Ingredients:
200g pearl barley
Knob of butter
2 sticks of celery – diced
2 shallots / 1 small onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – crushed or diced
4 – 6 thyme sprigs
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
4 strips of lemon rind
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
400g tin chopped tomatoes
700ml veg stock
300ml passata
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
150g – 300g feta crumbled
1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves to finish (optional)

How to

Ok chubby little loser, I realise it has been a fair old while since I posted (lazy, terrible sister etc) 2015 new year, new posting resolve never fear.

But I can rest easy that you have not starved as I have have had the recent bad festive fortune to spend time with you and doing nothing but eating and drinking. Similarly you are still suitably rotund to reassure me that somehow you sustain yourself, phew. I rest easy. But… Perhaps your new year resolution is to cook a little more?? I ease you in gently with a bit of a hash over of a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe from his book Jerusalem. Easy peasy. Just need to get some ingredients in.

1. Begin! Rinse your pearl barely thoroughly in a sieve under the tap and leave to drain. Chop your celery, shallots and garlic and put a large high-sided frying pan (like the one you bought me) or casserole dish on the heat.

2. Add the butter and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. (In case you don’t know a tablespoon is about 4 teaspoons) add your chopped celery, shallot and onion and soften for approx 5 mins.

3. Add the barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon rind, chilli flakes, tomatoes, stock, passata and half a tsp of salt bring the mixture to the boil and then drop heat to a low simmer and bubble for about 45 mins.

4. Meanwhile mix the dried oregano and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle and then grind them up a bit (don’t worry if you can’t do this just mix them) and sprinkle on the feta drizzle generously in extra virgin olive oil.

5. When the risotto is ready divide between bowls and sprinkle with the feta and fresh oregano if you managed to get it – I didn’t.

This will serve about 3 or 2 if you are really hungry – Yotam says about 4 but if you wanted to do 4 I think you would need to add more green veg like spinach (just stir in a couple of mins before serving) or other be like beans, peppers or broccoli.

Easy! I know you are holidaying in Sri Lanka and couldn’t give a crap but hey when you get home this should even be doable on jet lag, even for you.

It’s veggie – good for the colon.