Barley

Middle Eastern Barley and Feta Salad

Seaneen's Sunnyside KitchenLeave a comment

I have been over indulging lately and my body was crying out for something healthy and delicious. I love this salad, its packed with colour, texture and flavour and is full of protein.

Barley is a much underrated ingredient and used mostly in soup and stews, but is also amazing in risottos and salads.

This salad is substantial enough to eat on its own but is also fantastic as a side dish or part of a mezze, or in a wrap. This will in fridge in an airtight box for 2-3 days.

Ingredients

75 Grams Barley (dry weight)

100 Grams Radishes (finely sliced)

2 Scallions/spring onions (finely sliced)

50 Grams Almonds (rough chopped)

2Tbsp Pumkin seeds

50 Grams Pomegranate seeds

100 Grams Feta (crumbled into junks)

2 Tbsp Mint (finely sliced)

1 Tbsp Coriander (finely sliced, you can use parsley if you don’t like coriander)

For the dressing

2 Tbsp Olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Cook the barley according to the instructions on the packet. Lightly oil a shallow baking tray and spread the cooked barley across it to cool
  2. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl, add the dressing and stir well

Chicken with Pearl Barley and Mushrooms, with Chicken Crackling (naughty but nice)

Seaneen's Sunnyside KitchenLeave a comment
Worth the effort

This takes a bit longer than my normal recipes, but since we’re all stuck at home, time is the one thing we all have plenty of.

In my bid to use up what’s been hanging around my cupboards I found some pearl barley. I was craving carbs and since selfish wingnuts have cleared the super market shelves of rice and pasta this made a nice change. It takes a bit longer to cook, but is worth the time.

I used chicken thighs with the bones left in, and removed the skin to make “chicken crackling” . I know this is probably not especially healthy but sometimes a little indulgence does no harm, it’s not like you’re going to eat it everyday. If you want to give it s miss, this still makes a really delicious and satisfying meal.

Skin from the chicken thighs, trimmed and sprinkled with a little salt, ready for the oven.
Chicken crackling, baked and crispy from the oven.

Ingredients

150 Grams Pearl barley

4 Large chicken thighs

10 Grams Dried mushrooms

100 Grams Fresh mushrooms

1 Onion

250 Grams Spring greens (you can use broccoli, spinach or any other green vegetables you like)

250 ml White wine

250 ml Chicken stock

Large sprig of rosemary (finely chopped)

2 Cloves of garlic (minced)

1 Tbsp Oil

Large knob of butter

Salt and pepper

Dried mushrooms add a ton of flavour

Method

  1. Soak the dried mushrooms in a small amount of warm water
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a pan
  3. Roughly chop the onions and mushrooms. Add to the pan and fry until soft. Remove from the pan and set to one side
  4. Remove the skin from the chicken, and set to one side
  5. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and seal on both sides
  6. Add the barley, dried mushrooms and the water they soaked in, wine and stock to the pan. Cover with a lid, bring to boil and simmer over s low heat for 30-40 minutes (check the cooking instructions on the packet of barley, and cook for the recommended time
  7. Trim the chicken skin and flatten on a baking sheet before sprinkle with salt. Place another baking tin on top of the chicken skin to keep it flat and bake in an oven pre-heated to 200 degrees for 20-30minutes, or until golden brown
  8. if using Spring greens, remove the stalks and roll up the leaves, cut these into 2cm strips
  9. After 30 minutes of cooking, check on the barley, adding more water if necessary
  10. Add the garlic, rosemary, and spring greens to the pan, cover again and cook for a further 10 minutes until the barley is tender and has a creamy consistency, and check the seasoning (a bit like a risotto)
  11. Serve chicken and barley with shards of the chicken crackling, you can also crumble it across the dish