Cuban Barley, a twist to the classic
Cuban rice is a typical dish we all had in Spain in our childhood, it consists in white rice with tomato sauce, a fried egg and fried banana. The day your mum promised you would have Cuban rice for lunch, was one of the best days ever, it’s one classic and favourite dish that made us sigh.
Last time I have it, was yeas, many years ago, you know, one of those dishes that get forgoten, probably for it’s simplicity. But a couple of days ago I lived one of those ‘aha!’ moments. I had barley in the fridge, a jar of peeled tomatoes in the cupboard and something did click in my head!! Cuban barley!! why not? So I prepare a delicious and easy tomato sauce with onions and basil, I mixed with cooked barley and a poached egg as the icing on the cake 😛 Not bad, don’t you think?
Barley is a wonderful cereal, super healthy, most known because it’s used to make beer, but it’s also used in many countries in soups or other traditional dishes. Here in Spain is not that common, although is the country number 1 producing it. Barley is loaded with vitamins and minerals, specially group B, K, potasium and magnesium. It helps with cholesterol and because is rich in soluble fiber it protects our instestins and helps with costipation. Thanks to its high levels of selenium, it makes your skin shine and elastic and protect us against free radicals.
What are you favourite childhood dish that you are still enjoying? I would love to see your photos if you try this recipe, so please, tag #healthyforkful on Instagram.
- 400 g of tomato peeled or chopped in jar
- 1/2 onion
- Fresh basil
- Salt
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Put olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion very chopped. With the medium low heat we leave until completely poached.
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Add the chopped tomato, basil and salt, if we want this is the time to raise the fire a little more and so we accelerate the process. Once the tomato liquid has been absorbed, lower the heat, stir and let it do about 20 minutes, until it acquires the desired texture.
Barley with homemade tomato and poached egg
2-4 fresh eggs
a splash of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
Water
For the poached egg
We put water to boil along with the vinegar and, when it reaches the boiling point, we remove the pan from the fire. We break an egg into a bowl or cup and introduce it into the hot water, allowing it to enter the container slowly. Then we slide the egg into the water and remove the bowl or cup.
Cover the pan and let the egg cook or poach for 3 minutes. After this time the clear will have already set and the yolk will be liquid. It is very important to use fresh eggs because the egg white is more compact and stays together.
We remove the poached egg with the help of a slotted spoon and serve it over the barley with tomato.
For barley with tomato
When the tomato is ready add the cooked barley, give a couple of turns to heat, add a few tablespoons of ground parmesan or nutritional yeast and serve with the poached egg.