Tex-Mex Barley Bake

Well by the time you read this I will have just finished teaching my cooking class “A Weeks Worth of Meals in One Evening”. The recipe I am posting is from this class. In the class we went over the strategies of planning a weekly or monthly food plan. This recipe is a wonderful casserole. The picture above is of a single serving (1 1/2 cups) in an individual loaf pan. There are other photos below of different packaging. I sprinkled the dish with just two teaspoons of lite cheddar cheese. I have quite a few variations which will follow the recipe. The recipe is 6 points per serving.

TEX-MEX BARLEY BAKE

Serves 6

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon garlic minced

2 ½ cups barley, cooked

3 cups into beans (canned) drained (or 2 cup beans and 1 cup TVP)

1 15oz can tomatoes, Mexican, drained and chopped

¼ cup bottled salsa like Pace

1 cup black olive, sliced

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin, ground

1 ½ cups Cheddar cheese, lite, shredded or Mexican Cheese, See description of cheeses at end of this recipe.

VARIATIONS:

In place of the bell pepper you could roast poblano chilies or use the canned whole green chilies.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MEXICAN CHEESES

In place of the Cheddar cheese go for the Mexican Cheeses like: ANEJO: also known as COTIJA (koh-tee-jah). It is a great melter and should always be combined with another cheese in cooked dishes, but for sprinkling over beans, soups and salads it is perfect alone. Use it as you would grated Parmesan in your Italian cooking. Either Parmesan or Romano makes a good substitute

PANELA: A semi-soft white cow’s milk cheese, has a delightfully fresh milky flavor. In the freshest panela, the curds are still visible, as well as the circular pattern imprinted from the basket in which the curds were set to drain. It is great diced, as a garnish for soup or posole and in cubes in a salad because it holds its shape well. It has a mozzarella like appearance, but it is not a good melter and always needs to be teamed with a Jack like cheese for quesadillas. Dry curd farmer’s cheese, dry cottage, or dry ricotta are good substitutes.

MEXICAN MANCHEGO: this inexpensive semi-soft cheese should not be confused with Spanish Manchego, a stronger aged eating cheese. Soft, mild Mexican Manchego is the melter in the group. You can substitute Monterrey Jack cheese.

QUESO ASADERO: is a flattish, soft braided cheese like mozzarella. It is made in northern Mexico with a percentage of sour milk, has a good fat content, is pleasantly acidy, and melts well. Jack cheese or domestic block muenster can be substituted.

QUESO FRESCO: crumbly soft cheese with a pleasant acidity that melts and makes strings when heated. It is made of cow’s milk, as are the other cheeses. Sometimes it is called queso ranchero. Queso fresco is used in many different ways: eaten uncooked, crumbled, sprinkled on top of appetizers, in enchiladas and in soups; cut into strips for chiles rellenos, etc.

You can use any bean type you like including lentils.

Sometimes I add a can of chopped green chiles. If you don’t like cumin, use Mexican Oregano instead. If you like a light taste of cumin, then use half as much.

Adding corn would also be great. Somewhat like a tamale pie but no masa crust.

You could use ground turkey, ground pork, combination with meat, or vegetarian and use TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein).

Prep all your ingredients first:

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the onions and green peppers in the oil until tender, stirring often 5 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the barley, pinto beans, tomatoes, salsa, olives, chili powder, salt, cumin and ½ of the cheese (3/4 cup) and stir together. Makes 6 1 ½ cup servings. Place the mixture in containers that have been coated with a non-stick pan spray and top with the remaining cheese. Store in freezer. Label with the name of the dish, number of servings, and the reheating instructions as listed below. If you want to eat some right away, bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

REHEATING: Thaw in the refrigerator the day before. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. 314 calories; 6.2 fat; 9.3g fiber or 6 points.