This tasty mushroom barley risotto goes well as a main dish or as a side dish with steak.

Yield: 4 servings 

Total time: 1 hour

You will need:

Lamb Brand Barley, 1 cup

Yellow onion, 1 cup (chopped)

Mushrooms, 12 ounces (cleaned & sliced)

Fresh parsley, 3 tbsp. (chopped)

Fresh thyme, 1 tbsp. (chopped)

Garlic, 2 cloves (minced)

Vegetable broth, 6 cups

Olive oil, 2 tbsp.

Unsalted butter, 1 tbsp. 

Parmesan cheese, ½ cup (shredded)

All you have to do is:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they have released all of their liquid and are golden brown, about 10 minutes. You can add 1 to 3 tablespoons of water if they start to stick.

3. Stir in the herbs and garlic, then add the barley and stir to coat for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Reduce the heat to medium and add more broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed, until the barley is tender but still slightly firm. You may not use all of the broth, but you will use most of it.

5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and cheese, stirring until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.