Ingredient: fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced

Grains and seeds have always been high on my priority list to cook and bake with. Now, you take barley, a humble grain with good nutrition even though it doesn’t get much credit for it. The first barley grown in North America was in Newfoundland, Canada in 1578. Production moved westward from there to the prairie provinces.

Barley has a chewy texture with a slightly nutty flavor. It absorbs liquids in soups, stews and salad dressings, capturing their flavors. Barley flour gives baked goods a lovely rustic taste and look.

The difference between pot & pearl barley has to do with the milling process. Pot barley has most of the barley bran still intact whereas with the pearl barley, most of the bran is removed. Barley bran is found throughout the kernels so both are still healthy options.

There is absolutely nothing fancy about mushrooms and barley except for its flavor. This recipe combines the duo with dried apricots and almonds to make one amazing stuffing for the pork tenderloin. Yum!

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Barley & Apricot Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, German

Servings

MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 150 grams fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 cup pot or pearl barley
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup almonds, slivered
• 1/3 cup dried apricots,
• 454 grams pork tenderloin
• 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme & sage leaves
• salt & pepper to taste

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, German Servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup onion, chopped 150 grams fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced 1/2 cup pot or pearl barley 2 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup almonds, slivered 1/3 cup dried apricots, 454 grams pork tenderloin 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme & sage leaves salt & pepper to taste

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, heat oil, add onion & mushrooms; saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in barley & chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cover pan & simmer about 15 minutes. Allow cooked barley mixture to cool, then stir in almonds, apricots, parsley, sage & thyme.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice tenderloin down the center, cutting just slightly more than half way through. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spoon barley stuffing on one side of the tenderloin then cover with the opposite side. If necessary, tie or skewer tenderloin to keep filling in during baking.
3. Place tenderloin on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in the oven until inserted meat thermometer registers 160 F. Any excess stuffing can be spooned into a small buttered baking dish & baked for the last 20 minutes to serve as a side.