• 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce or to taste
• 2/3 cup of barley
• 2/3 cup of wild rice
• 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed (broccoli works, too)
• 2 tablespoons Italian herbs
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup small white beans, precooked or canned
• pinch of crushed red pepper to taste

Bring two cups of water to a boil. Stir in the soy sauce and hot sauce, then the grains. Bring back to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or so, until it reaches the texture you enjoy most.

If the mood strikes while the barley and rice are cooking, you could saute a bit of fresh garlic and onion to add in when the grains are cooked instead of using garlic powder. When the grains are done, take off the heat, add in the rest of the ingredients except the red pepper and mix well. Place in serving dish and sprinkle hot pepper over the top.

This is so fast and so good I've eaten it three days in a row!

Serves: 2 or 3

Preparation time: less than 1 hour including cooking