Pork Steaks with Fried Tomatoes and Cucumber Salad
30 min
Quick weeknight dinner that's done before the potatoes finish boiling. Juicy pork, blistered cherry tomatoes, and a creamy cucumber salad — simple and solid.
porkquickweeknight
Barley Risotto with Sweet Potato and Feta
Barley instead of rice makes this risotto heartier and more nutritious — and it works beautifully. Great on its own or alongside grilled meat.
Instructions
- 1
Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, spread the cubes out, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
Put the tray in the middle of the oven at 200 °C and roast until the sweet potato cubes are golden.
- 3
Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat a wide pot with a little oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
- 4
Rinse the barley in cold water and let it drain well. Add it to the pot and fry for 3–4 minutes. Add a little of the stock and bring to a boil. Let the stock cook in completely before adding more. Keep adding stock gradually until it's all absorbed and the barley is tender.
- 5
Fold the roasted sweet potato into the cooked barley along with the chard or spinach and the rest of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- 6
Crumble the feta and grate the parmesan, then scatter both over the barley risotto just before serving.
Per average serving
526
Calories
kcal
19.1
Protein
g
69.6
Carbs
g
20.2
Fat
g
12.5g
Fiber
7.9g
Sugar
1439mg
Sodium
Family Portions
2portions
Adults
2
Children
No children added
Ingredients
Per average serving
526
Calories
kcal
19.1
Protein
g
69.6
Carbs
g
20.2
Fat
g
12.5g
Fiber
7.9g
Sugar
1439mg
Sodium
Tips from the kitchen
- Add the stock a ladle at a time and wait until each splash has cooked in before the next. Pearl barley takes longer than rice, usually 30 to 40 minutes, so taste a grain before you call it done. It should be tender with a slight bite, not mushy.
- Cut the sweet potato into even cubes so they roast at the same speed. Pull them out when the edges are golden and a little caramelized, around 25 minutes at 200 degrees.
- Fold the chard in at the end, off the heat or close to it, so it wilts down without going slimy. Stems take a touch longer than leaves, so chop them smaller or add them a minute earlier.
- Hold back the feta and parmesan until the plates are in front of you. Scatter them on cold so the feta stays in soft crumbles instead of melting into the barley.
- Keep the stock warm in a separate pot while you cook. Cold stock stalls the simmer every time you add it and stretches the cooking out.
Ways to vary it
- Spinach works in place of the chard if that's what you have. Stir it in at the end the same way, it wilts even faster.
- A handful of toasted pumpkin seeds or chopped walnuts scattered on top gives you some crunch against the soft barley.
- If you want it richer, a knob of butter stirred through with the parmesan at the end loosens the texture nicely.
Storage & leftovers
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. The barley firms up as it cools, so reheat gently in a pan with a splash of stock or water to loosen it again. I wouldn't freeze it, the texture turns grainy and the feta doesn't come back well.
What to serve with it
Good on its own as a main, or next to grilled lamb or chicken. A simple green salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the richness.
UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 10 June 2026 · Updated 11 July 2026
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