CORE Savoury Grain-otto with Bacon and Lentils

Yummy risotto style grain dish is full of protein and fibre.
Great for mains, side dish or a yummy breakfast.

Vegetarians who eat dairy, just leave out the bacon

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 100g (4 sl) lean shortcut bacon, sliced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1/2 cup soy grits
  (soybeans which have been toasted and cracked into coarse pieces) rather than fine
• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 cup dried red lentils
• 2 cups frozen or diced vegies (1 used 1 cup each of frozen corn and mint peas)
• 200g cottage cheese
• your favourite herbs (I used 1 tsp each cracked pepper, cummin and paprika and 2TB dried basil)

Method:
Heat a nonstick pan without oil.
Add bacon and onion and cook on medium for a couple of minutes.
Add oats, soy grits and pearl barley and stir for a few minutes
Add 2 1/2 cups water and 2 tsp dry vegetable stock and cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes, until most the fluid has absorbed.
Add lentils and another 1/2 cup water and cook for about 15 minutes.
Like risotto, if it starts to stick you add a little water. I used 4 cups of water total and at this point it had a consistency like risotto or porridge - wet enough to hold it together without being sloppy
Add the vegies, cottage cheese and your favourite herbs
Cook on low until the vegies are cooked and cottage cheese melts (you can't see white lumps)
Serve and enjoy