Recipes from Our Volunteers

Barley Jambalaya

From Chef Sarah McKay, Operation Frontline Detroit

Yield/Portion Size: Serves 6, 1-1/4cups per serving

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories 190; Total Fat 3.5g; Sat Fat 0.5g; Sodium 640mg; Carbohydrates 33g; Fiber 7g; Protein 8g.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 2 whole bay leaves
  • 1 cup barley
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 1 medium green bell pepper
  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 4 ounces turkey ham
  • 1 Tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Bring water, bay leaves, and barley to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to low, cover saucepan and cook barley until tender and water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
  3. Rinse celery and green pepper. Peel and rinse onions and garlic.
  4. Dice onions, celery, and green pepper and mince garlic.
  5. Dice turkey ham into ¼ inch pieces.
  6. Add oil to large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat.
  7. Add meat, onions, celery, peppers, and garlic to the soup pot. Mix well.
  8. Sauté 5-10 minutes, scraping bottom of pan periodically.
  9. Add tomatoes with juice. Turn heat to high and bring to boil.
  10. Add the 4 spices and stir to combine.
  11. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and let cook for 15 minutes.
  12. Add cooked barley to the meat and vegetable mixture, stir to combine. Add more liquid, if necessary.
  13. Cook over low heat for an additional 5-10 minutes to blend flavors together.
  14. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Chef’s Notes

  • Try ham, turkey, or turkey sausage instead of the turkey ham.
  • Substitute brown rice for the barley, if you like.
  • To save time, cook the barley ahead of time and simply add to soup pot in step 14.

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