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Tuna Barley Salad; the Weekly Menu Plan

Thyme for Cooking Posted on by

Who doesn't like whipped cream?

Or potatoes?

As it turns out, two members of our extended family don't.

There's also one that doesn't like truffles (the fungi, not the chocolate), one that can't abide rutabagas and one that thinks life can go on quite nicely without Dijon mustard.

Then, of course, there's yours truly, the foodie with the wimpy palate, that won't eat hot peppers or hot sauces or anything that makes my lips burn…. Except Dijon mustard, which I dearly love.

We had a request made for 'no duck' and one for 'no fish'.

Some things didn't surprise me (rutabagas); some totally surprised me (whipped cream).

What I most enjoyed about this conversation, though, was how gobsmacked people were about other people's dislikes…

Family member #1: You don't like potatoes? What do you mean, you don't like potatoes!?!.  How can anyone not like potatoes!!!! Does that include chips?  Fries?  Really?!?!? Not even McD's???

Family member #2: Potatoes are ugly tubers… And who are you to talk!  How can you not like whipped cream?  It's sweet air for gawd's sake!  What do you put on pumpkin pie?

Mon mari went through a period of time, after his pancreatectomy, when he didn't like pasta.

Yes, I know…. Hard to believe, but there you have it.

No pasta.

I found myself at the height of summer Pasta Salad Season with a full half of the household refusing to eat pasta.

Not to be put off, I switched to barley.

Barley works amazingly well in salads.  It's more substantial than rice, it's satisfyingly chewy and healthier than pasta. 

Try it; you'll like it!

Oh – and tell me what food you love to hate – that most of the world just loves….

Tuna-Barley-Salad
Tuna Barley Salad 

2/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) quick-cooking barley
1 1/3 cup (11oz, 340ml) chicken stock
2 hard-boiled eggs
9oz (270gr) tuna
1 – 2 ribs celery
1 cup peas frozen, thawed, no sauce
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes
2 tbs fresh, snipped chives
2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
Creamy Dressing

Put barley and chicken stock in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes for quick-cooking barley.
Cook eggs. When done, cool, peel and roughly chop.
Thaw peas by running under hot water; drain well. Open and drain tuna Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Roughly chop celery. Snip chives and basil. Make dressing
To finish: Put barley into a large bowl. Add tuna, eggs, peas, tomatoes, celery, herbs, dressing and stir well to combine.

Creamy Dressing
2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
4 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
4 tbs mayonnaise

Put all ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine.

In addition to this, for the week of June 24 we have Grilled Scallops with Lemon Ginger Sauce, Turkey Pesto Rolls, Chicken and Avocado Salad, Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Oriental Pasta Salad….

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Comments

Tuna Barley Salad; the Weekly Menu Plan — 12 Comments

  1. What a wonderful idea. I’d MUCH rather have barley than pasta. This is as good an idea as the brown rice pie crust.
    Thanks!
    Chuck

  2. brassfrog, thanks. My son is the ‘no potatoes’ guy – so I made lots of barley side dishes when he was here. He loved it all (as do I)

  4. KETCHUP! yuck, yuck, double yuck. can’t smell it, have my food anywhere near it. really horrible. I love barley too!

  5. Cantaloupe. I can’t abide cantaloupe. Nor am I even remotely thrilled about wieners. Brrrr. And eggs with runny yolks, but you already know about that….
    I have a brother-in-law who doesn’t like potatoes. And a sister who doesn’t like whipped cream. I can’t understand either of them.

  7. I don’t really love chocolate. I’ll eat it, but a dessert with chocolate would always be the last I would choose.

  9. Mushrooms, of any sort, cooked or raw. Olives, either black or green. Pickles. Raw tomatoes, especially the sad, pale, watery things they try to give you in the winter. (And in the summer, I far prefer a Roma type tomato if they are going to be raw. Cooked, I eat them like crazy.) Shrimp. Not a huge fan of whipped cream, but I can be polite about it. Spicy, spicy hot foods.
    At that, I’m not a particularly picky eater. Most vegetables, fruit, and meats are fair game. Pasta and bread are dear friends. I don’t have a taste for most runny cheeses, BUT I’m always willing to give a cheese that I don’t know the benefit of the doubt. 🙂 But the looks I get when it becomes obvious that I don’t eat some of the above things….oy!

  11. Dave, ah, the dreaded cucurbits…. does she eat the green monster? (zucchini)
    kirsten, KETCHUP?!?!? LOL
    Elizabeth, love cantaloup, like hot dogs, won’t eat anything called a ‘wiener’. Yes, I know about the yolks….
    manningroad, barley is good food.
    meredith, I can pass on milk chocolate… But dark? Just don’t stand between me and dark chocolate.
    Thanks, Liz, I’m actually starting to prefer it – lots more flavor.
    Laurie, I’m ambivalent about mushrooms and whipped cream, but my world would be a sadder place without fresh tomatoes and olives. I’m always having people trying to convince me to eat hot sauce….
    Belinda, it’s not just for soup 😉

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