Pearl Barley Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl barley, dried
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 large handfuls, 75g baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 small mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. mixed herbs
• ¼ capsicum, sliced

Method

1. 1In a med non-stick frypan, heat olive oil and sauté onions for 10 mins on low-med heat, don’t burn.  Then add capsicum, and cook a further 3 mins.
2. 2Add pearl barley and 1 cup of heated stock, stirring.  After 1-2 minutes, add 2 cups stock more, with garlic and mixed herbs and simmer on low heat.
3. 3When liquid mostly gone add 1-2 cups more and the mushrooms, when this has reduced add more stock.  It should take about30-40 mins of simmering to cook in total.
4. 4It is cooked when firm but soft to bite, you don’t want too mushy, so when nearly  cooked add tomatoes and spinach, when spinach wilted add butter and parmesan cheese then season with cracked pepper.