Barley Caponata Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add celery and cook uncovered until softened, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, red bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add olives, raisins, pine nuts, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and cook until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat; stir in chopped basil. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, toss the eggplant generously with olive oil and salt, to taste. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is soft and mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve.
• Coat a wide deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and crushed red pepper and season with salt, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the fennel, celery and garlic and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the zucchini and all the veggies are soft and aromatic and starting to come together as a stew, about 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the eggplant, 1/2 cup of water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water has evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the raisins, capers, pine nuts and mint. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
• Let cool and transfer the caponata to a serving bowl. Serve immediately or even better tomorrow or the next day.

Steps:

• Roast the eggplant, allow to cool and chop coarsely.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet and add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook together for a minute, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant, and add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, until just about tender, about 8 minutes. Add another tablespoon of oil and the eggplant, and stir together for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. The eggplant will fall apart, which is fine. Season to taste.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and they smell fragrant. Add the capers, olives, remaining sugar, and vinegar. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and the mixture is quite thick, sweet, and fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. If possible, cover and chill overnight. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• To cook pearl barley: In medium saucepan with lid, bring 3 cups water to a boil.
• Add 1 cup pearl barley and return to boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed.
• Makes about 3-1/2 cups.
• For Meatballs: Combine all ingredients and form into small walnut-size meatballs.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For Soup: In large soup pot, combine all ingredients except cilantro.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Carefully add meatballs and continue to cook 20 minutes longer.
• Stir in cilantro and serve.

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Add barley and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
• In large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add cooked barley; stir-fry an additional 3 minutes. Remove barley-chicken mixture from pan; keep warm.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in skillet. Add eggplant, bell pepper and onion; stir-fry 3 minutes.
• Add basil, mint, hot pepper sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and soy sauce; cook 2 more minutes.
• Return barley-chicken mixture to skillet; stir-fry 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with shredded red cabbage and carrot curls for authentic Thai finishing touch.

Steps:

• In large pot with lid, heat oil over medium heat.
• Sauté onion and chiles for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add 4 cups broth and all of barley.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in remaining broth, hominy, salsa and cumin.
• Cook for 20 minutes longer.
• Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese, if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until golden, stirring occasionally.
• Add eggplant, bell pepper, mushrooms, basil and oregano; saute 10 minutes.
• Stir in cooked barley, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
• Mix in vinegar, olives and red pepper sauce; simmer 5 minutes longer.