Review: JeAnne's Thai Chicken Barley Risotto

[buffygirl]

I found this creation by JeAnne in another thread. Since I had leftover chicken from the WW Roast Chicken with Chili Lime Glaze, I decided to give this a try. One word: dee-lish. DH and I both thought it was great. Here's the recipe since it's buried in another thread. JeAnne, I hope you don't mind. Great job!

Kim

Thai Chicken Barley Risotto

JeAnne

4 servings

1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped green onions, divided
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 jalapeño chili, minced seeded
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 jalapeño chili, minced seeded
1 chopped lemongrass stalk, fibrous shell removed
1 tsp minced ginger
1 large red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 packed cup sugar snap peas
1 lb shredded chicken
1 cup canned light unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste (DH has delicate taste buds!)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chicken broth
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Heat 1/2 TBSP sesame oil in a heavy saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of green onions and 1 TBSP minced garlic and saute until onions are softened and garlic browned. Add jalapeno, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and 1/4 cup of broth. Add barley with salt and pepper. As the barley absorbs broth, add more broth 1/2 cup at a time until barley is cooked and creamy with a little broth left to absorb.


2. While barley is cooking, heat 1/2 TBSP sesame oil in a large skillet. Add remaining onions, garlic, lemongrass and ginger and saute til soft. Combine paste through vinegar in a small bowl. Add chicken and veggies to skillet and saute for a few minutes. Reduce heat and add coconut milk and bowl ingredients to skillet. Add barley and cook until sauce is thickened and absorbed by barley (approx 10 minutes). Add remainder cilantro and stir to combine. Serve warm with chopped peanuts if desired.

6pt per 1 1/2 cup serving

[greysangel]

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

JeAnne

[mochadelsol]

My turn, we had this for dinner Sat. night super tasty awesome flavor. I had three 14 yr old girls here and they loved it. They kept asking "what's this? oh lemongrass dear, eat you'll like it" one of the girls asked for the recipe to take home. So thank you, this is a real keeper.

[KValley]

JeAnne,

This earned big thumbs-up from us The version printed in CL is just a tad different than the one above, so I don't think you could go wrong either way.

The vegetable prep was really soothing- I was so in the mood to make mounds of pretty, colorful sliced veggies! I thawed in the microwave then broiled the chicken while prepping the veggies and getting all of the ingredients together.

It took me about 2 1/2 cups of broth/water and about 30 minutes to get the barley to the right consistency (for our tastes), but I did more simmering than stirring.

The only ingredient change was to sub basil for cilantro (we're not big on cilantro here).

Wonderful, bright taste. Not too spicy, not too sweet. I could see this with pork, shrimp, tofu- so versatile. A definite repeater.

Bravo, lady!!

[Peggy]

Can't wait to try this! And, JeAnne - Your picture is beautiful! You are a star!!!

Peggy

[magdon]

Add me to the list of people who can't wait to try this. It looks great. Congrats JeAnne!

[lisas3575]

:mad: I... want... my.... issue....

[britneyelise]

JeAnne-
I am having a tough time finding lemongrass, I do however have dried lemongrass. How much of that would I use? Thanks a bunch, the recipe just looks so good!

[phantomcg]

I can't wait to try this one! I've had the recipe marked to try since it was first posted on the board. Now that it will be staring me in the face all month from my issue, maybe I'll finally do it.

JeAnne, I just wanted to add that I think you look great in your picture in the magazine.

Cheryl

[greysangel]

yay I'm glad everyone who has tried it likes it!

I've never used dried lemongrass, but I'm assuming it's stronger than fresh? In any case, I would start with a generous tsp and add as needed. I would add it when sauteeing the onions and garlic. You can always add more later, but sauteeing will bring out the flavor.

Anyone used dried have a better answer?
JeAnne

[tuff2000]

If you don't have any lemongrass, you could replace it with lemon rind. I am pretty sure I read it at the food subs website.

[Coco]

I want to try the Tha Chicken Barley Risotto.

[sarah2397]

Coco,
Most large grocery stores carry the red curry paste. Check the ethnic section. I think the brand I have is "Thai Chef" or something like that. Good luck.

[Coco]

Thanks Sara.
I'll find it. I can't wait to try the recipe. When we visit our son in Seattle, he always takes us out for Thai food. On the East coast
we have lots of Chinese restaurants, but in Seattle they have lots of Thai restaurants.

[beckms]

OH YUM!!!!

I burned my mouth because I couldn't wait for this to cool down before eating!

This is excellent, Jeanne. I love the flavor combo of lime, coconut, and creamy barley. I subbed sliced pork for the chicken, because that's what I had. I just thinly sliced two pork chops and sauteed them in the ginger/lemongrass step, then proceeded as written. I also used lemon rind instead of lemongrass. Oh, and basil instead of cilantro... But I promise, none of my changes really affected the dish, I'm sure!

Thumbs up from me

[Sheila in MD]

Would this recipe be worth doing if one left out the curry paste? Not a fan of curry flavor but the rest of it sounds great! Thanks!

Sheila in MD

[greysangel]

you can sub thai chili paste or leave it out..it supplies a little heat, that's all

[Sheila in MD]

Originally posted by greysangel
you can sub thai chili paste

Oh..good idea! I should have thought of that-thanks!

