This pilaf has been a staple for my entire vegetarian life. I remember sitting down with my mom when I was just a freshman in high school looking through all of her recipes and cookbooks in search of vegetarian recipes we could start making for me, since I quit meat cold turkey just a few short days before. It hasn’t been adapted much over the years because, quite frankly, it’s easy and delicious just the way it is. It was simple to make for myself when I was in college; think cheap and left-overs. ; ) Now that I have kids it’s a perfect dish when I need a quick weeknight meal that can be prepared in advance…and they ALL like it! If you’re feeding a family of 3 or more I would double the recipe. It freezes great so you might as well cook once and eat twice!
What makes this dish an interesting substitution for a standard weekly staple is that is uses grains that tend to be less common in American diets. Assuming you can tolerate wheat, you might really enjoy the bulgur, which has a chewy texture and nutty taste. Bulgur is loaded with minerals and high in fiber and found in many Middle Eastern dishes. The pearl barley adds more fiber and calcium to this casserole. Even though pearl barley is slightly less nutritious than hulled barley, it cooks faster and provides a nice break from the ever-so-common rice, quinoa and pasta dishes.
- 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh small mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained if canned
- 1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn
- 1 cup vegetable broth (see our homemade vegetable broth recipe)
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1/3 cup parsley
- 1/4 cup bulgar
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine all ingredients except cheese in a 1.5 quart casserole dish.
- Cover and bake for approx. 1 hour or until bulgar and barley are tender, stirring once halfway through the baking time.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- We recommend using organic ingredients when possible.
- Prepare and cook as directed, except do not add cheese.
- Cool, cover and freeze for up to one month.
- To reheat, bake as described above.
- Stir again at end of baking time then add cheese.
- Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.