Boneless Chicken Recipe
Pearl Barley and Chicken is a Winning Combination
Pearl barley recipes may be new to you, but it is a great ingredient to add to your cooking. Full of fiber, pearl barley also has antioxidants and helps with cholesterol and heart disease prevention. While pearl barley is a great choice, whole barley is even more nutritious. It takes much longer to cook, however. Cooking pearl barley is not too much different than cooking rice.
This recipe featuring pearl barley and chicken is a wonderful introduction to barley. It has a slightly sweet taste that is a bit nutty. With a little practice, you can become an expert at adding barley to your dishes. Barley was one of the first grains to be domesticated in the Near East, so it has been a part of our diets for a long time. Barley has been used as food, to make beer, and was even used as money at one time. It was used as a special food source for gladiators in Rome. It was once very popular in Europe, but was replaced by potatoes around the 19th century.
This is a nice recipe for using up leftover chicken, though starting with raw boneless thighs works well. Thighs are more porous and full of moisture than breast meat, so they tend to soak up flavors around them well and do not dry out. A barley and chicken pilaf has very little saturated fat, but it offers you protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. If you are trying to revamp your eating habits to become healthier, this is a good place to begin.
Toasted Barley and Chicken Pilaf
Ingredients -
1 ½ cups pearl barley
3 teaspoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 package mushrooms, sliced
1 can (approx. 14 ounces) chicken broth
2 cups water
½ teaspoon thyme, dried
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt
Black pepper
Parsley leaves, for garnish
Preparation:
Heat up a deep, nonstick 12-inch skillet until hot. Add the barley and let it cook 4 to 6 minutes or until it is toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally as needed. Transfer the toasted barley to a large mixing bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the now empty hot skillet. Heat the oil. Add the chicken and let it cook for 5 minutes, or just until it is no longer pink on the outside. Remove the chicken to the bowl with the barley.
Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the hot skillet. Cook the celery, carrots and onion over medium heat for 7 or 8 minutes until they are just tender-crisp. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 more minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. The vegetables should be lightly browned and tender.
Return the barley and chicken to the skillet. Add water, broth, nutmeg, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring the liquid to boiling over a medium-high temperature. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let the contents simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the barley is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Serve the pilaf with a garnish of parsley.
(Serves 4)
Pearl Barley Recipes
Photo Description:
Pearl barley is a nutritious addition to your menu. This tasty recipe makes the most of the pearl barley and adds in tasty chicken. Serve it as a dish on its own or as a side with a green salad. Barley is full of fiber and has a nutty flavor you are sure to love. It makes a nice variation from the standard rice, pasta, or potatoes. Serve this recipe with a sauce if you wish, but it is very tasty as it is. Barley is good for your heart and is a great source of fiber.
