Recipe: Tomato Sauce Roasted Vegetables with Tempeh and Barley

Talk about a filling meal for cheap.  The vegetables for this dish cost me around $3.00, the barley was $1.99 a pound, and the tempeh was just over $3.  It makes 2-3 good servings but could be stretched to 4, though the cup of barley will make quite a bit so you could use that for other meals as well.  If time is an issue, use the quick cook barley which is done in 10 minutes.  If you don't like barley, any long pasta could be used as well, just toss it in the bowl with the veggies and tempeh when you do the final coating of sauce, simply put enough sauce to coat all of it.  If you aren't a fan of tempeh you could use tofu to keep it vegan or easily throw in some grilled chicken or steak that has been sliced.  If you wanted all veggies you could use some portobello mushrooms or greed/red bell peppers.  For more heat throw in some red pepper flakes.

You will need:
2 cups chicken stock/water/bouillon
1 cup barley
1 full pint box of japanese eggplant (~10-12), quartered
1/2 large zucchini or several small ones, cut in large cubes
Optional:  cherry tomatoes, halved (I had a few left over so I threw them in)
2/3 cup tomato sauce (I used a basil and garlic kind for more flavor)
1 pack tempeh, cut into 1/4 inch strips and then halved down the middle
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Fresh Basil, chopped or torn

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and on the stove top bring the two cups of liquid to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika to the boiling liquid and then add the barley.  Reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally.  Cook for 35-40 minutes and then let sit.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, zucchini, and tomato.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to coat and then add a heavy dash of salt and a sprinkle of pepper and garlic powder, and then stir.  Then add 1/3 cup of sauce to the bowl and stir to coat.  Place a layer of aluminum foil on a large cookie sheet and add the vegetables making sure to keep them in a single layer.  If you don't they will not brown but only steam.  Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are just soft.

Heat a skillet with one tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the tempeh and heat until golden brown.

I timed it so the barley finished first and the vegetables and tempeh finished about the same time.
When everything is done add the vegetables and tempeh back into a large bowl.  Add a handful of chopped basil and top with 1/3 cup more sauce, stirring to coat.  The heat from the vegetables and tempeh will be more than enough to keep it hot.  To serve top a fourth cup of barley with a healthy serving of the veggies and tempeh.