Recipe: Golden Barley

It has recently come to my attention how much I enjoy barley. It is inexpensive, a low/no processed grain, and it tastes great.  Cooked, it has a starchy quality like risotto but the grains themselves literally burst with flavor when you bite down on them.  By adding a few ingredients as the barley is cooking you can flavor it any way you like to make a great side dish with minimal effort.

You will need:
1 cup barley
2 1/4 cups low/no sodium chicken or vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Paprika
1 teaspoon butter

Optional Garnish: A sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley might be nice

In a saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil.  Add in 3/4 of a tablespoon salt, two teaspoons of garlic powder, two teaspoons of paprika, a few shakes of pepper, and the teaspoon of butter.  Add the cup of barley.  Stir to combine.  Cook for thirty minutes over low heat where the liquid is still simmering, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and allow to sit for ten minutes.

Serves 4-6