Barley-Tahini Casserole

This recipe is vegan, but Bridget was sure it had cheese in it because the tahini sauce is so creamy. We all really liked this and we'll definitely be making it again. It's from Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet.

serves 6 to 8

2 cups hulled or pearled barley
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jumbo (or two medium) onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, grated or finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
5 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup Tahini dressing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Bring 3 cups water to boil in a large saucepan and add barley. Cook for about 40 minutes or so, until tender (check it). Drain off any remaining water and set cooked barley aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over med./high heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add a little more oil or a bit of water to the pan if the onion starts to stick. Measure out about 1/4 cup of the cooked onion and garlic and reserve it for the tahini dressing. To the remaining onion and garlic in the skillet, add carrots, celery, soy sauce, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables are tender. Add barley to skillet, and stir over med. heat for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Transfer half of barley mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and drizzle half of tahini dressing over it. Add a second layer of barley mix and then the remainder of the dressing. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 35 minutes.

Tahini dressing:

1/4 cup reserved, sauteed onion & garlic
1/2 cup tahini
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika
1/8 tsp. dried basil
pinch of dried oregano

Combine onion, garlic, tahini, spices and 1/2 cup water in food processor or blender. Blend for 1 minutes or until creamy.