Barley, Barley, Ra, Ra, Ra!

Barley Casserole...finally.
Why did I wait so long? Well...I know why it had to wait but, if I had known it was going to be this good I would have sacrificed a few hours of sleep! I've never had Barley before and in just a few recipes I have been introduced to so many delicious foods!
The picture really does not do this dish justice and, because I didn't make it with the Tahini Dressing, your final product may not only look quite different but, odds are it will also taste different. I would love to hear feedback on the "real" recipe!
I had the hulled Barley ready to go because I had soaked it some time ago. But I brought it to a boil with water again and got the heat in there, then I sauteed the veggies (I only had a half an onion...maybe) and the shoyu (love it) and added all the seasonings. While all this was happening I failed to notice that my lil home was filling with smoke so I had to take the pan off the stove and air out the place before continuing! Should the fact that the smoke alarm did NOT go off concern me?
I mixed the barley and veggie concoction together and stirred it up before adding paprika (because it's supposed to be in the dressing) and some red pepper flakes (for a lil kick) and poured it into a dish. I didn't bake it and when I made myself a bit for dinner I added some salsa (did I mention how much I love salsa?).
Even with these changes the dish is delightful!
I feel such a sense of "ahhhh" after making this recipe. I am excited to move on to the next section (proteins) and hate that I had to put off this recipe for so long...it seemed to looooom over me!
Lesson Learned: Don't let the things you love turn into the have to's. I give myself permission to skip around a bit, when in need of recipes that fit better into the day.

Any recipe revelations to share?

Next up- Waffle, Sausage, and Cheese Panini!