salt; cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the shallots become translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the shiitakes and thyme leaves and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Next, begin adding the vegetable stock, one ladleful at a time, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. Stir frequently throughout; this brings out the starch in the barley. When the barley is tender and all of the vegetable stock has been used, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

WILD MUSHROOM AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO FARROTTO (FARRO RISOTTO)

Steps:

• Place the farro in a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to par-cook the farro, and then drain and set aside.
• In a heavy-based pot, add the butter and oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic and shallots and saute until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine. Add the drained farro and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock to the pot a little at a time, ensuring at each addition that the liquid has been completely absorbed by the farro. Keep stirring and adding the stock until the mixture is thick and creamy.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the Parmesan, sour cream and parsley.

VEGETARIAN BARLEY CASSEROLE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• For the risotto:
• Bring vegetable broth to a simmer. In a separate large saucepan on an adjacent burner, heat the oil and saute onion until it is translucent. Add barley (or rice) and lightly saute to toast the barley. Add wine and stir for about 2 minutes until it is absorbed. Begin slowly adding broth, 1 ladle-full at a time, to the barley pan, stirring as you go. The friction of the stirring will bring out the starch in the barley. As the mixture absorbs the broth, ladle more into the pot. When all of the broth has been ladled into the barley pot, slowly simmer until barley is soft and creamy. Stir in ricotta to add creaminess, then crumble in goat cheese (to add cohesiveness), stir, cover and set aside.
• For the pesto:
• Place basil in food processor, add pine nuts and garlic, and pulse until chopped. Scrape into a bowl, add Parmesan and stir in oil to form a thick smooth paste. Add black pepper, to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread half of the barley (or rice) mixture over the bottom of a lasagna dish or large casserole. Top with half of the sun-dried tomatoes and then with half of the basil pesto. Repeat for a second layer. Bake covered with foil for 25 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake for 5 minutes to let top layer of pesto become toasted. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh basil sprigs.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES AND SHIITAKE

Steps:

• Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms, cover and set aside. In the meantime, saute the onions and half the garlic in the olive oil from the sundried tomatoes; keep it on low heat. Saute for a few minutes until onions are soft (no colour change). Add the rinsed barley and a pinch of salt. Stir the barley so that each grain is coated with oil. Add both the red and white wine and turn up the heat. After the wine is absorbed, add one cup of the liquid from the soaked mushrooms, taking care not to pour any sand into the pot. Turn the heat down to medium, and chop the mushrooms into small chunks and add to the pot. Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes and add half of them to the pot. Stir and add two cups of vegetable broth. Leave the pot partially covered and let cook until liquid is absorbed, about eight or ten minutes. Add one finely chopped garlic clove now as well as two more cups of vegetable broth. Continue to cook with lid off, stirring occasionally. When barley is tender and creamy (add extra vegetarian broth or water as needed), add the goat cheese and stir until melted. Quickly stir in the chopped spinach, the rest of the chopped tomatoes, chopped raw garlic, half and half, and sugar. Stir briefly and turn off heat. Season with salt, pepper, (and red pepper, if adding) and add one cup of the chopped basil. Cover and let stand for a few minutes. To serve, spoon into bowls and sprinkle with remaining basil.

BARLEY BAKED WITH OLIVES AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a two- to three-quart ovenproof casserole or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onions and saute over low heat until they are tender. Stir in the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and barley. Stir in half the stock, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes, stir the barley, add half the remaining stock and return the casserole to the oven to bake another 20 minutes. Stir once more, add the remaining stock and bake the barley another 15 to 20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the barley is tender.
• Season to taste with salt, if necessary, and pepper and fold in the basil.