Butternut Squash with Spinach Pesto and Barley!

This is a different take on a salad I had in Edinburgh on my 30th birthday.

I was in the mood for a squash dish...so I ordered a butternut squash from Fresh Direct...along with some of their lovely pesto, organic white northern beans and grape tomatoes.  I had frozen spinach and barley on hand already.

1 butternut squash
1 container frozen spinach
1 can white northern beans
1 pint pesto
1 package of grape tomatoes
One Onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes

Bear with my memory because I NEVER write things down and made this over a week ago!  LOL

I began by cutting up the squash, which is always an adventure, but MUCH easier since getting a decent knife (thanks Mom!) Then I put it in a large pot with some water and the frozen spinach so I could steam it all up together! 

In the meantime, I cooked 1 cup of the barley according to the package's instructions and sauteed the onion in some olive oil with the garlic.

When the squash was tender and the spinach, thawed, I added the pesto, beans and onion...then seasoned liberally with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. (You can pump up the garlic and onion flavor with powders if you wish...)

*I also added powdered stinging nettles and I think kelp, to the squash/spinach/pesto/bean concoction....and some white miso paste to the cooking barley. But that, of course, is me :)

When the barley is cooked, add it to the rest.

Just before serving, I added some fresh, sliced, grape tomatoes which I had lovingly sprinkled with celtic sea salt and pepper.

Celtic sea salt is so flavorful...and a little goes a long way! I adore it!

Those tomatoes added just the right touch!!  One day I even added some yogurt cheese to it and YUM!

Note: This made A LOT of food!