Directions:

Cook bacon in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towel; discard fat.

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.

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.

Active Minutes: 40 - Total: 40 minutes

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

High Fiber

The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook

150 Delicious Recipes for Simple, Everyday Suppers in 45 Minutes or Less - By Jim Romanoff and the Editors of EatingWell Magazine

Putting a healthy, home-cooked meal on the table every day in these busy times is the elusive goal for millions of today's food-conscious consumers. Healthy in a Hurry is the new solution to the perennial weeknight question, "What's for dinner?" EatingWell sets the standard for creating quicker, simpler, healthful recipes that don't require hours of shopping and preparation time, and that never cut corners when it comes to great taste and sensory appeal.

Other books often create quick-and-easy recipes with shortcut ingredients that are usually highly processed and filled with excess calories, added sugars and sodium. Healthy in a Hurry recipes use fresh ingredients that are readily available in supermarkets, making one-stop shopping a snap. Each recipe is thoroughly tested and approved by the nationally recognized EatingWell Test Kitchen and includes a complete nutritional analysis.

In addition, Healthy in a Hurry provides time-saving tips for planning meals and shopping smart, including a special pantry section listing the most essential ingredients to always have on hand to cook quick, healthy and delicious suppers. Basic cooking techniques are provided for even the greenest cooks, with suggestions for the proper tools to use, the lowdown on food safety, and quick explanations of efficient cooking techniques. (such as stir-frying, steaming, broiling and grilling). Menu suggestions allow you to quickly choose suppers made with in-season ingredients, and at-a-glance indexes point you to suppers that are extra-fast, will help you maintain a healthy weight, and are family-friendly enough to appeal to even the most finicky eaters.

Author

Jim Romanoff is the food editor and a longtime recipe developer for EatingWell Magazine in Charlotte, Vermont. He has worked for such diverse publications as Woman's Day, Fresh Ideas, Rolling Stone, Us Magazine and Details. He has been a restaurant cook and caterer and is an avid home cook.

Serving Size: Makes 4 1 3/4 Cup Servings