Pick of the Week: Barley & Weekend News

This week I chose barley as my pick of the week. I came across a recipe that used it a few weeks ago but when I tried to find it at the grocery store I didn’t have much luck. During my next visit, I scoured the shelves and came upon some Quaker quick-cooking barley. Perfect for me!

Let me just say, barley was a smashing success in our house! First we enjoyed it in a Tex Mex Barley Bake which was delicious!

Next we enjoyed it mixed into our Loaded Potato toppings for a quick, healthy lunch!

And finally, I had some fun with dinner the other night and I made some blackberry chicken. All that means is that I had some leftover blackberry jam that I wanted to use up so I marinated my chicken breasts in it before baking them. It gave them a subtle blackberry flavor, but more importantly, it turned them bright purple! I served my purple chicken over some sauteed spinach and barley and with a side of bbq sauce! Gorgeous

Do you ever get creative with your food colors? *Side note: the hubby didn’t enjoy this meal as much as I did

Overall we really liked barley and I especially enjoyed how quickly it could be cooked. I’ll be using it again in the future for sure. I want to try it in soup and like using it as a substitute for rice!

Do you enjoy barley? What’s your favorite recipe?

In weekend news…

Strength Training Benefits- It’s never too late to start.

A Simple Map to the Land of Wholesome- Some great tips from the NY Times!

How to Prevent ‘Funny Tummy’- Some tips on adding more whole grains to your diet.

Are Statins an Excuse For Unhealthy Eating?- An article about whether people use cholesterol as an excuse to eat whatever they want?

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

PS. I was featured on the Chobani blog today in their article about pancakes!