Bacony Barley Salad with Marinated Shrimp

Here's a great example of how to cook a healthy dish in minutes - simply cook the bacon in the same pan as the barley to enrich the flavor, add some purchased cooked shrimp, a few aromatic vegetables, and you've got dinner (or a hearty potluck dish) in no time flat.

Makes 4 servings, 1 3/4 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

• 3 strips bacon, chopped
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup quick-cooking barley
• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp (21-25 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

1. Cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towel; discard fat.
2. Add water and salt to the pan and bring to a boil. Add barley and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Combine shrimp and lime juice in a large bowl. Add the cooked barley; toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the barley to absorb some of the lime juice. Add tomatoes, onion, cilantro and the bacon; toss to coat. Add oil and pepper and toss again. Stir in avocado and serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION
Per serving: 393 calories; 19g fat (3g sat, 11g mono); 235mg cholesterol; 3g carbohydrates; 35g protein; 7g fiber; 752mg sodium; 859mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (50% daily value), Fiber (29% dv), Iron (25% dv), Folate (15% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving(s)
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 4 very lean meat, 3 fat (mono)

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare without avocado, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir in the avocado just before serving.

DISCLAIMERS
Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. EatingWell cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.