Barley & Wild Rice Pilaf with Pomegranate Seeds

[kirstenmarie]

This was absolutely wonderful.  Great mix of textures and flavors! 

[jtodd79]

I'm revisiting this recipe again this Thanksgiving-- was such a hit the first time...

Loved that I could make it the night before. Prepare the rice & barley the night before and kept the pomegranate seeds, parsley, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest etc all separate sealed in a zip-loc bag (you don't want the zest or seeds to dry out!).

The day of, reheat the rice & barley with a touch of veggie stock on the stove top (or microwave) then stir in the Pom seeds, parsley, pine nuts & lemon zest!

So easy and impresses the 'masses'!

[jessesmum]

I bought a pomegranate on a whim but wasn't sure what to do with it. I decided on this recipe because of the wonderful reviews.
As I was making the recipe, I realized that I didn't have a lemon, so I improvised. I zested an orange.  It added a nice flavour without overpowering the dish. So, if you are without lemon, orange is a good substitute.
We really like this pilaf. mmm, mmm,