Mmm...My Post Marathon Meal Remade

Last weekend, I had a great meal at Laughing Planet in Eugene after the marathon.  I ate the Soylent Green Bowl with a side of sweet potatoes and ever since, I've been wanting to eat more food like it.  I am three-trick pony when it comes to cooking.  I have my standards that are healthy and I love to make, but I don't have much beyond them.  I wanted to figure out how to make this awesome bowl of barley, quinoa, shitakes, broccoli, chard, and tempeh.  I went to the grocery store, and as much as I didn't want to cook tonight, I bought what I thought the ingredients would be.  I got home and googled "barley quinoa pilaf" and up came a website with the actual recipe from Laughing Planet.  

I couldn't find tempeh/I didn't look very hard so I just got some sesame tofu and I didn't make the pesto.  However, I did add roasted sweet potatoes to the mix.  Everyone is going to be jealous of my lunch tomorrow.  If someone wants to enlighten me on tofu and tempeh and how I can learn to incorporate them into my cooking, I would love to hear it.

The recipe below is courtesy of eugeneweekly.com.  Oh, and they have tons of dinosaur toys at Laughing Planet.  Leah and I almost wet our pants laughing at this cute girl who was cuddling with a triceratops like it was a stuffed dog.  But no, it was a hard plastic triceratops, about the size of her torso.

Soylent Green Bowl from Laughing Planet Café

• Barley Quinoa Shitake Pilaf (see recipe below)
• 12 oz. marinated grilled tempeh
• 1 lb. Steamed fresh broccoli
• 1 lb. Steamed fresh chard or collard greens
• Cilantro Pesto (see recipe below)

Cook the barley quinoa pilaf according to the recipe below. While it is cooking prepare the pesto and set aside. Wash and cut the vegetables. When you are ready to assemble the bowls heat the tempeh in a saute pan. Cook the vegetables in a steamer.

Place the barley mixture in the bottom of a bowl. Layer the steamed vegetables and tempeh on top of the barley. Top with 2 oz. pesto per bowl. Serve & enjoy. Serves 4.

 

Cilantro Pesto

• 1/2 c. toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 oz. (by weight) fresh parsley (omit the stems as they are bitter and tough)
• 3 oz. (by weight) fresh cilantro(stems may be used, they have lots of flavor & are not tough)
• 1 1/2 t. minced fresh garlic
• 3 T. fresh lime juice
• 3/4 c. olive oil
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. black pepper

To toast the pumpkin seeds preheat oven to 350. Evenly spread the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet. Put them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Wash the fresh herbs in cool water. Shake well to dry. Place all the

ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

 

Barley Quinoa Pilaf

• 1 c. pearl barley
• 3 1/4 c. vegetable broth
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 c. red quinoa
• 5 to 6 small Shitake mushrooms

Wash and slice the mushrooms. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the barley is tender.

You may need to add a little extra water if the barley is not soft. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.