Hello everybody,

Supposedely barley goes really well with onions and carrots ...
I want to try it since it's a neutral and NOT an avoid as I had originally thought ... Yuppi !!
Does anybody have a really delicious recipe since I'm in the mood to make myself a dish tonight.

I'm also assuming that perhaps people r probably treating it like oatmeal and can make a sweet barley instead ??
One more thing: I've read that it needs and should be soaked before cooking it ?
How many hours beforehand ?

Thank-u  

You can soak any grains for at least 12 hours for better digestion and I believe it will cook faster.

Alia

Quoted from Alia_Vo

You can soak any grains for at least 12 hours for better digestion and I believe it will cook faster.

Alia

 

12 hours for barley ?????
and I was planning on three hours and then cooking them tonight  
Oh well ...  
TY Alia  

I believe it will soften up in three hours; I believe the longer soaking process will assist with breaking down the carbohydrate enzymes and soften the outer sphere of the barley grain.

Alia

Quoted from Alia_Vo

I believe the longer soaking process will assist with breaking down the carbohydrate enzymes
Alia

Does this make it easier on digestion ??
TY again


I soaked the barley 4 hours instead and cooked it for about an hour with a chopped up onion ... the last few minutes I added lots of spinach; then once it was ready, I added seasalt and butter and let
me say this : It was delicious !!!  

sounds like you had yourself a treat!

Quoted from LISALEA

I soaked the barley 4 hours instead and cooked it for about an hour with a chopped up onion ... the last few minutes I added lots of spinach; then once it was ready, I added seasalt and butter and let
me say this : It was delicious !!!  

I intend to do something similar with spelt Sunday eve, in fact the spelt is already soaking (will soak about 20 hours). It reduces the cooking time to under an hour.

I agree with both Lloyd and Alia it is best to soak whole grains at least overnight.
Actually it used to say so on oatmeal packets as well.... before fast food era came.!

Lisalea - barley is nice made with stock as well.
Fry onions and garlic, oregano , cellery ad carrots cut in small bits- add barly and beef- , veal- or turkey.stock
- cook untill almost tender- add a bit of butter and pecorino cheese and you ´ve got barley " risotto"

Sometimes a make a asian version with garlic ginger - cabbage and barley- more sop like.
Nice if money are few or sick.
Works well wih spelt as well.

there's an extra swiss  barley soup, similar as written above  but without meat called :

                    *swiss gerschde süpplii*
                               

Quoted from lola

sounds like you had yourself a treat!

I most certainly did, Thank-u

Quoted from ISA-MANUELA

there's an extra swiss  barley soup, similar as written above  but without meat called :

                    *swiss gerschde süpplii*
                               

Thanks; I love variety in my recipes !!!

Quoted from Henriette_Bsec

I agree with both Lloyd and Alia it is best to soak whole grains at least overnight.
Actually it used to say so on oatmeal packets as well.... before fast food era came.!

Lisalea - barley is nice made with stock as well.
Fry onions and garlic, oregano , cellery ad carrots cut in small bits- add barly and beef- , veal- or turkey.stock
- cook untill almost tender- add a bit of butter and pecorino cheese and you ´ve got barley " risotto"

Oh Henriette_Bsec that sounds heavenly, risotto is one of my "favorite" dishes ... it's so creamy !!!
I really appreciate it , Thank-u ... I also love carrots, onions and garlic ... all foods that I eat very often ... and butter is one of my favorite condiments  
and
let's NOT talk about how much I love cheese !!

Quoted from Henriette_Bsec

Sometimes a make a asian version with garlic ginger - cabbage and barley- more sop like.
Nice if money are few or sick.
Works well wih spelt as well.

Cabbage is just wonderful, another vegetable that I've really come to appreciate ... I especially love it with eggs, olive oil, seasalt and nutritional yeast flakes (gives it a cheesy taste) whenever I don't use parmesan that is  

Quoted from Alan_Goldenberg

I intend to do something similar with spelt Sunday eve, in fact the spelt is already soaking (will soak about 20 hours). It reduces the cooking time to under an hour.

That seems to be good advice and I will take it actually; next time I will soak my barley overnight, Thank-u for the tip  
btw; in what form did u buy ur spelt and may I ask how u will be cooking it ??  

Quoted from Henriette_Bsec

..Actually it used to say so on oatmeal packets as well.... before fast food era came.!...

It has to do with the fact that particularly Barley and Oats are commonly sold in variants of hulled, flaked, and instant forms which means less desirability as a whole grain, gets stale sooner, less nutrition, and cooks faster for the uninitiated cook.

Remember there is a difference between 'Pearl Barley' and 'Pearled Barley'.

'Pot Barley' here in the UK is the one to go for. As it is unpolished, in its whole form.

An alternative grain dish would be preparing a barley pilaf, instead of using rice.  Or barley is grain to utilize in soups and stews since it is a hearty, sturdy grain which holds its weight well in these cooked dishes.

Alia

Quoted from Alia_Vo

An alternative grain dish would be preparing a barley pilaf, instead of using rice.  Or barley is grain to utilize in soups and stews since it is a hearty, sturdy grain which holds its weight well in these cooked dishes.

Alia

Thank-u very much Alia; I was thinking that it would indeed be a very hearty dish  ...
I really LOVE barley ... it's so yummi !!
I plan to eat it a couple times per week