If you follow the original recipe, you’ll see that I definitely made a few modifications, but I don’t think Giada De Laurentiis would mind. Although I’d eat this dish as a main course, it can be combined with any fish or meat or can be placed over a bed of greens for a delicious salad.

• 1 1/2 cups of water 
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 8 grape tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 sweet onion (recommended: Walla Walla) chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
• 1/2 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
I basically cooked the barley for around 30-35 minutes. Then I added about 1 teaspoon of salt and let it simmer for around 8-10 more minutes. After cooked, I placed the barley in a container (or bowl, if you prefer) and let it cool. In a seperate bowl, I combined the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and herb seasoning, onion, and tomatoes. I smashed these ingredients together to create a paste-like consistency. I then poured this “sauce” over the barley and added salt and pepper to taste.