Combine 1.5 cups of water and 1/2 cup barley in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until barley is cooked all the way through.

Cook quinoa at the same time as barley. Combine 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup of quinoa in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until quinoa absorbs all the water.

Mix the two grains in one bowl.

Heat oven at 400F. Toss sweet potatoes in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes tossing them half-way.

Cook the rest of the vegetables while both grains are steaming and potatoes are roasting in the oven. Heat up a medium sized non-stick pan over medium heat. Add olive oil (or oil of choice) and caramelize the onions, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to another dish.

Using the same non-stick pan, heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Add shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce. Stir and cook until mushrooms are cooked fully, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add onions back to the pan to combine with mushrooms.

Combine 1/3 cup of barley and quinoa grain mixture, 1 cup of chopped kale, 1/3 cup of roasted sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup of sautéed mushrooms and onions, 2 tbsp of chopped cucumber, 1/4 of avocado (cubed), and 1 tbsp of pistachio pesto (see recipe link for Pistachio Pesto in the post or notes below).