Mediterranean Barley Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup barley
3 cups chicken stock, fat free & low sodium
1/2 lb chicken breast, on the bone, skin on
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
cracked black pepper
garlic powder
1 garlic clove, minced
9 ounces Baby Spinach, one pre-washed bag
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup kalamata olive, pitted and halved
1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon Italian dressing

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add barley and chicken stock to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Set aside.
Place the chicken breast in a roasting pan, skin side up. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees. Once the chicken is cool, discard the skin and bones and cut into cubes. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic to a deep pot. Cook garlic on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add spinach and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the barley, cubed chicken, wilted spinach, grape tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir together and re-season if necessary. Serve at room temperature.