I know the holidays are just around the corner. For thanksgiving I am planning on having at least three vegetarian side dishes. One of them is going to have butternut squash of course, the other two, well, it is still on the works. I just haven’t decide yet.

This coming Sunday, two days from now, I am going to post one of the recipes that I will be serving for Thanksgiving. It is going to be a healthy vegetarian casserole so I suggest you stay tuned for that recipe. I really think you are going to love it.

For this butternut squash barley salad recipe I used butternut squash that was already chopped. I have been buying it this way to save time. The only thing I have to do is coat it with a little bit of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. That is it!

For this salad I also used barley, however, you can use any type of grain you like. Barley is not gluten free so if you need a gluten free option quinoa will work as well.

Also, for the salad dressing, I used simple extra virgin olive oil and rice wine vinegar. This is the vinegar I always use to make salad dressings. I believe any other salad dressing will work as well so if you want to get creative be my guess!

Well, I am still really busy trying to develop more healthy recipes for you guys. Lately I have been into salads so I hope you like the few I have posted so far.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash barley salad

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs butternut squash, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup dried barley, uncooked
• 6 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 5 oz fresh pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbs olive oil
• pinch black pepper
• pinch celtic salt

Dressing

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the butternut squash, olive oil and pepper in a baking sheet and coat the butternut squash with the olive oil. I use my hands for this step. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes and cool.

On the meantime, cook the barley. I do this in my rice cooker. Let the barley cool once it is cooked.

In a large bowl add the cooled butternut squash and barley and the rest of the salad ingredients including the olive oil and vinegar. Combine well and serve.

The post Butternut squash barley salad appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am on a quest to start making conventional recipes this year with a healthier take. This barley paella is my starting point. While paella uses white rice, a rice very similar used in risotto, I decided to use barley which is a grain that contains more fiber, minerals and vitamins than plain old white rice.

I actually hardly ever use white rice. Even when making my own sushi I do use brown rice sushi which you can be found at Asian stores.

I actually want to make a seafood paella version perhaps even using a different grain. I have something in mind that I hope it turns out good so stay tuned for that one.

I actually made this dish for Christmas while visiting my brother in Vegas. His kitchen is not very equipped so I had to go out and buy a couple of pots and pans as well as some dishes. He hardly ever cooks at home so even when we spent $300 on groceries he made sure he let me know to finish every single item since he wouldn’t be using none of it. Eating out in Las Vegas is pretty cheap and being a bachelor sometimes cooking is not a priority. Plus he works crazy hours so having a well stocked kitchen is not a must for him.

At home I actually have a real paella pan I brought from Spain. On my next paella recipes I will for sure use my paella pan. Presentation is also important for me so I will be sure to show you my pan. You can buy some here in the US as well so if you ever want to buy the real thing here is the link for it.

The barley is a great alternative to white rice so if you try this recipe you can do either one. Barley is a much healthier option so I hope you will try that.

Enjoy!

Barley paella

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped into small cubes
• 6 oz dried chorizo, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups barley
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 7 oz canned clams, drained
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 oz fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• Lemon wedges, for serving, optional
• Pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

In a 6 qt ducth oven, paella pan,  or any other pan you may have, over medium to high heat add the chopped chorizo and cook until fragrant and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the barley, tomato paste, chorizo, peas, salt and stir. Add 5 cups of hot water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook adding more liquid as it evaporates doing this until the barley is tender.

With the type of barley I used my cooking time was about 30 minutes until the barley become tender, however, using other varieties may take up to 50 minutes. When the barley is tender add the clams, parsley and pepper flakes if using. Stir and serve while still warm with lemon wedges.

NOTE: I do most of my shopping at Trader Joes. While you can find certain items I used for this recipe on Amazon they are extremely cheaper at the store.

The post Barley paella appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

Lately, I have been trying to make some recipes using pumpkin. I have had this pumpkin pizza in mind for a while now. I haven’t tackled it yet but I think I will soon with the remaining pumpkin I have from making this risotto.

Have you ever used barley before? This is all I use when I decide to make risotto. It works great and still remains creamy like risotto. I must say is not as starchy as risotto rice but I think I like that better. Barley it is still starchy, jut not as much!

I have made other risotto versions using barley. This other mushroom risotto is the bomb so check it out if you are into risottos.

