Spelt and Mushroom Pilaf

I'm playing with various whole grains this week, in an effort to come up with dishes that have all the nutritional goodness, but none of the "tastes like dirt and sawdust" qualities that health food so often boasts.

I am declaring Spelt and Mushroom Pilaf a middling success. It tasted good, I'd make it again, and my test eater went back for a second serving, but if I'd had it in a restaurant I wouldn't be raving to you all about how fantastic it was.

Cooking the Spelt

Cover 1 cup of whole spelt berries with 2 1/2 cups water and bring to the boil
Turn the heat down to a simmer, and cover
Allow to simmer until the berries are tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour
Drain any excess water
(you can cook the spelt well in advance in you want to)

Assembling the Pilaf

Saute about 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms in olive oil
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
Pour over 1/2 cup of water and allow to evaporate.
Add the spelt and a generous pour of olive oil, stir to warm the spelt through
Sprinkle over 1 T of sherry and the juice of 1/2 a lemon
Scatter chopped flat leaf parsley over, and serve.

It has a nice nutty, earthy (but not like dirt and sawdust!) taste to it. Nice with pork or chicken, or tofu, but would probably overpower fish.