Consider cooking barley the night before a busy day. Simply refrigerate cooked barley overnight and add remaining ingredients before serving for a quick and refreshing cold salad.

4 cups water
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, quartered, water drained
1 scallion, sliced
2 tbsp prepared commercial pesto
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add barley, cover and reduce heat; simmer for 45 minutes.

Remove barley from heat and let stand for 5 minutes (or refrigerate overnight after barley is no longer hot to the touch). Add remaining ingredients and toss. This salad can be served warm or
chilled.

Yield: about 7 servings, 1 cup serving size

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING:
CALORIES: 240 • PROTEIN: 10 g • SODIUM: 448 mg • CARBOHYDRATE: 35 g FIBER: 8 g • FAT: 6 g • Sat Fat: 2 g

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)