Mushroom and spinach stir-fry with pearl barley
Mushrooms are an excellent source of minerals, including copper. This trace element is needed for the formation of connective tissue and melanin. This pigment is responsible for the natural color of hair.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- 200 g pearl barley
- Salt
- 60 g sunflower seeds (4 tbsp)
- 2 small cloves of garlic
- 80 g Parmesan (30% Fett i. Tr.)
- 15 g basil leaves (3 handfuls)
- Pfeffer
- 1 dash of lemon juice
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 shallot
- 500 g mushrooms (e.g. button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms)
- 50 g leaf spinach (1 large handful; alternatively frozen)
Method · 30 min
- Cook pearl barley in 3 times the amount of boiling salted water according to package instructions for 20-30 minutes.
- For the pesto, toast the sunflower seeds in a hot, dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes; then remove and let cool. Meanwhile, peel and dice the garlic. Grate the Parmesan cheese. Wash and shake dry the basil leaves.
- Place 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, half the garlic, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, and 2 handfuls of basil leaves in a tall container. Add a little salt, pepper, lemon juice, and 9 tablespoons of olive oil, then blend with an immersion blender to make a pesto. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Peel and finely dice the shallot. Thoroughly clean and chop the mushrooms. Sort through the spinach, wash it, and shake it dry. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan. Sauté the mushrooms over high heat for 2–3 minutes. Add the shallot, remaining garlic, and spinach, and cook over medium heat for another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season everything with salt and pepper.
- Drain the pearl barley, fluff it with a fork, and mix it back into the pot with about half of the pesto. Then add the pearl barley to the mushrooms and toss briefly.
- Empty the contents of the pan onto plates and serve garnished with the remaining sunflower seeds, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Serve the remaining pesto separately.
Instead of pearl barley, you can also serve the mushroom and spinach stir-fry with whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, millet, or buckwheat. For the pesto, you can substitute almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts for the sunflower seeds. Basil can easily be replaced with other herbs or flavorful salad greens. Arugula or parsley, for example, are excellent choices.
