Mushroom Lentil Barley Casserole - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 -12 ounces shallots or 8 -12 ounces pickling onions, peeled
1 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms, in thick slices (I use half mixture of wild or exotic ones like oyster, shittake, enoki and half chestnut mushrooms f)
2 garlic cloves
4 ounces pearl barley
4 ounces red lentils
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 - 1 pint vegetable stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and parsley) or 2 tablespoons dried herbs, equivalent
1 bay leaf
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Gently cook the shallots in the oil until softened and browned.
Add the mushroooms and minced garlic and cook on high heat until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
Stir in lentils, barley, soy sauce, sherry, herbs and 3/4 pint stock.
Bring to a boil and then either transfer to a covered casserole dish and bake at 180C for 45 mins or leave in the sauce pan and simmer on top of the cooker for 25-30 mins - til the barley and lentils are cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
You may need to top up the stock if it gets really dry so stir from time to time even if cooking in the oven, keep an eye on it.
Check for seasoning (can't ever remember it needing salt - between the soy and stock it is okay ) retrieve the bay leaf and finish with a grind of black pepper.