Recipe: Pearl Barley Pesto

Ingredients 
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves (or you can use spinach or parsley)
1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted (or pine nut/almond nut/cashew nut)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp water
3 large clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

200 g Mushroom (or chicken)
2 Cups chicken stock or water
1 Cup Pearl barley (you can also use rice or whole wheat pasta)

TIPS and PROCESS

• Mushroom: slice and put in the oven to dry up (roasting, If you skip this, your meal will be watery because mushroom produce a lot of water once it is cooked). baking or roasting it allows the water to dry up. allow it to go brown and very dry, this also gives the meal a toasty taste.
• Chicken: If you are using chicken, season to your taste and cook until soft. then shred into bits. 
• If you want to use chicken stock, then save your stock for the barley.
• Cook the barley/rice/pasta with either the stock or water ( 1 cup of barley will produce 2 or more cups after cooking). wash the barley before cooking, cook until its soft like rice then set aside.
• To toast walnuts/pine nut/almond nut/cashew nut: Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes or toast in a frying pan under medium heat.
• Place basil/spinach or parsley  walnuts or any other nut, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender; pulse a few times, then process until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency.
• Then put the barley (or whatever you are using) in a pot add the blended mixture, mushroom or chicken and stir. Add more salt if needed and serve.

Per 2-tablespoon serving of the pesto without barley: 83 calories; 8 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 2 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 176 mg sodium; 104 mg potassium.

1 cup cooked barley contains cooked in water: 198 Calories/Fat 0.71g/Carbs 45.51g/Protein 3.64g