Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Traditional risotto is made with a short grain rice (like aroborio), sauted in butter or olive oil with onions for several minutes to coat the grains of rice before adding in a splash of wine and then ladles of hot stock or broth, stirring frequently with each addition of liquid to help the rice develop its starches and create a creamy dish. It refers to the method of cooking as much as the final dish itself. I call this dish a Faux Risotto because I used barley instead of a short grain rice (although you CAN make risotto with other grains), and the barley was cooked independently of the rest of the vegs, boiled like long grain rice. Yes, the final dish has that same creamy texture as a true risotto does, but I arrived there in a very different fashion... thus the Faux. And yes, I HAVE made traditional risotto before; quite frankly, I didn't have the patience for it tonight.

Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Ingredients:
4 cups of water
3/4 cup of barley
1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow, or orange)
1 roma tomato, diced (canned would be fine)
1 pint of mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder (blah blah fresh...)
1 Tbs. parsley (fresh or dried)
couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil before adding the barley and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the vegs (except the mushrooms) in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the mushrooms and dried spices, continuing to cook until the mushrooms start to brown and give off their liquid, another 5-7 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and remove from the heat. Once the barley has absorbed most of the water, add it to the mushroom mixture, stirring gently to combine. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley and some Parmesan if the mood strikes you.

Enjoy!