I have been staring blankly at the jar full of barley in my plantry for months. Aside from making a great soup with it in the past, all my other barley recipes have fallen short. Alas, I have concocted one that is blog material worthy!
I was actually reading about barley because I did not know much about it, other than that is often used in beer and whiskey making. (I love to read about ingredients in order to understand their origin and how it is/was traditionally used, nutritional value, etc) Anyway, it is very high in fiber and protein! A great grain to introduce to your diet if you have not already! And here is a shocker, only 2% of the barley grown in the US makes it into our mouths (in edible form). Bet you didn't know that fun fact!
White Bean and Barley Stuffed Pepper
As far as the pesto goes; if you do not have sunflower seeds or red pepper, go with your go to pesto. I just wanted to have a little fun with the items on hand. Always fun to keep things fresh and new!
Ingredients: (yields 3-4 servings)
1 c barley
2 c vegetable broth
1 tbsp evoo
1 can northern white beans
1-2 cup chopped Tuscan kale
2 vine ripe tomatoes chopped
3 bell peppers (color of your choice)
2-3 tbsp raw sunflower seeds for garnish
1/2 c roasted red pepper-sunflower seed pesto (1 roasted bell pepper, 1/4 c evoo, 3 tbsp sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp basil, garlic clove)
Preheat oven 350. In a sauce pan, bring veggie broth and barley to a boil, cover and turn to low. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Make your pesto in the meantime. Just blend the above ingredients until smooth. Add in water if it is too thick. Salt to taste.
Take each of your bell peppers, cut off tops and remove seeds. Lightly brush with evoo and season with s+p.
When barley is finished cooking, transfer to bowl and add in beans, kale, tomatoes and pesto. Mix thoroughly and stuff each pepper with mixture.
Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until pepper is soft. Enjoy with a nice glass of Italian red!
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