Rice, barley and spelt in pepper and tofu sauce

I can provide you with a recipe for a risotto with rice, barley, and spelt in a pepper and tofu sauce, which can be a delicious and nutritious dish. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

• 100 g of whole grain rice
• 50 g of pearled barley
• 50 g of pearled spelt
• 200 g of tofu
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Vegetable broth as needed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. Wash the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut them into thin strips or cubes.
2. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
3. In a large pan, heat a bit of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until they become translucent.
4. Add the chopped peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, until they are soft.
5. Meanwhile, drain the tofu from its preservation water, pat it dry with some paper towels, and cut it into cubes.
6. In a blender, put half of the cooked peppers (keep the rest in the pan), add some vegetable broth, and blend until you get a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the cubed tofu to the pan with the peppers and let it lightly brown.
8. In another pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil.
9. In a third pot, lightly toast the rice, barley, and spelt with a drizzle of oil, then start cooking by adding a ladleful of broth at a time, like a risotto.
10. When the grains are almost al dente, add the pepper sauce and mix well.
11. Finish cooking the grains, adding more broth if necessary.
12. Once everything is cooked and creamy, turn off the heat and let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving.
13. Plate the risotto, adding the tofu and the peppers set aside, and garnish with fresh basil or parsley if you want a touch of color and freshness.

Curiosity

This dish combines whole grains and legumes (tofu is actually derived from soy), which together provide a complete amino acid profile, very important for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Also, peppers are very rich in vitamin C, which in addition to being a powerful antioxidant, increases the absorption of iron present in the grains.