Curried Barley Veggie Salad

A hot summer afternoon, do not feel like turning on the stove, yet craving for a hearty lunch…..I bet many of you feel the same way sometimes.  Well, today was definitely one of those lazy days.  I knew I had a cup of cooked barley and some veggies.  Barley, two little eggplants, one red bell pepper, some scallions, cilantro, fresh garlic and ginger….I knew I could come up with lunch, but yes, the stove must be turned on.  And, this is how the colorful barley salad became lunch with leftovers for another day!I find it easier to write an unscripted recipe, because that is how I cook most of the time.  A little of this, a pinch of that, some broth, etc. etc.  Here I chopped some scallions and tossed into a hot pan with olive oil, followed by minced ginger and garlic.  A couple of minutes later in went the diced red bell pepper followed by the diced eggplant.  Sprinkled some salt and red pepper flakes.  When the veggies were softened, I added some curry powder and gave it all a good stir.  I let the curry do its magic and when the aroma had wafted all over the kitchen, added the cooked barley and heated it through.Garnished the salad with some chopped cilantro and toasted cashews.  It was delicious at room temperature. The cashews were an afterthought — but absolutely worth it.

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