Barley salad with roasted sweet potato & maple vinaigrette

It is getting chillier these days, the frost is here and the snow will be very soon. With the colder weather comes heartier dishes. Barley is one of those foods that reminds me of that we are soon approaching winter, I usually add it to root vegetable stews and such. I thought I would try something new with it...a salad!

Barley cooks up like rice, and has a nutty flavour, it also packs a descent dose of iron and fibre. I thought it would pair nicely with sweet potato, fresh parsley, and some red onion. I made a big bowl and by morning the next day it was devoured....mostly by me.

Pretty simple to make, you could add pretty much anything you want to barley. Even some roasted zucchini would be nice!

Maple vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp dijon
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
sea salt
black pepper

Combine all ingredients into a mason jar. Place lid on and give a good shake.