Cooking barley in the oven, almost like an oven-baked risotto, makes a no-brainer out of this warm fall casserole.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale
• 3 and 1/4 cups water, divided
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 small onion
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1 cup pearl barley

1. Wash the kale and remove the stems from the leaves. Place the leaves in a blender, along with 1/4 cup water, and pulse until you have a paste. Set aside.
2. Peel and dice the carrots. Dice the onion.
3. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the bouillon cube and stir until it dissolves.
4. Combine all of the ingredients in a 3-quart casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 75 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

The kale will have formed a green layer on top; give it a big stir and reveal the perfectly cooked barley underneath. Yum! If you want to add a little extra protein, stir in cooked and chopped Gardein chick’n strips.