So the electricity might go out....

Because I sometimes cook as if we were a house of 10, I prepared for the snowstorm as any sane person in a commune would, I made a giant batch of Barley stew. Edible cold, this stuff is packed with all the nutrients you would need if a snowpocolypse comes your way. Plus, it is made of regular pantry ingredients. When cooking this, keep in mind that I make enough to eat, have for lunch, and still store the leftovers in the freezer.

Ingredients

• 2 tb of olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cups of barley
• 3 box containers of veggie broth, low sodium
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1 package of frozen spinach
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (the larger size)
• 1-2 tb of herbs de provence
• 2 bay leaves

1. Saute the onions in olive oil in your stockpot, until they are translucent.
2. Add the rest of your ingredients
3. Let simmer on low for at least one hour, and stir occasionally.
4. Serve with Romano on top, if you like.

I know. Very complicated. If you want this to be less stew-like and more meal-like, let the mixture continue to simmer until the barley absorbs all the liquid. That is what I did this time, and it will be easy to defrost later. I portion this off into small containers for work because it is a fast, but filling, meal, and teachers don't get lunchtime.

Try a few new ingredients tonight...

I used to be afraid of Barley and Leeks. As exotic ingredients, I was convinced I would never know the mystery behind how to cook them. Instead of using a new recipe in one of my cookbooks, I altered a fairly familiar fail safe recipe I use with pasta. And, I found, I actually love Barley. Cooked in enough liquid, it can be creamy like risotto, but it is also a very filling grain. Leeks can be intimidating because you need to soak them. However, this only takes one extra step, and such a payoff to eat an interesting alternative to the onion. When we vary our ingredients, home cooked food does not bore us.

Veggies and Barley

• 2 Cups of Pearled Barley
• 3 Cups of Water
• 3 Cups of Veggie Broth
• 2 Leeks
• 1 cup of chopped Carrots
• 4 cups of Baby Spinach
• 2 Zucchini
• 2 Yellow Squash
• 1/2 Purple Cabbage
• 1 package of Baby Bella Mushrooms
  
• 2 cups of Fresh Basil
  
• 1 -2 tb of Kosher or Sea Salt
• 1-2 tb of Olive Oil
• Pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup Romano cheese

1. Preheat oven at 375.
   
2. In a large pot, boil water, veggie broth, and barley. Once water boils, turn it down to low, place to lid on top of the pot, and let the barley cook. If it is stiff, feel free to add more water to make the barley moist.
   
3. Meanwhile, chop the leeks. Place them in a bowl of water to soak out the sand. Continue chopping the zucchini, squash, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, and basil. With a slotted spoon remove leeks from the water.
   
4. Lay veggies and basil on a large sheet of aluminum foil, which sits on a baking sheet. Mix in Salt, Olive Oil, and Pepper. Cover the foil, and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender, but still a little crunchy.
5. Once everything is cooked, ladle barley into a bowl, add the mix of veggies on top, then the Pepper and Romano cheese.
   

This recipe serves 6, but freezes really well.