Since I have scads of barley that I got a fantastic deal on, my quest of late has been to add barley to as many things as I can. It's going well--except for the naming of these recipes. Let's face it, barley is a tasty treat, but certainly doesn't sound sexy. Even soups like Vegetable Beef Barley, which are expected, and which I've never tried but people seem to really like, the barley is an excellent addition, but makes the whole thing sound practical and school-marmish.
Perhaps I'm over-thinking this.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked pearl barley (I did a big batch in the crock pot)
1/2 cup spinach
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I use the super cheap peas, carrots & green beans mix)
1 can mushrooms
1 can tuna (you can leave this out, but I add it sometimes for extra protein)
Assorted spices: I used salt, pepper, curry powder, ginger and rooster sauce
Olive Oil
Sesame Oil (essential for that "Chinese food" taste)
Garlic--diced
- Heat about three glugs of olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and sautee until brown. Add salt, pepper and assorted spices
- Add cooked barley and sautee until heated through
- Add vegetables and sautee about five minutes
- Add tuna, if using
- Add mushrooms
- Add spinach
- Add rooster sauce or other spice agent. Drizzle on some sesame oil. Taste test and add more spices if desired
Voila! Delicious, filling and good for you. Double bonus, it freezes very well. Since this is a meal I'm usually eating by myself and it's a bit labor-intensive, I usually freeze half right away and then get about 2-3 meals out of the unfrozen half. It travels well, and is tasty both hot and cold. Basically, perfect.
I don't have an exact cost breakdown--but let's estimate $1 for the barley, $.75 for the veg, $.60 for a can of mushrooms, $1 for a can of tuna, $.50 for spinach, $.50 for spices and oil. That's $3.85 for about six large servings, or $.64 apiece.
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