8 Cups Water 1 Cup Pearl Barley 3 Carrots 1 Spaghetti Squash, about 4 pounds 1 Cup Water 2 Tbs. Olive Oil
8 Apricots, dry 2 Cloves Garlic 1 Shallot, medium 2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard 1/4 Cup Vegetable Stock 1/2 Cup Squash Seeds, roasted 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley, flat leaf 1/4 tsp. Each, Salt and Pepper
Heat Oven To 350°
Working with spaghetti squash:
Wash and dry squash.
Cut a thin slice of shell off of one side of the squash.
This will make sure that the squash does not roll around when you go to cut it in half.
Lay the squash on the flat side that you just cut.
Plunge the tip of a large knife into the center of the squash.
Pull down on the handle to cut the squash as far down on one side as you can.
Turn the squash and do the same for the other half.
You should now have a deep cut that goes from tip to stem.
At this point your knife will be firmly wedged inside of the squash and you probably could not pull it out if you tried.
Holding the handle of the knife (with both hands) lift the squash about six inches above your cutting board and in one quick motion slam it down on the board.
The squash will split in half and seeds will be flying all over!
Use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and fiber.
Do not scrape out the meat of the squash.
Place squash, cut side down, onto a sheet pan.
Pour one cup of water into the pan.
Wash carrots and place onto another sheet pan.
Place carrots and squash into hot oven.
Roast carrots for 30 minutes and remove pan from oven.
Roast squash for 60 minutes and remove from oven.
Squash should be barely soft to the touch but not over soft.
Let both vegetables cool before handling.
Bring 8 cups of water to a boil.
Add barley, turn down the heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes.
Barley should open up and be cooked tender.
Pour barley into a strainer and spray with cold water for a couple of seconds.
Let drain in the strainer for a few minutes.
Remove cooked carrots from the sheet pan and spread the barley on the same pan to cool and air dry.
Cut the carrots into half inch circles and place on pan with barley.
Hold squash in one hand and a fork in the other.
Use the fork to scrape all of the stringy spaghetti-like meat out of the squash.
Reserve the empty shells.
Place all of the squash on same tray with the barley.
Mince garlic and shallot.
Slice apricot thin.
Wash and chop parsley.
Add salt, pepper, squash seeds and chopped parsley to the tray.
Note: The squash seeds in this recipe are store purchased, they are not from the spaghetti squash.
Place a pan over medium-high heat.
Add oil, garlic, shallot and apricot to the pan.
Cook and stir for a couple of minutes.
Garlic and shallot should just begin to brown.
Remove pan from the heat.
Add vegetable stock and mustard to the pan.
Whisk ingredients together.
Pour all of the mustard sauce over the other ingredients.
Using clean hands, mix everything together.
Taste for salt and pepper and adjust if needed.
Fill the two empty squash shells with the mixture and serve.
