Pearl Barley & Mushroom Aivar Salad

Hi! And happy post-christmas times!

Yesterday I returned Glasgow city and today I think my body might be in shock from having gone back to work after the holidays. Now however, my feet are up and I am charging my camera...which decided to die on me on my second day there, even though I charged it right before I went to Norway. It might have been the fact that my dad had just gotten a kitten and... I might have spent way too long trying to take some nice photos of her, but little Trixie is a hyper one.

Anywhooo, have you had a nice christmas? Or a nice weekend?

I wondered what I could use the wonderful Aivar I got from HelloFresh for, and then I realised I had a lot of random ingredients in the fridge that could easily be turned into a nice little salad, and off to the kitchen I went.

This turned into a lovely little lunch salad! Perfect for times when you miiiight just have overindulged a little, or actually... This salad would fit any season, and any time - I'm so glad I improvised and made this *biggrinonherface*

Pearl Barley & Mushroom Aivar Salad
(Serves 1)

3 tbsp pearl barley
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup vegetarian stock
80g small button mushrooms, halved
30g cheese of choice, I used Wensleydale with cranberries
2 tbsp aivar
Fresh salad leaves to serve

- Simply boil up your barley along with stock, bay leaf and mushrooms for about 15-20 minutes, leave for about five minutes to cool slightly.

- Crumble in the cheese and mix in 1 tbsp aivar, serve on a bed of leaves and top with the remaining aivar for a bit of extra flavour and enjoy!

We were so lucky that we got about 20 centimetre of snow on the 26th, and you might be surprised, but Bergen doesn't actually always get a white christmas. It was two days late (we celebrate the evening of the 24th) but it made for a wonderful scenery, like in the postcards - with the fjords and mountains, amazing! I ate far too much, but hey! As my dad tells me "It's not about what you eat between Christmas and New Year's, but what you eat between New Year's and christmas", and when you're offered the finest biscuits, cakes, and dinners - you wont exactly refure right? No way Josê!
I hope you have had a lovely week as well ^ ^


Recipe by yours truly,

- Jules