Barley w Edamame Stir-Fry

I've come to the realization that I eat too much rice and too many beans/lentils. Duh! Took me only 40 years to realize that I'm just an Indian ;)!! Anyhow, one of the things I've been trying to do has been to up my intake of non-traditional grains, and cut back on rice. I've substituted barley, wheat berries, bulgur etc. Today it was the turn of barley again. 

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 cup dry, Hull-less Whole Barley
2. 2 cups Water or Home-made Vegetable Broth
3. 1 Medium Red Onion, julienned
4. 1 x 14 oz Frozen Shelled Edamame
5. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste (or 1 tsp each, dry powder)
6. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
7. 2-3 tbsp Soy Sauce, to taste
8. 1 tbsp Agave Syrup
9. Salt and Pepper, to taste
10. Asian hot sauce (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Rinse barley in lots of water until it runs clear and then transfer barley and water (4 cups) with a tsp of salt to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on high, for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to dissipate naturally. Meanwhile, line a pan with water and add ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and agave and allow to come to a full boil, add julienned onions and saute until translucent. Bring to a full boil and add shelled edamame. On high heat, mix in, allow to come to a full boil and then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until edamame are fork tender and barley in the pressure cooker is cooked and ready to serve. Serve stir-fried edamame and onions over a bed of barley. Serve hot sauce on the side for the brave hearts in your household :)

My Assessment: I love the chewy texture of barley. Although I don't (at least in my mind) associate Asian foods with barley, this dish had that lo-mein-y flavor going for it and tasted great. I love edamame in any form and that accords its own brand of chewiness. This dish takes a while to eat and is consequently really filling. For being so simple to make and is loaded with a fantastic punch of dietary fiber (almost 14 g) and a ton of nutrition. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 334 (Fat Calories 45)
Total Fat 5.0 g; Carbohydrates 52.8 g; Fiber 13.7 g; Sugars 2.1 g; Protein 17.5 g


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