Barley Risotto

This winter was short, very short.  And although it feels as if it is summer outside already, I haven't eaten enough warm comfort food.  Plus, with Passover quickly approaching, I have to get rid of a lot of open packages of hamatz that are in my pantry.  I have a half of a bag of barley staring at me everytime I open my cabinet.  And for those of you who work with barley, you know that a little goes a long way once cooked.  For those of you who do not eat a lot of barley, you should start.  It is a very healthy whole grain that is high in fiber and a great change from rice or pasta.

Here is my favorite recipe for a barley risotto.  It has a smiliar creamy, starchy, comfort texture that rice risotto has, but much easy - no constant stirring.  You can really play with the recipe and use whatever vegetable you have on hand.  This recipe is parve, but you can add cheese, or make it with chicken broth, depending on the meal you are serving it with.  It works great as a warm side dish, but I also stir in some extra veggies, top it with some hot sauce and call it a meal.

So as you are trying to eat from your pantry in preperation for Passover, try out this recipe!

Ingredients
3/4 cup pearl barley (uncooked)
1 onion
1 teaspoon oil
2 cloves of garlic (diced small)
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 lb of cubed butternut squash
salt/peper to taste

Directions
Turn oven on to 400 degrees.  While pre-heating, sautee onion in the oil and a dash of salt in an oven-proff large saucepan or dutch oven for about 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and butternut squash, cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the barley and stir, let cook another minute together.  Finally add the broth and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, turn off the heat and cover the pot.  Transfer to the oven and let cook for about 30 minutes.  After about 30 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed.  Take out of the oven, keep covered and allow the remainder of the liquid to absorb and cool down a little before serving.  Salt and pepper to taste.

This amount will feed 6-8 as a side dish. 

One great option is to stir in spinach, kale, or other leafy greens at the end.  The heat will wilt the veggies and will add beautiful color to the dish.  If you like heat, this is great with hot sauce.