Thrifty Sausage, Vegetable and Pearl Barley Hotpot

I created this recipe for Vanesther’s new Recipes for Life event, run in partnership with Swallow which is a Somerset charity supporting adults with learning disabilities to lead more independent lives.  

As part of its Fit for Life programme, Swallow runs cookery courses, helping members learn to prepare simple, inexpensive and nutritious meals.  Swallow are looking for new recipes for its members to cook on the course, and ultimately to include in its cookbook.  They need recipes that use a few easily obtainable ingredients and are quick and easy to make.

This month the theme is sausages, onions and tomatoes so this frugal and tasty dinner fits in perfectly!  It certainly went down really well in our household and you can freeze leftovers – if there are any.

This recipe is also fab for using up leftover cooked sausages or cooked chicken.  You could add some spinach with the sausage slices at the end and cook until the spinach wilts.  

Sausage, Vegetable and Pearl Barley Hotpot - serves 5 generously.

2 Tblsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

3 carrots, finely sliced

3 celery sticks, finely sliced

2 peppers, deseeded and finely diced (any colour will do)

1 cup pearl barley

750ml chicken or vegetable stock

400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 Tblsp tomato paste

6 good quality pork sausages

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan over a moderate heat.  Add the onion, garlic (if using), carrot, celery, and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes until the onion and peppers start to soften.  Add the pearl barley and stir to combine.  Add the stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until well combined.  Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low.  Cook, uncovered, for 30 - 40 minutes or until the pearl barley is tender.

Put the sausage onto a non-stick oven tray and bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Let the sausages cool slightly then slice them thinly.  Add the sliced sausages to the pearl barley mixture.  Cook for a couple of minutes until the sausages are heated through.  Season to taste.  We stirred some spinach through ours before serving.

I am also submitting this recipe to Credit Crunch Munch the blogging challenge co-hosted by Helen and Camilla.  This month's host is Camilla.