Barley And Kale Topped With Egg Recipes

BARLEY AND KALE WINTER DISH

Steps:

• In a deep pot with a lid, heat 1 Tb of the olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. When heated, add the barley and toast for a minute. Add 2 cups of water to the barley and bring the pot to a boil. Once the water reaches a boil, turn the heat down and allow the barley to cook until tender. This will probably take 25-35 minutes. You can cook barley much like rice: if you find the water disappearing quickly and the grain still isn't tender, just add more water and more time. While this happens:.
• Heat the other 1 Tb of olive oil in a saute skillet over medium heat. Once heated, add your sliced onion and bell pepper. Stir to coat, season lightly with salt and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is transparent and pepper is tender. Turn off the heat under the skillet, and turn your attention back to the cooked, tender barley.
• With some luck, your barley is tender and there's maybe just a bit of water left among the grains. If not, add a scant 1/4 cup more water. Keeping a low/medium heat under your pot, dump in your chopped kale. Season the pile of kale liberally with salt and pepper, then add the minced garlic and lemon juice. Replace the pot's lid, and allow this pile of vitamins to steam for 3-5 minutes.
• Once the kale begins to wilt a bit, remove the lid again, add the onion and pepper mixture, and stir to mix. Season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice as necessary to your taste. Turn off the heat, replace the lid. Finally, to crown your glorious meal:
• Return your now-empty (but likely still greased) skillet to a burner over medium-high heat. Crack an egg for each diner into the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook to fried egg glory (the yolk should be runny! it should!).
• Serve each diner a heaping ladle of the barley mixture topped with an egg. To show off, you could garnish with chopped parsley or scallions.

VEGETABLE BARLEY SOUP WITH POACHED EGG

Steps:

• Cook onion and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, discard stems from mushrooms. Halve caps, then thinly slice crosswise. Add mushrooms and thyme to onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, stock, barley, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute, then season with salt.
• Meanwhile (if using eggs), bring 2 quarts water to a simmer with vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt in a wide medium saucepan.
• Break 1 egg into a cup and slide into water. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing evenly. Poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm and yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon.
• Serve soup in bowls, topped with eggs.

BARLEY AND KALE TOPPED WITH EGG

Steps:

• Fry bacon in a 3qt sauce pan, remove and crumble into a bowl when cooked thorugh and crumbly.
• In the same pan that you cooked the bacon, cook the onions, mushrooms and minced garlic in the bacon grease until soft, 5-10 minutes. Remove and add to the bowl with the crumbly bacon. Set aside in the refrigerator for later.
• In the same pan, add the barley and toast for approximately 1 minute.
• Add the water and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
• Cook barley until soft, 45-60 minutes.
• Turn the stove top off, but do not remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir in the bacon and onion mixture, then add the kale and lemon juice.
• While the kale is slightly wilting, fry up the eggs in a 12 inch skillet.
• Serve each portion of the barley and kale, topping with fresh parmesan cheese and a fried egg on each.