Rice Maker Barley Risotto

I have a Zojirushi rice maker. It has a cook button and when it is done the switch pops up and goes to a warm position. I got it at Goodwill for $2.99 several years ago and still works great!

To make this recipe place the following ingredients in the rice maker in any order, give it a stir, put on the lid, and push the cook button:

4 C water

1 ½ Tbsp Frontier brand vegetable broth powder

1 C pearled barley

1 ½ C chopped sweet onion

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp Morton's Nature's Seasoning

2 tsp red miso or ½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp dried rosemary or thyme

1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

¾ C sliced mushrooms (I used canned)

1 C cooked red beans *

½ C slivered red pepper, coarsely chopped

¼ C soymilk (for a creamier feel to the sauce)**

I waited 10 minutes, removed the lid and gave it a stir. The extra liquid in the rice maker then became very creamy with the wait.

Options: Sprinkle with soy parmesan, bac'un bits, or a dallop of soy sour cream/ plain yogurt

Substitution suggestions:

* I use pintos which I cook and freeze in 1 ½ C portions for later use, so they do not have the extra sodium. You will need to adjust the salt to your taste if you use canned beans or fresh mushrooms

** Or 1 Tbsp plain soymilk powder

I served this along side of seitan roast and green beans. A couple slices brest of tofu would be nice also. I just saw a package of vegetarian SPINACH nuggets at the grocery store. They look like chicken nuggets with green insides (probably like a spanikopita??). I thought about trying them, but for $3.75 and 10 fairly high fat nuggets I like making my own just fine. Nuggets with a green salad would make a nice meal completion also.