Souper Freak

Work and rain — that’s about all my life has consisted of lately. I’m in the midst of a three-day-weekend (thank god!) and today cooking is the only activity I can bear. I decided to make a very simple, basic, comforting dish I’ve made before: honey baked lentils (though I used maple syrup, not honey). Alongside it, I baked a mixture of barley, broth, carrots, daikon, onion and mushrooms — here’s the before and after:

Before:

And after:

I had to cook the barley a bit longer than I’d planned to soak up the liquid — cooking barley requires two parts water to one part grain, but since I included raw vegetables I added an additional half cup water. I don’t think it was necessary, and in fact think it was too much. The grain didn’t quite absorb the water, and the end result is a bit too wet and the vegetables too soft, but I think it will be just fine. In fact, the mushiness might even be perfect as a base for the lentils, which I show here with a side of broccolini I cooked up with a squeeze of lemon, dash of soy sauce and sprinkle of sesame seeds:

Perfect for a lazy Sunday.