Cranberry-almond morning barley

Total Time:   22 min   Prep: 5 min  Cook:  12 min  Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Tangy dried cranberries and crunchy sliced almonds play nicely against the creamy texture of cooked whole-grain barley. We opted for quick-cooking barley, which is done in about 10 minutes, so that this dish can be prepared even if time is short.

Ingredients

Almonds

2 Tbsp, slivered or sliced

 

Water

2 cup(s)

Uncooked pearl barley

1 cup(s), quick-cooking variety

 

Dried cranberries

⅓ cup(s)

 

Table salt

1 pinch

 

Half-and-half cream

¼ cup(s)

 

Ground cinnamon

½ tsp

Instructions

1. Put almonds in small skillet and set over medium-high heat. Cook, shaking pan frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer almonds to small plate or cup.

2. Meanwhile, bring water to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in barley, cranberries, and salt; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed and barley is tender, 10–12 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in half-and-half and cinnamon. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Divide evenly among 4 bowls and sprinkle with almonds.

3. Serving size: generous ¾ cup barley mixture and 1/2 tablespoon almonds