Mushroom-Barley "Risotto"

Hey there, my fabulous readers! I may sound like a broken record, but I really can't keep emphasizing how important fiber is in your diet. Just in case you didn't know, adult males should be consuming on average 30 grams of fiber every day and adult women should be consuming 20 grams of fiber per day. Good sources of fiber include: oatmeal, nuts and seeds, legumes, beans, lentils, apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, cucumbers, zuccini, celery, tomatoes, and whole grains.

The average North American doesn't even get half their daily amount of fiber and it's easy to see why. Many grain based dishes don't taste nearly as good when you substitute whole grains for white grains. For example, one of my favourite comfort foods is my grandmother's mushroom risotto, honestly there is no better mushroom risotto out there. Unfortunately it is made with white rice and I really can't see the flavours working as well together if you replaced the white rice for brown rice. Even if you could make this substitution, there is still a ton of cheese, cream, and butter that jacks up the caloric and fat content. When I found this recipe for risotto that replaces the rice with barley, it seemed to solve all the nutritional problems that normal risotto has. Barley has a ton of fiber, magnesium, and selenium. When you cook barley, it's almost a bit like a porridge and thus has a natural creaminess, which takes away the need to add cream and butter.

(recipe, with some changes, courtesy of epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Risotto-Style-Barley-with-Mushrooms-15672)

Ingredients:

-1 tbsp. olive oil

-1 medium onion, chopped

-12 oz. chopped button and crimini mushrooms

-1 large portobello mushroom, stemmed and chopped

-3 tbsp. chopped fresh parlsey

-1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

-1 tbsp. minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

-1 cup pearl barley

-5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

-2/3 cup white white, I find Chardonnay works best

-1 bay leaf

-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a heavy, large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, sauté 4 minutes. Add all mushrooms; sauté until golden brown, adding 1-3 tbsp. of water if mixture is dry, about 15 minutes. Stir in herbs and garlic. Add barley and cook 1 minute.
2. Add 4 cups of broth and the white wine and bring to a boil. Add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and barley is almost tender, about 40 minutes.
3. Stir in 1 cup of broth and cook uncovered until barley is tender and mixture is creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Should yield 6 servings

Nutritional Information
(per 1 serving):221 calories, 3.9 grams of fat, 0.71 grams of saturated fat, 3.7 grams of cholesterol, 535 mg of sodium, 32.4 grams of carbohydrates, 5.6 grams of fiber, 2.3 grams of sugar, 9.75 grams of protein