Lunch: Sesame Barley with Greens and Teriyaki Tofu Recipe | Myrecipes

Recipe by Jeanne Kelley Don't skip the chilling step: It gives flavors time to soak into the barley.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Barley, Sesame Seeds

Health benefits of Sesame Barley with Greens and Teriyaki Tofu Recipe | Myrecipes

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley. Sesame seeds help with progesterone balance. Lignans found in in sesame seeds help to prevent excess estrogen production.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce, divided
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
6 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
1 (14-ounce) package organic extra-firm tofu, drained
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium, heavy saucepan. Add barley; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Drain and cool slightly.
Combine vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1 garlic clove in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add chard and barley; toss well to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 °.
Cut tofu crosswise into 5 (1-inch-thick) slices. Place tofu slices on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
Cut each tofu slice into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil, remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, remaining garlic clove, and pepper in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add tofu; toss to combine. Let stand 10 minutes.
Arrange tofu in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 ° for 30 minutes or until tofu is browned on all sides, stirring three times.
Divide barley mixture evenly among 4 plates, and top evenly with tofu. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and onions.