You can serve this easy, healthy recipe at so many occasion. It's enough for lunch, topped with feta to keep it vegetarian or toasted nuts for vegans; and it also works as a brilliant buffet salador as a side dish. I serve it with my fruity and nutty Rosh Hashanah chicken.

Ingredients:
500g pearl barley
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large courgette
2 medium tomatoes
1 orange (bell) pepper
6 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper
A handful of pomegranate arils or dried cranberries (optional)

Method:

• Rinse the barley

• Place in a large pan with 1.5l water and a tablespoon of salt

• Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer.

• Cook for 20 - 25 minutes until the grains are al dente (soft but with a slight bite when you test them) then drain and set aside.

• Chop the vegetables into 1cm dice.

• In a large frying pan, warm the olive oil and sauté the vegetables with the onions and garlic and some salt and pepper for 8 - 10 minutes until soft and slightly caramelised. Keep going if they don’t seem done as you want them tender and sweet. Season to taste.

• Add to the barley, check seasoning again and stir in the pomegranate arils or dried cranberries before serving.

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