Mushroom Barley Pilaf

Don't knock the barley 'til you try it. Seriously... barley is delicious.

1 cup pearl barley
4 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium)
2 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves garlic (I use the chopped stuff from the jar)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package pre-sliced mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
2 chopped bell pepper (the red looked pretty)
2 green onions chopped
1/8-1/4 shredded parmesan cheese

I used a rice cooker to cook the barley with the chicken stock, but you can do it on the stove if needed (just keep an eye on it). It takes about 45 minutes in the rice cooker.

When the barley is about done, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and saute a minute or two. Add the mushrooms. Cook for a couple minutes, then add the bell pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the mushrooms cook down a bit and the bell pepper softens up a bit. Add the cooked barley to the pan. Adjust salt as needed. Add green onion and parmesan cheese. (This made about six servings... ate it every day for a week along with the jerky chicken, though I don't actually think the flavors of the chicken go with the barley very well.)

This recipe was adapted from several websites... not sure who to site here. :)