are you still eating healthy (or trying to)? YES? (i’m trying but i’ve been out of town the last two weekends). let’s stay on the wagon (or get back on it). this matcha coconut breakfast bowl is perfect for starting your day with, especially if you’re rushing off to your LAST COMPUTER SCIENCE CLASSES OF COLLEGE and then doing some internship things and plotting where to adventure to next.
speaking of the internship: i wasn’t looking for any more internships (except disney ones lol), and then this one landed in my lap. someone reached out to me about it, and next thing you know, i’m interning for one of the competitors of the company i interned during summer 2016. so while the function i’m performing for them is what i (think) want to do full-time post-grad, this product isn’t quite as exciting to market as the one i was working on this recent summer. sigh.
now, that matcha coconut breakfast bowl. i was on a huge barley kick when i first made this, partially because it’s super cheap when you buy it from the bulk bins at whole foods, but mostly because i love how chewy it is. pair that heartiness with crunchy chia seeds, walnuts and coconut, as well as some juicy nectarines (or whatever you have on hand), and you’re golden. or green.
and while this does skew more heavily towards the healthy breakfast category than the decadence of brunch, might i suggest a smidge of sweetened condensed milk on top? you get major milk tea vibes, which i’m not mad about (especially early in the morning).
1 year ago: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi and Ginger, Maple Persimmon Upside Down Cake
2 years ago: Winter Panzanella with Roasted Vegetables, Huckleberry’s Chocolate Chunk Muffins
3 years ago: Easy Stovetop Macaroni, Peas, Bacon and Cheese a la Jamie Oliver (College Edition), Chocolate Meringue Cake with Whipped Cream and Raspberries
4 years ago: Nanaimo Bars, Basic Scones
- 1/3 cup pearl barley
- 1/3 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp matcha powder
- 1 nectarine chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut
- 1 T chia seeds
- 1 tsp maple syrup
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Bring the barley, coconut milk and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium pot. Turn it down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30 minutes, or until chewy but not starchy. Keep an eye on it to make sure that it doesn't boil over. If it looks like there's no more water left, add a splash more.
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Sprinkle the matcha over the barley, and mix until completely combined.
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Spoon the barley into a bowl, and top with the nectarines, walnuts, coconut and chia seeds. Drizzle with the maple syrup, then eat warm.
By no means do you have to stick with these topping ideas! Use whatever fruits are in season, whatever nuts you like, whatever seeds you can tolerate.
I know I sliced the nectarines in the picture, but chopped makes much more sense for even distribution with the barley.
You can leave out the maple syrup drizzled on the top if you want. You can also use brown sugar or agave to sweeten. And if you're okay with this not being vegan, honey or sweetened condensed milk works well.
more breakfast and brunch ideas
coconut almond cluster granola
Sounds yummy and healthy! Love the earthiness of matcha too 🙂 Hopefully this internship will help you decide whether this is the direction you want to go in post grad!! Xoxo 🙂
Never thought of using barley for breakfast, cool idea! And of course, I love anything matcha so you’ll bet I’ll be bookmarking this!
i was on a huge barley kick (and was putting it in everythingggg) bc it’s so cheap haha (;
Is it worth taking an internship that doesn’t excite you? I still haven’t found matcha!
i took it because i wanted to learn something new- i’ve never worked with such a small program before, so it’s forcing me to be more agile and test out different things. so maybe not as exciting as my last one, but i’m grateful for the opportunity to gain new experience anyhow! ahh i hope you can find matcha soon though! can you ship it to your house?
This looks so good, what a great bowl of food to have for breakfast! Would love to wake up to this.
thanks caroline! i ate a pb&j this morning because i was running out the door, so i’d be game for a bowl of this too (;
I’m so into the chewy grains, too, Heather. I’ve not cooked with barley for a while though! I love the matcha in this, too! Thanks for the inspiration!
time to get back on the barley train then (;
The earthiness of matcha and barley is just a perfect combo and so filling too. It would certainly be a delightful change in the mornings. Best wishes with the internship Heather:)
yes! so filling and i love something warm in the mornings during these cold months.
This is very pretty and sounds very yummy!! Oooh, can’t wait to hear more about the internship! Congrats!
thanks, jessie!! (:
I’m so old I still don’t know what in the world matcha is. And you only used 1/4 teaspoon? Is it worth it?!! Is it tea? I’ll go google. Good looking bowl, tho!
Hey Mimi, matcha is a very finely ground type of green tea. It is considered to have more health benefits from other tea types, and it also lends a nice green color wherever you use it!
i’m sure you’ve found out by now (i’m perpetually behind on comments!), but in case you haven’t, it’s green tea powder! it’s a different kind of green tea than the kind you normally see in tea bags (so you can’t just grind that up and use it like matcha). you can get it shipped to you pretty easily though (: and i only used 1/4 tsp bc it’s pretty strong and expensive!
