Barley Salad with Shrimp and Scallops
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tomatoes, rinsed and chopped into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 12 fresh basil leaves, chopped or 2 tablespoons pesto (see below)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ pound bay scallops, rinsed and dried
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, minced
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ pound cooked bay shrimp, rinsed and dried
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, optional
- Additional fresh basil leaves, about 8
- Place 5 cups water, barley and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 55 minutes. Drain in a colander. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a large serving bowl. Mix with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and chopped basil (or pesto.) Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic cloves and pepper flakes and sauté over medium heat for 1 minute. Add scallops and parsley. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring so the scallops brown on all sides. Remove from heat. Discard garlic cloves.
- Add shrimp, scallops and cooked barley to tomato mixture. Toss well.
- Taste and adjust for olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss with remaining fresh basil leaves and garnish with toasted pine nuts if desired.
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups of Fresh Basil about 2 to 3 ounces, leaves only
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 garlic glove
- ½ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 ounce pine nuts, about 2 tablespoon
- 1 Cup extra virgin olive oil
- Remove basil leaves from stems, rinse and dry completely.
- Place basil, salt, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and ½ cup olive oil in a blender, blend for a few seconds. Remove lid and push down basil leaves with a wooden spoon or rubber scraper.
- Slowly add the remaining olive oil while the blender is running on low speed, blending until the pesto is completely smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for slat.
- Use immediately or store in the refrigerator, covered with extra-virgin olive oil or in small portions in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Rima Barkett and Claudia Pruett are busy moms and professional women who love to cook. Both were introduced to the love of cooking and entertaining by their mothers and grandmothers.
They refined their skills through teaching, catering, owning and operating a restaurant, Café Luna Spaghetteria in Stockton, CA. They have prepared over 12,000 meals for family, friends and celebrities.
Their passion is cooking and teaching basic life skills to children through A Tavola Together Foundation, helping them know the joy of cooking and making nutritious food choices.
Rima Barkett grew up in Massa-Carrara, Italy in a large loving family. She learned the love of feeding people and sharing her amazing talent for cooking delicious, easy meals in her mother's kitchen.
Rima brought those traditions with her to the United States in 1993 when she moved here after marrying a California businessman.
Rima realized her American Dream when she opened her own restaurant in Stockton, CA, in 2002. "Café Luna Spaghetteria" quickly became the hip place in town.
In 2006, she sold the restaurant and moved with her husband and daughter to Rome, where she spent a few years working on the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. She continues to be active in global peace initiatives through her foundation, Architects of Peace.
Claudia Pruett is a busy mom and active community member who loves to cook. Her passion is cooking for others. She says: "Thank God for dirty dishes!" because she knows that if her sink is full of pots and pans, she has prepared an enjoyed a great meal with loved ones.
At the age of five, Claudia began helping her mother and grandmother make pasta for family dinners, learning Italian cooking customs including preparing fresh pasta, making tomato sauce and baking bread, traditions she continues with her family.
Rima and Claudia are founding partners of A Tavola Together Foundation. This educational non-profit promotes healthy cooking and eating to school-age children. Their program educates kids about the joys of cooking, empowers them to be confident cooks and encourages them to make nutritious food choices.
>> Buy this book on Amazon: Cooking Dinner: Simple Italian Family Recipes Everyone Can Make
For more information visit www.atavolatogether.com
