If you are like me and you have minimal time in the morning to enjoy a filling, healthy breakfast then don’t worry I have you covered! This recipe is super easy to prepare and once everything is cooked and tossed together it can sit in the fridge for a week or so for you to enjoy.
Although barley may not be as popular as other whole grains like oats, wheat, or even grain-of-the-moment quinoa, barley has some impressive health benefits. It has a very high fibre content, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, heart health and diabetes protection are just some of the barley nutrition benefits that make it one of the best whole grain choices. Barley is a source for a range of important vitamins and minerals: fibre, selenium, B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, and more. And when compared to many other grains, even other ancient whole-grains, barley is lower in fat and calories, but higher in dietary fibre. For example a one-cup serving of cooked barley has less calories, but more fibre, than an equal serving of quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, sorghum, millet or wild rice.
Obviously then, it’s a fantastic breakfast option and with the addition of many other seeds and fruits in this recipe it can become your favourite healthy breakfast recipe, especially since it’s pre-made and ready to be consumed every morning.
So, let’s get cooking my darlings!
INGREDIENTS
250 gr barley grain
100 gr sesame seeds
100 gr almonds
50 gr pecans
200 gr pomegranate seeds
200 gr sultanas
1 tsp aniseed seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1
Put the barley in a sauce pan and add water to cover. Boil for about 2 hours until soft. In between you will need to top up with extra water. Once its cooked, drain and wash with cold water.
Step 2
Whilst the barley is boiling, add the sultanas in a bowl and re-hydrate them by adding water. Let them on the side.
Step 3
In another small saucer add the sesame seeds and some water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain and wash with cold water and leave on the side.
Step 4
For the almonds, pour some water in a small sauce pan and add the almonds. Boil them for 10 minutes and drain. Once they are cool to the touch, remove the skin from all the almonds. You can of course buy almonds which are already blanched.
Step 5
To assemble: In a big bowl, add the cooked barley, drained sultanas, almonds, sesame seeds and pomegranate seeds and toss together. Finally, take some aniseed seeds, rub them in between your hands to release all the aromas and add them to the mixture.
♥ As you can see it’s quite a straightforward recipe! You will just need to prepare everything one day and enjoy your pre-made breakfast every morning. Remember to store in the fridge.
All the ingredients can be easily found in the supermarkets apart from barley. I haven’t been lucky finding some at the supermarket but you can find some in health stores.
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