BARLEY AND SHIITAKE MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Barley and Shiitake Mushroom Risotto,Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley, 1tbsp ghee, 1 1/3 cup onions-chopped, 8 shiitake mushrooms-soaked overnight and stem removed in the morning, slice long, ½ cup regular button mushrooms-chopped fine, 1 tbsp garlic-chopped, sea salt and black pepper to taste, 6 cups vegetable stock.

Method

1. Add ghee to a skillet, add onions and garlic and cook till translucent.
2. Add the button mushroom first, cover and cook till tender.
3. Once tender add some water and let it cook, then use a hand blender to bled the mushrooms to a grainy texture (this provides the creamy base for the risotto).
4. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for a while on medium heat.
5. Add the pearl barley and sauté for at least 4 minutes, add salt and pepper.
6. Then add the vegetable stock, let it boil covered, for 45minutes till barley is done. 

Benefits of Barley is from the family of grasses, called jov.
It’s a cereal grain, its rich in vitamins and min cereals and many beneficial plant compounds.
Grains are the ‘staff’ of life.
Cereals are the most highly developed seed of food plants.
Embryologically they have roots, stems and leaves reveal the same pattern of an adult plant, the process that a fetus represents.
Grains tune the nervous system to affect all through the body.
It’s a legacy left by our ancestors.
Barley is chewy in texture. 

1. Cooling (perfect grain for summer) relieves summer heat and fatigue.
2. Sweet and salty (therefore a summer grain again).
3. Strengthens the spleen, pancreas and stomach.
4. Builds blood and yin fluids.
5. Moistens dryness.
6. Promotes diuresis.
7. Insoluble fibre improves digestion.
8. Alleviates painful urination.
9. Whole barley is sproutable, and is far more nutritious more fibre, twice the calcium, three times more iron and 25% more protein.
10. Sprouted barley: is warming, treats indigestion from starchy food, tonifies stomach, alleviates stagnant liver chi, strengthen weak digestion and helps spleen-pancreas.

Benefits of Shiitake

It is a 100 million years old, increase energy, activates ‘qi’ or ‘prana.’ 25 percent protein and all 8 essential amino acids, present in the ideal ratios and is the ideal protein for us. Completes grain with amino acids:leucine and lysine. Rich in glutamic acid, considered to be brain food. Vitamins minerals and B12. Immune system stays strong with edible fungi, stimulates immune system. A polysaccharide lentinan and virus–like particles in shiitake trigger serum factors associated with immunity and inflammation. protein-bound polysaccharide has a positive impact on cancer, anti-cancer.