Barley

Like most kids in my generation I grew up eating canned soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Vegetable Beef was my favorite. Barley swam along side of the vegetables in my bowl. I always wondered what kind of vegetable that little thing with the brown spot was. In my child like mind I convinced myself that they were just tiny little potatoes.
Instant Barley is almost as simple to prepare as dumping soup from a can.

So take a look at my grown up version of vegetables and barley.

My Winter Barley with Peas

1 1/3 cup beef broth

2/3 cups quick cooking barley

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions

1/3 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup diced celery

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Bring broth to boil, add barley and cook for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile in a small fry pan heat olive oil and add celery, onions, garlic and mushroom. Saute vegetables until tender then add frozen peas and soy sauce. Add this to the cooked barley and combine.

I served this Barley with Peas dish alongside a gorgeous hunk of cornbread and a nice slow braised chunk of beef.

Never mind that little glaze of fat on the beef....it was yummy!