Easy Thai Casserole

With hearty tasty ingredients like fresh ginger, cashews and barley, this Asian cooking recipe simply cannot be beat. For an other-worldly casserole, whip up this Asian food recipe tonight.

Notes

CAUTION: When toasting the cashews, keep in mind that the fumes from cayenne may burn your throat and cause coughing - do the toasting in a well-ventilated room.

Cooking MethodCasserole

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup barley, uncooked
1/4 pound mushrooms, cut in cross sections
1 clove garlic, minced
4 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons plus 1/8 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup cashews, raw
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 red pepper, sliced in thin slivers
1 1/2 cup celery, sliced
2 scallions, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/8 cup light vegetable oil
1 clove garlic

Instructions

Cook barley till tender. Drain and chill well.
Put dry ingredients for the dressing in blender or food processor and grate well; add the wet ingredients and blend again briefly.
In a large bowl place barley, scallions, celery and red pepper.
Next, in a dry heated skillet (preferably iron) put the cashews and toss continuously until they begin to turn golden; add 1 teaspoon olive oil and mix well to coat the cashews.
Just before removing skillet from heat, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne if desired. Add cashews to barley mixture.
In the same skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the mushrooms and toss. When mushrooms give up juices, add garlic and ginger and saute 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce to the mushrooms and cook 'til soy is gone; add to barley.
Pour dressing over barley mixture, toss well and refrigerate until ready to use.