Barley Pilaf with Chickpeas and Artichokes J/03

[pmmahan]

This is from the Superfast Column - and after visits to two grocery stores, I finally found quick cooking barley, tucked near the oatmeal in the natural foods aisle.

This was a ridiculously easy recipe to make - boil the barley, stir in the pesto and lemon juice, while sauteeing the garlic and artichoke hearts.

This was different and very tasty. The pesto really made a difference - very flavorful. And the Parmesan cheese at the end is a must. I would serve a salad and a dessert along with - by itself, it was not altogether filling - if you're hungry, like I was last night!

I would absolutely make it again - because it was just so EASY! and yummy....

[gertdog]

Okay, how did I miss this recipe??? It sounds great. And I have all the ingredients! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[Kismet]

I didn't see this either! Thanks for pointing it out! I may have to make it as a side dish for the chicken we're having later this week.

[shscharles]

OH, BOY! ANOTHER BARLEY RECIPE!:p

THE BARLEY COOKBOOK COMES OUT JUST BEFORE THE NEXT HARRY POTTER BOOK...FILM AT ELEVEN!

[valchemist]

Originally posted by shscharles
OH, BOY! ANOTHER BARLEY RECIPE!:p



yes, but this recipe calls for the "quick cooking" barley, which I can never find.

I will look where pmmahan suggested.

[emily]

I made this tonight for dinner with a few modifications (I know, I know...) We (had the help of my housemate tonight!) used kidney beans instead of the chickpeas as I don't like the texture of chickpeas unless they're in hummus form ;) Rather than a commercial pesto, I made a variation by blending about 1/4 cup of parsley, 1 t fresh orageno, 1 T basil, 1 T toasted pine nuts, juice of 1 lemon, 2 t olive oil, and 1/2 t salt. However, with that little quantity in the blender, it didn't really do anything, so I ended up smashing it with my morter and pestle. Also we added some diced asiago cheese and used fresh garlic.

We then stuffed all of that into red bell peppers that I had been roasting in a 400 degree oven the whole time the barley was cooking. After topping with the parmesan we threw it under the broiler for a few seconds.

Very tasty indeed! With a side of sauteed kale and a simple cucumber, red onion, tomato salad it was a great meal!

Emily

[gaja]

I made this recipe recently as well and was very pleased with the results. I did not have quick cooking barley on hand, so I substituted quinoa. It was very yummy (and quinoa is higher in protein! :D ).

[gertdog]

I made this recipe a few days ago and absolutely loved it. I used regular pearl barley instead of quick-cooking, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I am usually not a fan of canned artichoke hearts, but I was pleased by the results of sauteeing them in a little garlicky oil. Flavorful and nutritious- yum!

[Peggy]

OK, I'm sold! With all of these positive review, I will make this recipe next week.:)

Peggy

P.S. Nice to see you on the BB again, Patti!!

[Guest]

Thanks for pointing this one out. I am constantly on the lookout for vegetarian dishes.

Val, My store stocks the quick cooing barley near the Rice-A-Roni boxes. So, you might want to take a look there.

Gertdog, How did you modify the cooking time for the pearl barley. I have a bag of it in my pantry that needs to be used.

Thanks,
Miranda

[gertdog]

Miranda,

I did my usual pearl barley thing- I just put 1 cup of pearl barley in a pot with some water, boiled till done (about 35 min.), drained, and then proceeded with the recipe from there. :)

[Guest]

Thanks for the barley info. I am a barley novice, but now I know what to do ---go to the store and get some artichoke hearts amd make this recipe.

[Peggy]

I made this tonight using regular pearl barley. The package said 2 1/2 cups water to 1 cup barley and cook for 45 minutes, so that's what I did. It came out perfect! The recipe was as good as everyone said it was, though I think I would add a little more pesto next time.

Peggy

[SusanMac]

I've heard that a good way to make regular barley (vs quick cooking) is in the crock pot. I haven't ever tried it, though, but love the idea. Has anyone here done it? I'm thinking it might require more water. You can come home from work and have barley ready. Or...wake up in the morning and have breakfast barley.

[gymbrat75]

I don't remember seeing this one either. I like the idea of stuffing the peppers with the barley mixture.

I think the recipe reviews on this BB are fabulous - keep them coming!!

d

[laughsandlaughs]

I'll have to give the only negative review and say that it wasn't that it tasted bad, it was just sort of boring to my DH and I. We had this as a main dish and perhaps it'd have been better just as a side dish to a more flavorful main. We didn't finish ours and instead put on our coats and went out for dessert. :o

[Wendy w]

I realize that most have moved on to March but I finally made this tonight. I used regular pearl barley and made it in the pressure cooker. While the barley was cooking, I sauteed the garlic and artichoke hearts, and lemon juice together. After bringing down the pressure and removing the lid, I added the pesto and garbanzos, heated them through and then the garlic/artichoke heart mixture. Freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano made it heaven!

I usually keep barley around for soups but this recipe made me realize that it is a great alternative to rice and pasta.

[PoppyJ]

I cannot find quick cooking barley (checked in three stores) so I am going to use pearl barley. Should I use the same amount of pearl barley as quick cooking barley?

[valchemist]

I used regular barley instead of quick cook. (PoppyJ - I used the same amount -- 1 cup.) I used three cloves of fresh (not bottled) garlic. I omitted the lemon and used about 1/3 cup of pesto instead of 2 tbsp.

This was really yummy. But I can see how it would be bland with only 2 tbsp of pesto.

[meslgh]

I was wandering around the BB looking at older posts (when did they remove all the Great Food posts before 7/03?), and I was wondering if this recipe has stood the test of time? I would appreciate it if someone could post it (but only if you already have it typed up, I'm sure I could find my 1/03 CL if put to the challenge).

[newcook]

I made this tonight for supper and thought is was super delicious. Some people thought it would be bland but I suppose it depends on the commercial pesto you use. Mine turned out yum, yum, yum. I used pearl barley and cooked it for 25 minutes but let it sit for another 5 minutes. It was perfect to me.

I really loved this recipe, so easy and so tasty.

Meslgh, I don't know if you found the recipe by now, but here it is.

Daniele


* Exported from MasterCook *

Barley Pilaf with Artichoke Hearts

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans Grains
To try

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 cups warm water
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can quartered artichoke hearts -- (14-ounce) drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons commercial pesto
1 tablespoon lemon juice
15 ounces chickpeas (garbanzo beans) -- 1 can drained and rinsed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese -- (2 ounces)

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 3 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender.
While barley cooks, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add artichokes and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir pesto, lemon juice, and chickpeas into the cooked barley. Serve artichoke mixture over barley; top with cheese.

Description:
"A serving of this meatless main dish offers nearly a third of an adult's suggested daily requirement of fiber. Serve with cherry tomatoes tossed with a bottled vinaigrette."
Source:
"Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 408 Calories; 12g Fat (26.4% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 60g Carbohydrate; 12g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 715mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES :
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup barley mixture, 1/4 cup artichoke mixture, and 2 tablespoons cheese)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 405 (28% from fat); FAT 12.6g (sat 4g, mono 6.1g, poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 17.5g; CARB 57.8g; FIBER 8.7g; CHOL 12mg; IRON 3.5mg; SODIUM 825mg; CALC 267mg;

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 2151 0 0 903025 0 4449 0 2603 0