I have been meaning to post this recipe for a while, but November has been so darn busy! I came and went so quickly, I barely even had time to register it and now it’s December. And not only is it December, there’s about 6 inches of snow on the ground and I’m a week away from ending my stint here in Canada. Where does the time go? So before I say goodbye to my temporary home and all my new life-long friends, here’s a post about my new favorite squash and my new favorite wintery dish.
I’ve been really into barley lately. It’s got this great texture and it puffs up taking up a ton of flavor from the broth it cooks in. Also, it’s got all this protein and fiber, making it the perfect base of a vegetarian meal. This is called Pearled Barley. I buy it in bulk at the local natural foods store. And it cooks just like rice. So, as with rice, it has a lot of starch so it’s important to give it a good rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Even after rinsing, as it cooks it gives off starch and the final product is very similar to risotto – creamy and rich – but with an nutty aroma and firm texture.
Then there’s squash – I’ve always been a fan of butternut squash, but delicata squash is amazing! It’s sweet and creamy and because it’s smaller it cooks much faster (yay!). I drizzled the squash with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled a little salt, brown sugar and cinnamon on it and then roasted it in the oven at 350 for about 20 min, or until it was fork tender, and crazy delicious. Seriously, you could just have this as a side dish for any meal this winter and be happy.
So, now that the squash is roasted and the barley is rinsed, it’s time to cook. I cook the mushrooms on their own, on medium high, and then set them aside until the last couple minutes of cook time for the barley, which takes a good 25-30 minutes to cook, so that they don’t get weird and rubbery. This is a really simple, straight forward dish to make, but it’s flavorful and hearty – and perfect for the winter.
Ingredients: (makes 2 servings as a main course)
Squash
- 1 delicata squash, opened lengthwise, seeds removed and sliced into 1 inch semi-circles
- 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over the slices
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- a couple pinches (1/4 teaspoon) of cinnamon
Barley
- about 10 medium cremini mushrooms (or any type you prefer), approximately 4 cups sliced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, separated
- 1 small onion (1 cup), finely chopped
- garlic (optional)
- 1 cup pearled barley, well rinsed and drained
- 4 – 6 cups broth (vegetable or chicken, whatever you prefer), heated in a small sauce pan
- 1 tablespoon of goat cheese, crumbled for the garnish
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prep the squash and spread, skin side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 20 minutes, until fork tender.
2. Wash, dry and slice the mushrooms. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil to medium-high and sauté the mushrooms, tossing every couple minutes, until lightly browned – about 5-6 minutes. Set aside on a plate.
3. In the same pan, lower the heat to medium and heat another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic (if using), season with salt and cook until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the barley and keep cooking another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently so that the barley doesn’t stick to the pan. It will start to give off a toasty smell.
4. Add 2 cups of broth, stir and lower to low heat to simmer gently until all of the liquid is absorbed. Then add another cup of broth, stir and allow to absorb again. Do this again 1 to 3 more times until the barley is al dente (just try one grain to see if the center is cooked through). The amount of liquid can depend on the barley, so just keep an eye on it. Add the mushrooms, stir and turn off the heat.
Serve with a few slices of squash and a crumble of goat cheese (or Parmesan if you prefer). Enjoy!!
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