Slow-Cooker Mushroom Barley Risotto

Every once in a while I pick up a Crock Pot cookbook because I love when I can just put something in a pot and walk away.  Who doesn't?  We all love great tasting food, but why does it seem like we are always slaving over the stove to create it?  Well, we don't have to, and the Crock Pot is the solution to saving time and energy.  This recipe made it's way to my kitchen via The Complete Series: Slow Cooker, which is a great Crock Pot companion for the clean eating individual.  I'm not going to lie, this recipe needs some TLC on the stove before it makes it's way into the pot, but I promise that the end result makes the preparations well worth the time and effort!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
1/2 lb. Button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. Fresh thyme, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
3/4 c. Pearl barley
4 c. Vegetable stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, and saute for 4 minutes.  Add all the mushrooms and saute until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Add the parsley, thyme, garlic and barley and stir for 1 minute.

Transfer all of the mushroom mixture to a slow cooker set on high, add 4 cups of stock, cover and cook until liquid is almost absorbed and barley is almost tender, about 3 hours.

Stir in the tomato paste, check for seasoning and cook for 1 more hour or until the barley is tender and the mixture is creamy.  At the end, stir in the Parmesan cheese and season again if necessary.  

Although this dish takes a few hours to create, I find it much more manageable then stirring my risotto for and hour and a half, standing over my stove, frustrated that the sauce isn't thickening.  Instead, I just check in on it a couple times, go about my daily household duties, and come back to it when it's done.  It is so creamy and delicious, it's hard to believe it's vegetable based and that just one cup is enough for any lunch or dinner!