This salad is meant to be served cold.  I adapted it from a recipe called Greek Chicken and Barley Salad in Cooking Light Magazine.  The adaptations I made aren’t crucial as the original recipe was really good. But of course, I like my version better.  Maybe try making both and then report back to me once you agree with me that my version is better!

Ingredients:
2 Cups Pearl Barley
4 Cups Fat Free, Low Sodium Chicken Stock
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Container Goat Cheese Crumbles
1 Seedless Cucumber
1 cup (or so) of Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
1 of each yellow, orange, and red bell pepper
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 clove garlic, pealed
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 lemon
olive oil

Directions:
1)  Heat oven to 375, in roasting pan place tomatoes and garlic with a little olive oil.  Stir together and roast for a while.
2)  Follow directions for making barley and use the chicken stock instead of water (water also works though).
3)  Season chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper, grill until cooked, allow to cool then dice them.
4)  Dice cucumbers and peppers, then combine together with goat cheese and olives in large serving bowl.
5)  Once barley and chicken are done, allow to cool then add to veggies in bowl.
6)  Check tomatoes and garlic, when tomatoes are wilty and garlic looks soft, remove from oven and allow to cool.
7)  As tomatoes are cooling, squeeze juice of lemon into small bowl.   Add basil.  Smash a few cloves of roasted garlic into bottom of small bowl then mix it all together with a little olive oil.
8)  When tomatoes and garlic are cool, add to serving bowl, then top everything with the lemon-basil-garlic sauces and stir well.

Wa-la!  Delicious!

I’m not a chef by the way so if you have any modifications, let me know!

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