Crumble beef into a microwave safe plastic colander suspended over a 3 qt. Casserole. Top with onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic; cover with casserole lid or vented plastic wrap. Stirring midway through cooking, microwave on High for 6 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink.

Discard grease and place barley, tomato paste and bouillon in same casserole. Pour boiling water over barley; stir. Top with beef mixture and tomatoes with liquid; do not stir. Re-cover and microwave on Medium- High (70 %) for 30 minutes. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

Nutritional value per serving: 360 calories 23 grams protein 34 grams carbohydrates 4 grams fiber 15 grams fat 66 milligrams cholesterol 545 milligrams sodium