Hearty Mixed Grain Medley ~ 3.8.10

I happened upon this recipe over at Stacy J's place and thought it would be a perfect Lenten meal. I wasn't all that concerned about feeding it to the family as I didn't really care what they thought- I knew I'd love it! Am I the only one who does that?

It was simple to throw together and I've been eating it for meals, snacks and today.... breakfast! So filling and I feel like it's really good for me as it fills me up and looks amazing in a bowl. And when food looks pretty, that just makes me happier to eat it all up! Plus, there's simply no butter or oil used in it, so that has to be a check in the "better for you" column, right?

When you make this recipe, feel free to throw in things that you have... the original recipe calls for things I didn't have in my fridge/pantry that day and that's okay. When you're looking at a recipe, think about what you like about it and what sounds good. Feel free to ad-lib a little with ingredients that are similiar to the ones listed and you may find that you're making dishes "your own" a lot more. That's only really happened for me in the past couple of years. I've been getting braver with experimentation and have liked most of the results!

I did think ahead and buy pearl barley, but that was about the only thing I bought for the recipe. Everything else was a pantry staple for me!

Hearty Mixed Grain Medley
adapted from Stacy Julian's mixed grain casserole

3 medium carrots, chopped (I love carrots and will add one more next time)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered (didn't have these this time, but will add them next time)
1 can black beans, drained + rinsed
1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen)
1 cup broth (I used chicken)
½ cup pearl barley
½ cup fresh parsley
¼ cup bulgar - (no bulgar this time)
¼ onion chopped
¼ tsp garlic salt

Combine all ingredients
Bake covered 350 degrees for 60 minutes
Stir once at 30 minutes

I added a sprinkle of Goya adobo seasoning on mine at the end, but it tastes just perfect without it, too.
You can also add a bit of cheese (cheddar would be good) on your bowl and pop it in the microwave to melt just before serving.