469202 Thu Dec 13 13:21:18 -0800 2007 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 3205678 Let me count the ways- 1. You are wholsome and nutritious. 2. You are tasty and delicious. 3. You are equally good piping hot or chilled in a salad. 4. You are a great addition to soups and stews. I love barley! And spelt, farro, wheatberries. I don't discriminate with my whole grains. But for some reason I HATE to cook them on the stove. Has anyone attempted to cook any of these in a rice cooker? Same concept, right? I mean brown rice takes just as long if you simmer it on the stove. But my rice cooker came with explicit instructions not to put anything but rice and water in it. Someone say it isn't so.... Thu Dec 13 13:21:18 -0800 2007 61392 sparkalina 1 3205709 Barley is great! Love The Frugal Gourmet's Beef Barley Soup recipe. Lots of ingrediets, but worth it. Thu Dec 13 13:31:06 -0800 2007 3205678 123480 scuzzo 1 3206051 Have you tried the oven for cooking grain? Both wheatberries and barley have been very successful using a modified pilau method. Now, if you can just explain why barley is stocked in the canned soup section of the grocery store while other grains are with the legumes??? Thu Dec 13 15:02:49 -0800 2007 3205678 15743 Sherri 1 3206136 Sparkalina- I'm so with you! I grew up eating kasha (buckwheat) and other whole grains as breakfast porridge, in salads, soups, formed into patties, etc. Do you have trouble cooking barley on the stove because the grains stick together / get mushy? I've always had luck with stovetop kasha by doing the pilaf-method of tossing the grain in a hot fat (like, sauteing onions in olive oil / butter first, then adding the kasha and stirring to coat each grain until you get a nice nutty smell, then adding liquids to simmer). Rinsing the barley grains first might also help wash off extra starches that contribute to mushiness. Thu Dec 13 15:34:00 -0800 2007 3205678 149633 Starka 1 3206189 Funny, earlier today I was thinking about barley and cooking some up in my rice cooker! Never tried it before, but I have the book called "Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook" and it says to cook 1 cup of pearled barley in 2 cups + 2 T. of water and a pinch of salt. For brown barley, it says 1 c. barley to 2.5 cups of water & a pinch of salt, and let brown barley soak in the water for an hour before cooking For both types of barely, she suggests letting it "rest" or steam for 15 mins. after the cycle finishes, then fluff with a fork. Please report back if you try it! Also....do you use pearled or brown barley? i assume I've always used the pearled, but not 100% sure. Thu Dec 13 15:52:41 -0800 2007 3205678 117621 poptart 2 3212927 I just tried the rice cooker method - and it is a hit! The barley came out perfectly cooked and not the least bit gummy! It is still a little 'chewy' for lack of a better term at the moment. Oh, and the very best part was the crunchy brown bits that stuck to the bottom of the rice cooker pot! Now the down side. I pushed the start button and then took my dog for a 20 min walk. When I came back in the house there was water all over the counter and the lid was was almost shaking itself off the pot. Then again I did cook 2 C. of barley instead of just 1! This will last me all week for lunches and stuff, so next weekend I will try the oven method and hopefully remember to report back with the results. Sun Dec 16 12:11:34 -0800 2007 3206189 61392 sparkalina 3 3213867 Oh, good...thanks for the report. I will try it in my rice cooker this week with 1 c. of barley. Did you end up using pearled barley? Sun Dec 16 18:32:23 -0800 2007 3212927 117621 poptart 4 3215566 yep, pearled barley. I can't believe the texture difference between this and the stovetop. Maybe because it only takes about 1/2 the time? Or, maybe I was just plain overcooking it on the stove? Who knows. Next week - oven method! Mon Dec 17 11:14:41 -0800 2007 3213867 61392 sparkalina 1 3206225 On a related subject - have you tried making it like risotto? Its on my list to try but since hubby doesn't like barley, I have to wait til I'm cooking for the BF who like me, loves the stuff Thu Dec 13 16:08:42 -0800 2007 3205678 59853 AlaskaChick 2 3212962 I made a mushroom-barley risotto recipe from Cooking Light a couple months ago - it turned out really well! Not quite the same texture as a regular risotto - it had a bit more bite than arborio rice does. Does your husband know your boyfriend likes barley? ;) Sun Dec 16 12:27:26 -0800 2007 3206225 72401 jnstarla 1 3207266 oven-baked barley casserole: 3/4 c barley, 1/4 c melted butter, sliced mushrooms, sliced carrot, sliced onion, seasonings, one beef bouillon cube or moral equivalent. place in 2 qt casserole, pour 4 cups boiling water over. cover, throw in oven at 350 and bake for 2 hours, stirring now&then. Fri Dec 14 06:05:31 -0800 2007 3205678 18355 rudysmom 2 3213201 I was just about to post one of my favorite recipes that is similar to this. Saute some chunks of chicken, chopped celery, onion and mushroom with a couple of cloves of crushed garlic plus salt and pepper. Transfer into a buttered casserole dish and add 1 cup of barley and 2 cups of chicken stock (the amounts can vary if you want more barley but it should be twice the amount of stock to barley). Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until all liquid is absorbed. This is a great winter comfort food dish. As a main course,. I use 2 boneless chicken breasts cut up, 4 stalks of celery, one medium onion and maybe 10 mushrooms. Sun Dec 16 14:11:24 -0800 2007 3207266 12103 Greg B 1 3207269 Yes, I have a problem with the 'gummy' texture that sometimes results from the stovetop. I will try the rice cooker method this weekend and report back. Next week I'll try the oven and compare methods. My normal grocery store carries pearled barley so that is the staple, but if I have the time to go to Wild Oats I can find brown. I love the risotto idea, too. Try risotto with red wine some time instead of white. Great flavor and a pretty color! I had it in Parma, Italy and fell in love. Fri Dec 14 06:07:07 -0800 2007 3205678 61392 sparkalina 1 3214402 I've never cooked barley alone in the rice cooker, but frequently mix it with rice (brown, white, or mixed). Glad to know it can be done. Mon Dec 17 00:57:11 -0800 2007 3205678 57890 KaimukiMan