Rice Maker Barley Risotto

I have never eaten risotto before. Yes, I have enjoyed a variety of grians made into tabouli, pilafs of rice or pastas, but never the creamy blend I've seen pictures of in many cookbooks. In my search to use up a large bag of pearled barley I found a recipe for barley risotto and decided to look up what the name risotto refers to.

http://www.answers.com/topic/risotto : A dish of rice cooked in broth, usually with saffron, and served with grated cheese. [Italian, from riso, rice, from Old Italian.

http://www.newitalianrecipes.com/cooking-terms.html : Risotto is a creamy rice dish made with short-grain or Arborio Italian rice. The rice is gently cooked in butter or olive oil. Liquid, usually broth, is then added a small amount at a time until the rice is cooked and bathed in creamy liquid. Risotto must be stirred almost constantly to release the starch from the rice so the starch thickens the broth, giving the dish its characteristic creamy consistency.

I consider myself a modern woman.... sure I homeschool my children, grow my own vegetables, make my own meet roasts (seitan) and soymilk, BUT I run around sporting a bright colored pair of croc's, drive a small SUV, and use a fully loaded convection oven almost daily. I cannot fathom the idea of standing at my stovetop stirring a pot of rice consistently for 20 or more minutes. So when I saw the recipe for risotto made from barley I knew I had to try it - - - - - in my rice maker. Brown rice takes 45 minutes in the rice maker and this stovetop recipe I found took 45 minutes also, a match made in heaven or so I hoped! I considered the fact that the rice maker would loose liquid during the cooking process, so I added more. I think my risotto needs green to become beautiful (maybe broccoli or celery would work here), other wise you see the barley in creamy sauce with mushrooms, red pepper, pinto beans, and onion. DH added soy bacon flavored bits to his (I don't care for that flavor) before eating it. He also threw on a dallop of sour cream... not me. I threw a side of seitan roast and some green beans.

RICE MAKER BARLEY RECIPE (link)