So healthy!! I love matcha!! Congrats on the internship Heather! Anxious to see what your next adventure is! 🙂
thanks, kim (:
So much good stuff in this bowl! And anything with nectarines has to be delicious!
yes to everything with nectarines (: tbh, i could just eat them plain and be happy lol.
This is the kind of bowl that would encourage me to actually eat breakfast. Pearl barley and matcha is a new one for me but it sounds delicious! You make me feel bad!! I didnt even attempt to get on the healthy band wagon this january lol.
haha breakfast is a good thing!! although i get it if you don’t feel hungry in the morning (i had a few cups of tea and got around to breakfast a few hours after i got up), or if life is too busy and you don’t have time (;
You’re in such an exciting part of your life!! I hope everything with the new internship goes smoothly. I LOVE the combo of matcha and coconut! This is something totally fun to try for breakfast!
lots of excitement (; post-grad should be interesting after all this change. and yes, matcha and coconut are flavors that go along so well with everything (:
Hey Heather!
So, you’re basically like a double spy, working for the competition, haha!
Barley is a favorite ingredient and I’m sure this recipe will make a great breakfast!
ahah i’m not involved with the “competition” anymore so not quite a spy (;
Such a perfect breakfast bowl! The barley sounds great in this, and I love anything coconut!
thanks, leanne (:
Such a perfect breakfast recipe, Heather! I love the combination of ingredients! 😉
aw thanks agness (:
Oh cool! I’ve never made anything with matcha or barley before so I’m definitely pinning this recipe for later! And congratulations on finishing your last computer science course! That has to be a weight off your shoulders!
oooh matcha and barley (but mostly matcha) are so fun to play around with, so i hope you get some in your kitchen asap (:
WHOA, that looks amazing!!! Bookmarking this one!!!! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
thanks, gingi (:
I love the barley in this! I’m sure it has a nice chewy heartiness!
yeah i love the chewiness of barley! mushy grains are a no-no in my book.
Talk about a heart breakfast bowl that ISNT OATMEAL! Ha! Finally. Way to think outside of the box Heather and incorporate that healthy AF matcha!!
YES. oatmeal gets tiring sometimes, and i’m not a huge fan of the texture (steel cut is better than regular oats, but i’m not like YES GIVE ME ALL THE OATMEAL).
I feel so healthy just after looking at this! I haven’t tried barley like this before! But I can see how it works with all the other healthy stuff in this bowl!
hahaha if only looking at healthy things made us healthy (;
I love matcha with everything, especially for breakfast as it just gives me a bit of a boast in the mornings.
Thanks so much for sharing.
mm yes! the caffeine helps, but also just anything tea related makes me feel so cozy in the morning (:
The matcha coconut breakfast bowl sounds all sorts of healthy! Good luck with your last semester~ Congrats on finding an internship! Hope you’ll gain the experience you need to strengthen your skills in the professional field.
I love matcha and coconut – you just brought in the best of both worlds together INTO A SINGLE BOWL!!! I love how it’s easy to make as well!
exquisitely.me
the internship is definitely making me work for it- i was doing a similar role last summer, but because that company’s team is well established, and this one’s isn’t, it’s a very different experience (; and yes, matcha + coconut is so good!
I hope you enjoy the new internship! This is a wonderfully wholesome breakfast! It’s so much healthier than the deviled have toast I’ve been eating. I have never had barley for breakfast, but I should start!
oops yeah it’s healthier than my pb&j go to breakfast as of late, too. this is definitely more of a meal prep recipe than a make the morning of recipe (;
Barley for breakie! Sounds great- I am also on a matcha kick these days.
All the best with your new internship 🙂
haha it seems like a lot of people are on a matcha kick (; it’s everywhere (at least in the pockets of california that i frequent), and i love it!
Ooh this really sounds like a good way to start the day! I have a bag of Matcha I hardly ever use so maybe I’ll be giving this a go soon! Also, the photo at the top is gorrrgeous!
ooooh there’s so many good uses for matcha! hope you get around to using it more (:
This sounds absolutely perfect for a healthy hearty breakfast.
thanks, emma!
omg! yes! I just told myself I need to pick up some barley to make something out of it! I was oddly craving that soft fluffy texture haha! I actually have strawberry matcha that I have no idea what to do with haha so I guess I know what I’ll be making now!! 😀
mmm yes that barley texture is so cozy (: and i think you meant some matcha, but if you have strawberries + matcha, you should do a strawberry matcha latte!! layer strawberry puree, milk and matcha, and it’s such a refreshing drink. not *quite* the right season/mood for it, but it’s so good (: