Photo: Mock Risotto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (3 1/4 ounces) whole grain brown rice
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) pearl barley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces, 3 cups
- 6 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered, 2 cups
- 2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the rice and barley and cook until al dente, 15 minutes. Drain well.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onion is tender and beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Stir in the drained rice mixture. Add 2 cups broth, cover and cook until the rice and barley are tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the asparagus and mushrooms and continue to cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup broth, cream cheese and Parmesan until melted and creamy. Sprinkle with chives and zest.
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Nutritional analysis per serving (optional crushed red pepper flakes not included in analysis)
Calories 312; Total Fat 8.8g (Sat Fat 1.2g, Mono Fat 3.3g, Poly Fat 1g) ; Protein 13g; Carb 49g; Fiber 8g; Cholesterol 1mg; Sodium 194mg
Notes
A combination of barley and brown rice make this a hearty, no-fuss mock risotto. Packed with vegetables and given a little bit of creaminess from reduced fat cream cheese, this is a perfect vegetarian main dish or side dish.
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By sdarlow
Wyoming
on April 14, 2013
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I have made this a few times now. The first time I followed the recipe to a tee and found that the rice needed to cook longer than the barley did. Now when I make this I just use barley, no rice at all. I also add a few more seasonings to my taste. This makes a nice, hearty, vegetarian dish that can be changed easily to suit your needs!
By katie.young21
on October 03, 2012
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This recipe turned out perfect and tasted really good! I used all of the broth, but let the dish sit for a few minutes to allow the cheese to thicken the sauce and it was a perfect consistency. The only problem I had, was that the rice and barley turned out a little hard. Next time I will cook them in the water for a little bit longer than the recipe called for so they come out softer, but I will definitely make this one again!
By plutonicgirl
on August 10, 2012
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Tasted great!!! My husband and I loved it!!! I only used 2 cups of broth and 1 1/2 cups of brown rice for the receipe.
Read all 12 reviews