Made this the other day, we liked it! The sauce would be good on other
things as well. Both recipes are from _The Natural Gourmet_ by Annemarie
Colbin.
Barley Croquettes - 24 - 30 croquettes
4 stalks celery
1 large carrot
3 cups barley
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Wash and dice the celery and carrot and place in a pressure cooker (or a 4
quart sauce pan) along with the barley, water , salt, and a few grindings of
pepper, basil, and bay leaves. Bring to pressure (or a boil) over high
heat, then reduce heat to low and pressure cook for 40 minutes (or simmer,
covered, for 1 hour), or until the barley is tender.
Wash and chop the parsley.
When barley is finished cooking and the pressure is down, remove the bay
leaves. Place half grain in a food processor and process until well mixed
but not pureed. Combine with the remaining grain in a large bowl and set
aside until cool enough to handle.
Moisten your fingers with water and form barley into 2 1/2 inch round
croquettes or patties. Fry in non stick skillet sprayed very lightly with
cooking spray. Alternatively, brush with oil and place on oiled baking
sheets and bake for 1 hour, or until lightly browned. Serve hot with
Shitake Mushroom sauce, garnished with chopped
parsley.
Shitake Mushroom Sauce - 2 cups
1.75 ounces dried shitake mushrooms
2 1/2 cups water
4 large shallots or cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (I used only 1, plenty salty)
2 1/2 tablespoons kuzu (or cornstarch)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (optional)
Place mushrooms in small bowl. Bring 1 cup water to boil, pour over the
mushrooms and set aside to soak until soft, about 30 minutes.
Drain mushrooms and press out excess liquid, reserving the soaking water.
Cut off tough stems and discard. Slice mushrooms into thin strips.
Place 2 - 3 tablespoons soaking water in a small saucepan along with the
shallots or garlic and 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce. Simmer, stirring
until the shallots are tender, about 3 - 5 minutes, adding more liquid if
necessary. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 1 minute more. Add the
remaining soaking water, 1 1/4 cups additional water, the soy sauce and
lemon juice.
Dissolve the kuzu or cornstarch in remaining 1 cup water. Bring sauce to a
simmer, add the kuzu and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened
and translucent. Add mustard if you wish. Serve hot.
Jan Gordon
jan@xxxxxxxxxx
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