Lunch: Warm Jeweled Barley Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing

Recipe by Kempstr Colorful pieces of dried fruit stud this warm barley salad, which goes savory with a honey mustard dressing. Feel free to use whatever mix of dried fruit you have on hand in your cupboard.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley, Cranberries, Honey

Health and fertility benefits of Warm Jeweled Barley Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley. Researchers believe that cranberries contain substances that prevent infection-causing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract walls. However, store-bought cranberry juice is typically all sugar - so make sure to stick with straight cranberries. One tbsp of honey has a glycemic index (GI) of 55.

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1/3 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook barley in boiling water, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 40 minutes. Add dried fruit and cook 1 minute more. Drain barley mixture well and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Toast almonds in a small rimmed baking sheet or pie pan until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
While barley cooks and nuts toast, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until browned around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion to barley and toss to combine.
Whisk together mustard, honey, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining tablespoon oil and pour dressing over salad. Toss well. Sprinkle salad with toasted almonds and toss lightly.

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