Chili-Lime Barley and Vegetable Salad

1 ½ cup dried barley
¾ tsp salt
4 tsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ c corn
2 tsp chili powder
¼ cup lime juice (lemon will work fine too)
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook barley according to packaged directions, using ¼ teaspoon of salt in water. Drain well.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until the pepper is crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add corn and chili powder. Increase heat to medium high and cook until corn is piping hot, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together remaining salt, lime juice and black pepper. Add barley, sautéed vegetables, and remaining 2 tsp oil and toss to combine. Add cheese and toss gently. Serve at room temp or slightly chilled.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake to combine. Should keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

**Note-This dressing goes especially well with spinach salad and other softer leaf lettuce. The dressing itself is incredibly light and would not stand up to a sturdier leaf like romaine.

Lemony Green and White Beans

1 can white beans
2 c fresh green beans, halved
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Make dressing and toss with beans. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Fiesta Chicken with Tomato-Avacado Salsa

Tomato-Avocado Salsa
2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 medium avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
4 medium green onions diced
1-2 tablespoons lime juice (May substitute lemon juice)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeno chili (optional)
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt

Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup lime juice (may substitute lemon juice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt

Mix chicken marinade. Reserve half to pour over chicken while it bakes. Pour other half over chicken. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. In medium glass or plastic bowl, gently mix all salsa ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Heat oven to 375. Spray 9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place chicken skin sides up, in pan. Pour reserved marinade over chicken. (Discard marinade that was in the fridge with the chicken.) Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer, basting with marinade. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

**I have also added 1-2 cups of mango to the salsa and it was delicious!