I know that I am supposed to add mushrooms and barley into my diet, the nutritionist Monika M. Woolsey, MS, RD suggested that I work to in corporate them into my diet some how.  Hmmm....this has taken me some time to think about.  I don't have recipes already incorporating these things, and barley is a new flavor for me, so I wasn't sure how to incorporate it. 
Recently though I got a craving, and this one is a strange craving for me. I'm not a fan of onions, and I rarely eat red meat, and I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms, but this soup is something that I love. It's Cooking Lights twist on French Onion soup, and when I've made it before, I just skipped the barley. :) Yep, I'll admit it, I left it out and didn't even think twice about it.  So, when I was searching through all of my cooking light volumes to find this treasure I had forgotten that it had barley in it.  So this time when I went to make this delightful soup, I went ahead and bought some barley to toss in.
I have to admit, it makes this soup much more hearty, and it was worth purchasing the barley.  I will have to find some new recipes to incorporate this into my diet, but here is the first attempt at adding barely.

this is not my photo, it came from Cooking light, but no photographer was given credit there either.

French Onion Soup with Beef and Barley

Chock-full of fiber-rich barley, this French onion soup is a tasty variation on the classic. You can omit the sherry or replace it with white wine if you wish.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1  cup  boiling water
• 1/2  ounce  dried shiitake mushrooms (I've tried this twice, and I'm just not a fan of these mushrooms in this soup, I will remove them next time)
• 1  tablespoon  dark sesame oil, divided (I've used the light when I've run out of the dark, and it still turns out delicious)
• 2  medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges (about 4 cups)
• 1/2  cup  chopped shallots or onion
• 2  teaspoons  chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  cups  sliced button mushrooms (I halve this amount since I'm still not a huge mushroom fan)
• 1  teaspoon  brown sugar
• 1  (12-ounce) lean boneless sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch strips
• 4  cups  water
• 2/3  cup  uncooked pearl barley
• 1/4  cup  dry sherry
• 3  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  (10 1/2-ounce) can beef consommé
• 12  (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

Preparation

Combine boiling water and shiitakes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the shiitakes in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid. Slice shiitakes, discarding stems.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, shallots, ginger, and garlic; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the shiitakes, button mushrooms, sugar, and beef. Sauté 10 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add reserved mushroom liquid, 4 cups water, and the next 4 ingredients (water through consommé); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 50 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
Preheat broiler.
Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 6 ovenproof soup bowls; top each serving with 2 bread slices and 2 tablespoons cheese. Broil 3 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Note: This soup will freeze well for up to two months. Pour into an airtight container, leaving enough room for expansion (usually an inch or two at the top). To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator; then place contents in a saucepan over low heat, adding some liquid if necessary.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 351 (27% from fat)

Fat: 10.7g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.7g)

Protein: 24.6g

Carbohydrate: 40g

Fiber: 6.2g

Cholesterol: 50mg

Iron: 3.7mg

Sodium: 676mg

Calcium: 196mg

Martha Condra and Jill Melton, M.S., R.D., Cooking Light, JANUARY 2000


Now there is also a blog from the lovely Monika on Ezekiel Bread, another food item that was recommended for my new way of living. Check out the blog post: Food of the Week Ezekiel Bread
See, not all carbs are bad and evil from the devil, some are found in the Bible and are really pretty good for you. :)  Even if you are not one who reads the Old Testament, it's still a good bread.
In case you are not familiar with InCyst, they are a group of Nutritionists and Physicians who are focused on PCOS and fertility, and they are a rather positive group. Check them out when you have some time.