Barley Sausage Skillet

This barley sausage skillet is outstanding. I've never tried barley before and I really like it. It has a really yummy nutty flavor and the little barley just pops in your mouth. It's like a really good brown rice on steroids. This recipe calls for quick cook but we just got the hulled barley from whole foods. (It's in the bulk section so you only buy what you need.) You have to soak this kind but the flavor is so much better. We also added canned, whole, peeled tomatoes to this dish and it blended in so nicely. Overall it's a great supper!

Ingredients
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
1 cup quick cooking barley
Cooking spray
8 oz turkey Italian sausage
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (8oz) package mushrooms
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp Madeira wine (we used wine we had on hand)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/8 tsp black pepper

Prep
Place broth in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Add barley to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Transfer to a bowl. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Return sausage to pan. Stir in wine; saute 2 minutes. Add barley; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in basil and black pepper.

Yield
4 servings (serving size 1 1/4 cups).