Barley "Risotto" with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Lovely. The weather was beautiful all week while I was stuck inside working, and now that the weekend is here we have cold, rainy, gray weather. I'm curled up on my daybed in our office, next to a very cute and furry little animal, watching the rain come down and dreaming of summer.

This hearty vegetarian "risotto" is perfect for a day like today and tastes A LOT better than it looks. The pecorino romano cheese added at the end makes it taste perfectly decadent, but it is really quite healthy. Leftovers are great - I actually think it tastes better after it has set a bit.

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (preferably thin asparagus)

1 box (give or take) vegetable or chicken broth - I like Kitchen Basics or Trader Joe's Organic

1 bunch scallions

2 cups sliced mushrooms - Use whatever kind you like, sliced button mushrooms, cremini, or shitake all work

2 tablespoons olive oil

~1/4 cup of pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

1 cup barley

Slice the asparagus thinly and diagonally and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes or so. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and saute sliced scallions and mushrooms until mushrooms have given off their liquid and are soft - about 7 minutes. Add the barley to the saute pan and stir to combine with the scallion/mushroom mixture. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth to start, stirring frequently until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Continue to add broth, about a cup at a time, until the barley is mostly tender, about 30 minutes. Add blanched asparagus and continue to stir/add broth until the barley is fully cooked, about 15 minutes more. Add cheese and stir to combine.