OK, barley might not be what you call a "sexy" grain - but now, with this rainy and grey weather you just need Food, that will keep you warm, even if it's as unsexy as a unicorn-onzie (and hey - don't we all love those???)
Of course barley is a main ingredient for beer which makes some people believe they are sexy... that might be magic, but it's not the main reason for it being called superfood ;)
Barley is extremely versatile - you can e.g. use it instead of rice to prepare a lovely risotto, or you can add it to your soup or pot stew to give it a more hearty note. And above all that barley is extremely healthy (see above.. superfood...) ... I guess if barley was a guy, I would take him back home to meet my dad.
This salad is just one way to prepare barley. I have precooked the grain in vegetable soup (you can use plain salted water, but soup will take it to another level of course) then added red lentils. As those are a bit tricky and get squishy very easily when cooked too Long, you better cook them separately in case you are unsure about the cooking times. Both barley and lentils should be ready cooked but still have a good bite to them.
Mix barley and lentils with a lot of chopped herbs - whichever you like . I took: Cilantro, parsley, dill and nana mint. (Don't overdo the mint as otherwise it'll taste like Wrigleys Spearmint...)
Open a pomegranate and take out some of the seeds - mix them with the salad. The rest you can squeeze with your orange squeezer or by hand. For the Dressing take the Juice and mix it with a bit Lemon Juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. If you can't get fresh pomegranates: try the pomegranate sauce/dressing you get a turkish supermarkets or grocery stores - it's really nice!
Let the salat rest for a while so the dressing can be soaked up . This salad is fresh and light but at the same time filling in a very satisfying way.
Bevor you serve it top it off with some fresh herbs and decorate it with some pomegranate seeds and dressing... .... you will love it
Barley is a wonderfully cereal grain with a rich nutlike flavor and an appealing chewy, pasta-like consistency.. Sprouted barley is naturally high in maltose, a sugar that serves as the basis for both malt syrup sweetener. When fermented, barley is used as an ingredient in beer and other alcoholic beverages. In addition to its robust flavor, barley's claim to nutritional fame is based on its being a very good source of molybdenum, manganese, dietary fiber, and selenium, and a good source of copper, vitamin B1, chromium, phosphorus, magnesium, and niacin.
#eatshitfu%!