Toasted Barley and Green Bean with Tofu Salad

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Next: When you prepare the tofu it is important to press the water out of the tofu. Slice the tofu into 5 even sections. Place slices between paper towels and top with a cutting board and something to weigh it down. I used a large sugar container. It takes about 45 minutes and I needed to change out the paper towels a couple of times because they became so water soaked.

Mix the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a bowl. Cut the tofu slices into 10 cubes each. Toss them into the liquid mixture. The best way to coat the tofu is by storing them in a Ziplock bag for 30 minutes. Don’t rush this step as I was tempted to do, the flavor is worth the wait. After it’s had time to marinate, place tofu on baking sheet lined with tin foil and nonstick cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Move on to preparing the salad. The first step is to toast the barley. Using a sauce pot over medium-high heat measure 1 teaspoon oil into the pot and toss in the barley. Toast for 3-4 minutes. Then pour the water into the pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat a bit and simmer for 45 minutes. When done, remove from heat.

Prepare the green beans. Cut off the bean tops and slice beans into thirds then rinse. Blanche the green beans – dump them into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes and then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

To prepare the mushrooms first wipe the tops with a wet paper towel. Do not over wash them – just dust off the dirt. Slice the mushrooms and toss them into a pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly saute the mushrooms over medium heat until they are slightly cooked through. Over cooking will create mushy mushrooms. Don’t do this. Just cook them until they start to soften and release moisture, then remove from heat and set aside.

Mix the ingredients for dressing: the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, honey, grated ginger and garlic and whisk together.

Toss barley, green beans, mushrooms, tofu, and dressing into a large bowl and gently stir to combine. Enjoy this warm, room temperature, or cooled.

Enjoy!