Red Beans and Rice in the Pressure Cooker

My version was mild enough for every member of my very white family.  Even both my picky kids liked it and asked for seconds and thirds!  Look at the end for tips to spice it up and a low-glycemic version.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 red onions
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• cherry tomatoes (or other ripe or canned, drained tomatoes)
• 1-2 dry bay leaves
• 1-2 large dry hot peppers - seeded, no need to chop or pre-soak
• 
• dry or fresh chopped thyme
• 1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
• 1 cup red/kidney beans (See step 1 for soaking tips.)
• 3.5 cups water or broth, plus water for rinsing and soaking
• smoked paprika
• salt

Barley Casserole with Mallows, Tomato, & Basil

Last week I made Stinging Nettle Soup with nettles I picked near my building.  This week I collected large, round mallow leaves on the way home from dropping my daughter off at kindergarten. 


If you don't have mallows available, one thing you can take from this post is that barley can be used in casseroles like you might use noodles.  This could have been a casserole with thin layers of barley, spinach, basil, tomato sauce and cheese.  Either way, barley is a very healthy alternative to pasta, and even white rice.

Barley Sushi

Today is the second episode of "Sugar Slashing Sunday."  Barley might be my new favorite diabetic-friendly food.  It is a great substitute for rice, and it has culinary benefits beyond health.  Pearl or pearled barley has had the outer husk removed.  Pearl barley has a Glycemic Index (GI) around 22-25, half that of regular rice (varies between 38-87 depending on variety), which means it will have a lower impact on post-meal blood glucose.   

Barley can be a little more cumbersome to roll into sushi, but it stays springy and tender longer than white rice, which tends to dry out in the fridge.  This makes pearl barley an excellent choice if you want to roll your sushi even two days in advance.  By following the tips bellow, even novice sushi makers can to make this delicious, good-carb treat.