Barley - What is barley?
By
Jolinda Hackett,
Vegetarian Food guide About.com
Definition: Whole grain barley is a healthy high-fiber, high-protein grain
boasting numerous health benefits. When cooked, barley has a chewy texture
and
nutty flavor, similar to brown rice. Although
soup
is the most popular way to eat barley, you can use it like any other grain
such as couscous or rice. Serve a
curry
or
stir-fry
over barley instead of rice or make a
barley pilaf.
How to cook barley:
Cooking barley is similar to cooking rice. Cover 1 cup of pearl barley with
2 cups of water or
vegetable broth
and simmer for 30-40 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Or, try using a
rice cooker. Add 2 1/2 cups water per cup of barley.
Barley and your health:
According to the FDA, barley's soluble fiber reduces the risk of coronary
heart disease and can lower cholesterol. But that's not all that this
amazing
food does! Barley also contains insoluble fiber, which reduces the risk of
Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. One cup of cooked barley provides 193
calories,
6 grams of fiber and 3.5 grams of protein. With less than one gram of fat
per serving, barley is a virtually fat-free food and is also
cholesterol-free.
Types of Barley
Barley is available in natural food stores in the bulk bins or the baking
section. Some regular grocers stock barley in the natural foods aisle or
next
to the beans and lentils. Dehulled barley, or hulless barley, is unprocessed
and takes longer to cook than pearl or pearled barley, which is more common.
Quick cooking barley is just as healthy, yet takes only 10 minutes to cook.
Try adding a handful of quick cooking barley to a simmering pot of soup.
Barley trivia:
98% of barley grown in the United States will never make it into your soup!
Barley is refined to make barley malt - a key ingredient in beer, and is
also
grown for feeding animals used for food.
Jolinda Hackett
Vegetarian Food Guide
Later.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Windows Live Messenger: [email protected]
Skype: honeybunny1958
_______________________________________________
Cookinginthedark mailing list
[email protected]
http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