Sheila in MD

[Mamasue]

I haven't tried this recipe yet but just wanted to answer Shannon's question on dried lemongrass. I have tried the dried lemongrass and found it very woody and tried to pick most of it out after the dish was done. I did kind of choke on the pieces that I didn't find and was very careful eating the soup...sorta like looking for small fish bones when eating a white fish. I won't use this dried lemongrass again and intend on getting rid of it. If you can't find fresh lemongrass then sub lemon rind. I believe the recipe was the Cabbage Roll Soup from WW Take out Tonight cookbook which was very good.

[mochadelsol]

While shopping yesterday I saw lemongrass in a tube along with several other herbs, like basil. Has anyone used this before?

[Mamasue]

Originally posted by mochadelsol
While shopping yesterday I saw lemongrass in a tube along with several other herbs, like basil. Has anyone used this before?

Now, that is something that I would be interested in! Is it in a paste form? Thanks...I will keep my eyes open.

[mochadelsol]

oops forgot to mention I found this in the produce section. It was a jelly type paste. I didn't like the way it looked, but if it taste close to fresh and fresh isn't available?

[Kismet]

Thank you JeAnne for creating such a wonderful recipe! I made it for dinner last night, and DH couldn't stop praising it! There was a bit of chopping, but the end result was well worth it. YUM!

[Jeanygirl]

This may be dumb, but I'm so confused about sugar snap peas. Those are the plump kind, right? And snow peas are the skinny, flat ones? So do you take the sugar snap peas out of the pods, or do you leave them IN the pods and just take off the stem end and the stringy-thingy down the side?

And you can mock me if you want

[sneezles]

Originally posted by Jeanygirl
confused about sugar snap peas. Those are the plump kind, right? And snow peas are the skinny, flat ones? So do you take the sugar snap peas out of the pods, or do you leave them IN the pods and just take off the stem end and the stringy-thingy down the side?

No mocking for this type of question (we reserve that right for other things )

Here's the info you need:



sugar snap = snap pea = sugar snap pea = sugar pea Notes: This cross between an English pea and a snow pea is sweet and crisp, and is eaten whole, pod and all. Sugar snaps can be served raw, briefly stir-fried, pickled, or steamed as a side dish. Substitutes: snow pea (flatter, not as sweet) OR asparagus OR carrots (for a crudité platter)



snow pea = Chinese snow pea = Chinese pea = Chinese pea pod = sugar pea = mange-tout pea = edible-podded pea Equivalents: 2 cups fresh = 6 ounces frozen Notes: You eat these whole, pod and all. They're often stir-fried very briefly (no more than a minute), but they're also good raw. They're easy to prepare, just wash and trim the ends. Some people string them as well, but that's not necessary. Select crisp, flat snow peas that snap when you break them. Substitutes: sugar snaps (rounder, sweeter, and crisper) OR asparagus OR (for stir-fry dishes) bean sprouts

[Jeanygirl]

Thanks! I guess I could've looked that up myself. Midweek laziness...

Now I know exactly what I'm making for supper on Friday night!

[greysangel]

WAHOO!!!! I'm so glad you are all loving this...I was a little nervous with the serious foodies doing the critiquing

Don't sweat the lemongrass! If it's a pain or you can't find it, go for grated lemon rind...I would add it at the end instead of sauteeing with it, that's all. And add according to your taste. As far as the tube...wow! I can't find tomato paste in a tube never mind lemongrass

And finally, I love sugar snap peas! YUM YUM! I do think they taste like snow peas and can be interchangeable.

JeAnne

[MKSquared]

Ooooh! Really fun flavors - and I just had to buy the fresh produce. I followed the recipe as published in the magazine.

My changes:
-Red Chili Paste for Red Curry Paste. (I figured they were close.)
-No chicken (ours was bad )
-Added bean sprouts
-No red peppers (don't care for 'em)
-Subbed lemon zest for lemongrass

What I'd do next time:
-Add the fresh vegetables after simmering the coconut milk/juice mixture. The peas were on the grey side after sitting in the simmering liquid.
-Kick up the spice! Even though I'm a baby about spice, this could have been hotter for me.

The flavors were amazing! I kept tasting (and tasting, and tasting) the barley as it cooked. This might spur me on to even more creative endeavors. Oh - DBF even volunteered to try it! I couldn't believe it ... he even said, "Hey, this is pretty good." He added, "Could use some chicken, though."

[Sami]

JeAnne, you look fabulous, although I don't see your skirt, which someone say she liked. I just got my magazine, and the recipe jumped out at me.

Coco, you can find chili paste and other foreign items at produce Galore in the Village of wilde lake in columbia.

Sami

[Peggy]

We had this last night for dinner and it was a big hit! I made the following changes: substituted fresh basil for cilantro (I'm the only cilantro lover in the family! ), and I left out the red curry paste and the sugar snap peas. Great flavors! I think I have cooked with barley about 4 times in the last few weeks. That's probably more than my entire lifetime put together!

JeAnne - During dinner I pulled out the issue, pointed to your picture and said very proudly, "I know her!".

Peggy