Do you have any great pumpkin recipes to share? Let me know if you do because besides tackling the pumpkin pizza I have in mind I don’t have any other recipes. I would like to at least make a couple more before the month is over.

On another note, next week I will be going to Seattle for the first time ever. While it will be a super short trip I am still super excited. They have told me the food there is phenomenal so I hope I have enough time to visit some recommended places.

Anyhow, I will just keep this post short and sweet. If you like pumpkin you have to try this pumpkin risotto. It is so comforting, easy and still healthy.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin risotto

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups barley
• 6-7 cups warm water or vegetable stock
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, cubed
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, omit for a vegan version
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• Fresh parley, cilantro or rosemary

Directions:

In a 3 qt dutch oven, or any other pot of your choice, over medium to high heat add the olive oil and pumpkin. Cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic  until fragrant, about one minute.

Add the barley and stir with the pumpkin. Add 2 cups of vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium low, preferably low, and don't add anymore liquid until the liquid in the pan has been consumed. Repeat this step until all your liquid is gone adding one cup at a time and stirring the risotto each time you add more liquid.

If you find your barley is still hard after the 6 cups have been used add more liquid until your barley becomes soft. It make take you an extra 2 cups depending on what type of barley you used.

When the barley is soft to your liking, make sure you still have a little bit of liquid still in the pot, as this will make your barley nice and creamy, turn the heat off. At this stage you can add the herbs and parmesan cheese. Stir and serve while still warm.

The post Pumpkin risotto appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have not made risotto in for ever for the simple reason that I don’t like using simple carbohydrates for my recipes. I really love risotto so I had to device a method of making it healthier. Why didn’t I think of this before? I guess better later than never.

This barley risotto recipe turned out great. I used a barley type they sell at Trader Joes which is suppose to take less time to cook, however, it took me about a good 20-25 minutes to get the risotto to the desire consistency as well as more water than anticipated. All in all it was worth the time because the end result was magnificent.

I actually make double the quantity and freeze a large portion of whatever I am cooking for future days. This method works rather well for me because it saves me cooking time on those days I am super busy.

You can make this barley mushroom risotto with other veggies if you like. I love mushrooms so that is what I used. I have also made a the same type of risotto using green tea and pesto which I will be adding this recipe to my upcoming cookbook. It was great too, very unique to say the least.

Well, I don’t have too much to elaborate on for this recipe and post. I wanted to get this recipe out quickly so that you could give it a try. I have been really busy with school and time is really tight nowadays, however, I wanted to keep my blog live. After all, I still have to eat and I do love cooking and baking so the recipe posting must go on!

Enjoy!

Barley mushroom risotto

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 cups barley
• 6-7 cups warm water or vegetable stock
• 20 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• Fresh parley, cilantro or rosemary

Directions:

In a 3 qt dutch oven, or any other pot of your choice, over medium to high heat add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft and are almost cooked. About 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and salt and cook the garlic until fragrant, about one minute. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the barley and coat it with the goodness in the pan. Add 1 cup of water or vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium low, preferably low, and don't add anymore liquid until the one cup has been consumed. Repeat this step until all your liquid is gone adding one cup at a time and stirring the risotto each time you add more liquid.

If you find your barley it is still hard after the 6 cups have been consumed add more liquid until your barley becomes soft. It make take you an extra 2 cups depending on what type of barley you used.

When the barley is soft to your liking, make sure you still have a little bit of liquid still in the pot, as this will make your barley nice and creamy, turn the heat off. At this stage you can add the herbs and parmesan cheese. Stir and serve while still warm.

The post Barley mushroom risotto appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

As I was saying on one of my previous posts, I think it is soup time. Soups are easy to make, nutritious and pretty economical, well or at least the ones that I make :-)

You may add or substitute with any vegetables that you would like. On this version I did add some barley that I have had for a while. You can omit this ingredient although it adds up quite nutritional value such as fiber.

Ingredient quantities can also be altered. This is not baking you all so what ever you like best you can add!

Barley, Spinach and Lentil Soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup of barley
2 cup fresh spinach, you can also use frozen
4 garlic cloves
6 - 8 cups of water
1lb dried brown lentils
1 8oz can tomato sauce
Salt to taste

 

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic.  Add water, lentils, tomato sauce, salt and barley. Bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Turn heat off and add spinach. If frozen add 5 minutes before turning off the heat.

TIP: You may add some dry spices before adding the water if you like such as dill, oregano, pepper flakes etc

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