Mushroom Barley Bake

One of the staples of my vegan experiment was this Mushroom Barley Bake, easy to make and very hearty.

Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) onion chopped 
1-2 cups sliced/chopped mushrooms
1 cup barley
3 cups vegetable broth
olive oil

salt
red chili flakes

Saute the mushrooms and onions in olive oil.  Don't overdo it, just saute them until the mushrooms release a bit of water and the onions become clear.

Coat your casserole dish with olive oil, transfer the mushrooms and onions over, add the barley and mix it up a bit before adding the broth.  I add a good bit of sea salt and red chili flakes, but this is the kind of dish that you can season any way you like.  Some fresh herbs would probably work really well.


Bake at 350F for 90 minutes.  I think I had the lid on for half of the time, but I can't remember if it was at the beginning or the end.  Use your judgement.

Here it is right out of the oven.  As with virtually everything I cook - it freezes well so this is a good one to make a double batch of.  This is a great vegan/vegetarian dish, but also makes a hearty side dish to roast chicken. 

Ok - not the most beautiful dish around, probably should have thrown a sprig of parsley on it.... but I promise that it's yummy.