Winter warm barely, mushroom and asparagus risotto

I love, love, love Barley. For its soft, squishy, and somehow really comforting feeling it gives. Perhaps because it reminds of the consistency of pasta. Like a big hug in your mouth. If that makes any sense at all...

I am also a huge risotto lover. So for me this is just a perfect combination, barley as risotto!

Basically you cook the barley the same way you would a risotto. Constantly adding liquid stock so that you slowly cook and fatten up the barley with the stock flavour.

If you want to go vegan you can omit the parmesan, this will only make the dish slightly less creamy and salty.

Barley is a great grain. It is high in fiber, which we all know is good for our digestive system. It is also a good source of a certain type of vitamin B, niacin. This B vitamin is specifically good at protecting again cardiovascular disease via its ability to lower cholesterol and lipoprotein levels, both of which can clog up arteries, increase blood pressure. Barley also contains significant levels of selenium which is a mineral we often lack. Selenium is essential for may enzyme functions, as well as being an antioxidant preventing oxidative stress from free radicals.

Ingredients needed for two are:

2,5 dl pearled barley
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 mushroom stock cube
4-5 slices of dried porcini mushroom (you could also use chanterelle but it will not give as much flavour so you need to up the amount, perhaps double even triple)
2 portabello mushrooms or 100-150 grams of your preferred mushroom
2 stalks of kale ( I used cavalero nero)
1/3 chilli, chopped & deseeded if you don't like too much heat
6-8 green asparagus
50-70 grams fresh parmesan, grated
drizzle of cooking friendly oil such as rice oil
4-5 dl boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
1-1,5 dl white wine or dry white vermouth
a knob of butter

1.  Boil the water and add 3,5 dl to a pitcher or bowl, crumble the stock cube into it. 
2. Use the rest of the boiled water to soften up the porcini. Make sure to keep the water they soak in as this will contain a lot of flavour. 
3. Fry the onion and chilli in a bit of oil till the onion has gone soft and a bit translucent. 
4. Add the barley, stir so it gets a bit of the oil coating it then add the wine. Allow the wine to evaporate by cooking it off slowly on a low heat. Keep stirring so that nothing sticks or burns to the bottom. 
5. Once the wine has disappeared, slowly add a little stock. You will keep repeating this each time you see that the barley is getting 'dry'. Basically once the moisture has been soaked up and the barley is about to stick to the pan. 
6. The barley needs to cook for approximately 20-30 minutes. Halfway through you want to take out the portion mushrooms, slice them and add them to the barley. Also add the soaking water, saving the last bit as this will contain a bit of git and sand. 
7. Once the porchini have gone into the barley, while keeping your eye on the barley chop the portable into cubes, heat some butter in a frying pan and add the mushroom. Fry on a low heat, you want to get them soft and sweaty. Season with salt and pepper. Place them on a plate while you now add the kale to fry in the same pan, adding a little butter of the pan seems dry. You want to fry them for about 6-10minutes, this will retain some of their bite. Add the asparagus to the plate of portable mushrooms.
8. Lastly add the chopped kale to the frying pan, again adding a little butter of the pan seems dry. Fry for approx. 2-4 min, you want to retain some of their bite. 
9. Now put back the portabello and asparagus and set aside, off the heat. 
10. All the while you have been adding stock to the barley. You should be about done, so taste. You want the barley to be bouncy in consistency, not hard and not mushy. 
11. If your barley is cooked add the parmesan, perhaps also a splash more of the stock to loosen it all up a bit. Stir so that the residue heat melts the parmesan. Taste, perhaps some fresh pepper or a pinch of salt?
12. If your happy with the barley risotto, plate and then top with the portable, asparagus and kale.

You could add a drizzle of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.