Barley & Rice with Prawns & Smoked Salmon

Barley and brown rice with honey soy prawns and smoked salmon is an unusual recipe.

I have used staples that I always have in the pantry and thrown them in together to make a delicious meal!

This is a healthy recipe with the addition of some barley, cooked in with the brown rice.

I have used the large Australian Tiger prawns for this recipe, however any raw prawn is OK as long as you do not overcook them.  Overcooking prawns makes them tough and chewy, and they are far nicer if just cooked for a few minutes only.

Prawns are a good source of protein, are low in saturated fat and calories, and this makes them a healthy food. They can also help prevent heart diseases due to the Omega 3 fatty acids which they contain.  And nowadays they are not so expensive as they used to be, and you can buy several varieties, though I only ever buy Australian ones.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes (plus marinating time)
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
¼ cup barley
12-14 large raw prawns
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp grated orange zest
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp honey
Smoked salmon for serving (optional)
SOY GINGER DIP
40 ml soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar
3 g ginger

Instructions
Shell and take out the top vein of the prawns, leaving the tails intact if possible.

Combine the oil, rind, juice and half of the honey in a bowl. 

Add the prawns and toss to coat them all.  Cover them and refrigerate for about an hour.

Meanwhile, rinse the barley and brown rice (or if you are in a hurry, you can use white rice).

Add about 2½ cups of water with this and bring to the boil.  Once it has boiled, put the lid on and simmer for about 35 minutes, checking a few times as you may need to add water to make sure it is not sticking. Then leave this standing for up to 10 minutes.

Once it is boiled it is optional to add a little Tamari and about 1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds.  This will enhance the flavour!

Meanwhile combine the ingredients for the soy ginger dip, in a small saucepan, and just before the meal is finished, heat this on a low heat until the sugar dissolves (this only takes a few minutes).

Drain the prawns and either barbecue or grill them, firstly brushing with the remainder of the honey or just drizzling the honey over them.

Cook them until they just change colour, and start to turn pink.

Serve with the dipping sauce on the side, make a mound of the rice with the prawns around it, and you are sure to impress anyone fortunate enough to be eating with you.

If using smoked salmon, add this at the end -this gives the dish another flavour and works well with everything else.

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