I absolutely love mushrooms, and I especially love to toss Portobellos on the grill slathered in a bit of Stubbs Spicy BBQ Sauce. The obvious thing to do with leftover bbq mushrooms is to wedge ’em between two buns and call it a night but since I was not in the mood for another typical vegetarian bbq sandwich, I decided to chop up the mushrooms and add them to a Roasted Barley Pilaf instead. The pilaf served as my brunch/lunch during the week and was a great way to incorporate plenty of plant based meals into my diet. For lunch, I enjoyed it cold straight out of the fridge topped with a generous portion of my-first-ever-batch of homemade Sauerkraut. For brunch, I warmed the pilaf, stirred in baby arugula and topped it with a Sunny Side Egg, which was scrumptious! This pilaf recipe is pretty hearty on its own but versatile too so feel free to mix in any veg, greens, or fermented goodies you may have on hand or just eat as is.

Roasted Barley Mushroom Pilaf

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup Roasted Barley

3/4 cup Basmati Rice

1 cup chopped leftover grilled Portobello mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped Leeks

1/2 Red Onion, chopped

1/2 cup toasted Pecans, chopped

2 cups Water

1 tbsp Vegetable Better than Bouillon

1 tab Butter or 1 tsp oil of choice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Rinse the Basmati rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Set aside.

In a small Dutch Oven over med high flame, heat the oil till just shimmering. Add in the leeks and onion and saute about 3 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Next add in the Basmati rice and Roasted Barley then toast in the butter until golden, stirring constantly, about 3 – 5 minutes. To the toasted rice, add in the grilled mushrooms and saute about 2 minutes more, stirring the rice and mushrooms together until well incorporated. Add the 2 cups of water, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the bouillon and stir until well combined. Bring the water up to a boil, reduce the flame to low, cover with a heavy lid, and continue to cook the rice until all the water is absorbed, about 20 – 25 minutes. Once the rice is tender and all the water absorbed, fluff the pilaf with a fork and gently stir in the toasted pecans. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve immediately or transfer to a container with lid and store in the fridge for quick and healthy meals throughout the week.