Split Green Pea and Pearl Barley Pan

This comforting dish provides a wealth of flavour and nutrition. The pearl barley flakes are wonderfully nutty and the split peas are a brilliant fibre-rich protein source. I’ve heightened the nutrient density of this mealin-a-pan by using a variety of herbs and spices and including two different sources of fibre. It’s a fantastic, simple meal to make and you can easily use different pulses or beans instead of the peas.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 red onion, finely diced 50g cooked chestnuts, roughly sliced

15g rosemary needles, roughly chopped 1 tsp cayenne pepper 150g pearl barley flakes, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained (or wholegrain oats)

100g split green peas (or split yellow peas), soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained 600ml hot vegetable stock 100g baby tomatoes, halved 75g spinach, roughly chopped

5g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, chestnuts and rosemary and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then scatter in cayenne pepper, drained pearl barley and split peas, along with a pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir for a couple of minutes.

Pour in 500ml of the vegetable stock and add the halved tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the split peas are cooked through.

Top up with the remaining 100ml of vegetable stock if the ingredients at the bottom of the pan are sticking slightly during cooking.

Remove from the heat, stir in the spinach and cover for a further 2 minutes to allow the leaves to wilt.

Stir and serve in bowls, scattered with the chopped parsley.

VARIATION

Use different spices to suit your taste. Two teaspoons of my Creole Spice Blend would work really well in this meal.