Opera Singer in the Kitchen

Artistry in Food, Music, and Life

Roasted Butternut, Portabella and Barley Pilaf

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Last night I was inspired to make this yummy meal for us. It was VERY quick to make and filling too. Ryan mentioned that he was glad I had made barley. I believe it is a grain that I have never prepared before and I realized how sorry I was that I had never prepared it before.


I have been using a lot of kale lately since I have been staying away from broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. These happen to be some of my favorite veggies but for a time I have to set them aside for my baby’s health. In the meantime it has caused me to focus on my leafy greens.

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Last week I made a soup with leftover turkey using curly kale. It was quite delicious but the flavor is usually a little more bitter when eaten raw. For this dish I used dinosaur kale, which Ryan happened to like a lot better than the curly kale. It is a little more like spinach but coarser but not bitter.


I roasted butternut squash for almost an hour then in the last 15 minutes I added chopped portabella caps. I boiled pre-soaked pearl barley and once the roasted veggies were cooked I tossed them with the cooked barley in a large bowl. I added raw chopped dinosaur kale and dried sweetened cranberries.

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If you are looking for a new side dish for the holidays this is definitely a colorful and delicious dish. Hope you try it! Now back to my little one! 😀

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Roasted Butternut, Portabella and Barley Pilaf

makes 6 servings

2/3 cup pearl barley
1 medium butternut squash (about 4-6 cups chopped)
2 large portabella caps, chopped
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 Tablespoons grapeseed oil or coconut oil (divided)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups packed dinosaur kale, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

In the morning soak the barley in water or soak for an hour before preparing dish. Drain the water from barley after soaking. Add barley to a medium pot and cover with water and cook for 20 minutes. Drain and let cool while preparing the roasted veggies.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss chopped butternut squash with balsamic vinegar,2  Tablespoons grapeseed oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, add the chopped portabella caps and toss with the squash. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Once veggies are cooked, add them to the bowl with barley. Add the chopped kale and toss in the cranberries. Add a little more balsamic, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

About Noelle

I’m an opera singer, full-time mom, pharmacy technician, food and mom blogger, recipe developer, and wife to a super talented choral director living in the awesome outskirts of Philly.