Barley Bowl

I always feel better after a simple meal of grain + veg + sauce. Especially in the winter season, with the plethora of root vegetables available, simple meals like this are only a roasting pan and steamer away. We had carrots and rutabaga left over from last week’s winter CSA share, which I roasted with with beets. All were tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper with a sprig of rosemary (I love the way the house smells in the winter with rosemary roasting in the oven).

The roast vegetables were served with steamed broccoli and that toothsome wonder, barley. When eating like this frequently, some people worry about getting bored with the same old thing every night. And the answer is SAUCES! I have a few standard sauces in my repetoire that can be mixed together on a whim, and used to top not only roast vegetables, but fish, tofu or tempeh.

Miso Sesame Sauce:

  • 3 part sesame oil
  • 2 part miso paste
  • 2 part rice wine vinegar
  • 1 part honey (or 1/2 part sriracha)
Place all ingredients in a clean jar. Shake. Thin with water to desired consistency. (Sometimes I add grated ginger, sometimes I make it spicier…Play around!)

Similar Posts:

This entry was posted in CSA, Macrobiotic, Pantry, Recipes, Vegetarian and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.

7 Comments

  1. Posted January 19, 2010 at 9:14 am | Permalink

    This sounds like my kind of meal. I love the array of colorful veggies in your bowl – yum!

  2. Posted January 20, 2010 at 1:11 am | Permalink

    YES! thank you for the sauce recipe! i’m clueless about sauces. overwhelmed by ratios. and flavor balancing. i vote for more sauce info. its so helpful. that bowl looks inspiring and easy.
    i need to eat more veggies!

  3. Posted January 22, 2010 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    OK, I just have to tell you that this is my first time visiting your blog and the food looks so incredibly delicious…my stomach started growling! Seriously!

    Great photos and your recipes sound divine. I can’t wait to try some.

  4. Alexa
    Posted January 22, 2010 at 6:23 pm | Permalink

    Theresa: Thanks! I’ve been enjoying your site, too!

    Dara: I’m glad you liked the sauce recipe. I’ve been wanting to put more simple sauces on here, and now with your suggestion, I definitely will! Thanks!

  5. Jennifer Bomwell
    Posted January 23, 2010 at 9:06 pm | Permalink

    Just ate this meal(with cabbage instead of rutabaga because that’s what we had in fridge). SO GOOD. Yes, please keep the simple sauce recipes coming, THANK YOU. We feel nourished.

  6. Posted January 24, 2010 at 7:42 pm | Permalink

    Fabulous! I love barley, but don’t really know how to eat it except in soups and grain salads. I always make it in the pressure cooker to save time and energy. I am totally trying this next week.

  7. Alexa
    Posted January 26, 2010 at 11:57 pm | Permalink

    Jennifer: Glad you made this–Sounds delicious with cabbage as well. And, yes, I will be doing more sauces here, so stayed tuned!

    Dorris: Thanks! If you make it, let us know how it turns out!

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared.

You may use HTML tags and attributes.

Subscribe without commenting

  • New Here?

    This is a blog about cooking whole, seasonal food at home. Read More
  • Follow us on the Web:

    or sign up for email updates:

    We will never share your email address with anyone.

  • Foodista Food Blog of the Day Badge
  • Alexa in the News

    Photo: Suzanne DeChillo, NY Times

    Alexa was profiled in the NY Times!
    Read the article.