Thursday, April 12, 2018

Barley and Cuban Black Bean Salad, #recipe from Linda Wiken, author


I found this recipe in our local newspaper today and I was just so desperate for spring, I thought, why not a salad tonight? Although I've already had a couple of BBQs over winter, this prolonged cold weather begs for more ways to think spring. So, salad and BBQ trout!

I took a couple of liberties with the ingredients, as we tend to do. Instead of pearl barley, I used pot barley because that's what I had. Besides, when I was reading the differences I found that along with needing to be cooked longer, it is the more nutritious of the two. Pearl barley has both the husk and layer of bran removed.

Next, I had a can of Cuban black beans in the cupboard rather than the regular variety of black bean. I love the spicy taste of Cuban black beans and/but they come with a thick sauce which I didn't want to lose. So, I kept it and decreased the amount of salsa in the dressing, wanting to keep the heat manageable for my guests.  And, instead of crushing the garlic, I went ahead and minced it as I think that makes more sense in a dressing.

The result? Very tasty and it will be on many more menus to come. There you have it, grains and (some) veggies in one dish!

Last minute change, because of the weather, the trout was baked.

What you'll need:

3 c. chicken broth (I used the boxed kind)
3/4 c. barley
1/2 c. salsa
1/4 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of sea salt
1 can (10 oz) Cuban black beans
1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 c. green peppers, diced
1/2 c. red peppers, diced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. green onions, thinly sliced

This is what the Cuban beans look like up close:


What do do:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 c. chicken broth to a boil. Add the barley and return to a boil then simmer, covered, for approx. 45 minutes. Stir occasionally. Transfer to a bowl when done and let cool to room temperature.

2.  Prepare the dressing by combining salsa, yogurt, lime juice, garlic and salt.

3. Add beans, peppers, corn, cilantro and green onion to the barley; then stir in the dressing.

4. Chill and serve.





Dine out with the DINNER CLUB MYSTERIES

It's now here --
Marinating in Murder, book #3
Recipes included!

Here's a taste of pre-release reviews:     



Wiken’s third entry to the Dinner Club series is a clever twist on the classic whodunit… The book will have you guessing until the very end…. All in all, an intriguing read by Wiken.” – RT Reviews




ROUX THE DAY,  the second  Dinner Club Mystery is available in paper and as an e-book. 
Recipes included!



TOASTING UP TROUBLE, the first in the Dinner Club Mysteries is available at your favorite bookstore and on-line, as a paperback and as an e-book.  
Recipes included!





Writing as Erika Chase -- the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series are available on-line or at your favorite bookstore.

             
Visit Linda at www.lindakwiken.com
Love to hear from you at my Facebook author page and
on Twitter  @LWiken  
Also appearing at www.killercharacters.com
                                                                               


Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com 
 at my Facebook author page
and on Twitter  @erika_chase.

3 comments:

  1. Sounds really good & spring like while we still have snow in the forecast. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anything to take our minds off more snow, I say!

      Delete
  2. Sounds quite tasty.
    Years ago a foursome of us decided we were tired of winter and had a grilled outdoors dinner in the snow. We had a fight to see who got to cuddle with the one dog for extra warmth!

    ReplyDelete