Barley Paella with or without Shellfish

A Classic Spanish Dish Made Healthier with Cholesterol-Lowering Grains & Reduced Calories

Discussion

If you have ever been to a Spanish restaurant, you typically will find paella as a featured entree. Paellas are delicious, festive ---- and with this recipe, something you can make in the home.

Where the Spanish have used white rice as the basis of paella for over 500 years, we are using the higher-fiber, higher nutrient barley to build a healthier version of this great dish of Spain.

And barley delivers just as much of the cholesterol-lowering fiber as oats. Here in the Kardea Kitchen, we say oats in the morning, barley at night!

Moreover, barley is low on the glycemic index --- the measure of how foods affect blood sugar levels. Barley slowly releases its energy into the blood stream, much more slowly than most whole grains even brown rice or oatmeal.

Properly prepared, barley also is delicious. Barley can complement a great variety of dishes, serving as a high fiber substitute for rice, potatoes and other starches. Paella recipes traditionally call for a fair amount of olive oil. While healthier than other oils, lots of oil adds lots of calories. This recipe reduces the olive oil levels, and delivers a more calorie-wise, high nutrient main meal.

Summary

Yield	Servings
Prep time	30 minutes
Cookbook categories	Barley Soluble Fiber Shellfish Seafood Fiber Sustainability Cholesterol-Lowering Low Glycemic Spanish Omega-3 Main course
Cookbook difficulty	Medium
Cookbook search
Cookbook time consumption	Over 60 min

Ingredients

2 1⁄2	c	Water (2 Cups for Cooking Barley, 1/2 Cup for Shellfish)
1		Onion, Small (chopped )
2 1⁄2	T	Olive Oil
1	c	Peas (fresh or frozen)
1⁄2		Red pepper, fresh, large (sliced into thin rings)
1⁄2	c	Roast Peppers, jar or fresh roasted (sliced into 1" wide stripes)
1	c	Artichoke hearts (quartered)
1	T	Capers
1	c	White Wine (split - 1/2 for cooking barley; 1/2 for cooking shellfish)
1⁄4	c	Green Olives (pitted & chopped)
1	t	Smoked Paprika
1⁄2	t	Tumeric
1⁄2	t	Saffron (optional)
1⁄2	c	Fresh Parsley (chopped)
1	c	Chick peas, cooked (optional)
8		Shrimp, Medium-Large (deveined, tail on, optional)
8		Mussels (optional)
8		Clams (optional)
2	clv	Garlic
1		Bay Leaf
1	c	Barley. pearled (rinsed till water runs clear)

Instructions

Rinse barley until water is no longer cloudy and runs clear. Set aside to drain.

Heat an ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onion, and red pepper rings. Sauté for for few minutes. Remove pepper rings.

Add rinsed barley to the pan and sauté for five or so minutes, stirring regularly and making sure that barley does not burn or stick to bottom of pan. Add turmeric and saffron, and then water to the hot barley. Stir until the yellow color of the spice is dispersed through the pan. Cover, lower heat, and cook for 25 minutes. While the barley is cooking on the stove top, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend smoked paprika with chopped roasted peppers, peas and chick peas (if desired), add white wine and then gently blend into the barley. Layer red pepper rings, artichoke quarters and chopped olives on top of barley. Cover and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. You have now created a vegan paella. Serve as a main course ---- or as a primary side dish.

From Vegan Paella to Paella with Shellfish

In a separate pan, heat oil and then add garlic. Cook for only about a minute or two, making sure that the garlic does not brown. Add wine, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp, mussels, and clams. Remove from heat.

Add the shellfish at the same as you add vegetable. Pour liquid from the shellfish cooking over the barley. Finish by layering in red pepper rings, artichoke quarters, and chopped olives.