Name: Greek Inspired Kale and Barley Salad
Ingredients: 1 cup quick-cook barley (cook to packet instructions); 1 bunch of kale – ribs removed and very finely shredded; 1 yellow bell pepper diced; 2 carrots diced; 2 stick of celery diced; 2 Persian cucumber diced; 1 pack cherry tomatoes halved; ½ red onion chopped; ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes; ½ cup pitted black Kalamata olives; 1 cup of marinated artichokes; 1 tub crumbled feta cheese; ½ cup good olive oil; ½ cup white balsamic/ apple cider/red wine vinegar; 1 lemon- zest and juice; 2 TBS mustard; Salt & pepper to taste

I’m basically in love with any recipe that involves feta cheese and olives.

But this rainbow-colored loaded greek style kale salad with barley will blow your mind.

Kale is one of those tricky veggies. It’s hard to enjoy it raw cause it is so tough to chew. In fact, my husband Saul says it’s so bad even the cows refuse to eat it. Hahaha.

But I finally found a way to serve it that he approves of. And the bonus is I don’t need to drown it in dressing to make it easier to swallow.

The best way to work with raw kale is to wilt it with a warm grain like barley, faro, orzo, quinoa, or couscous.

That way you need a lot less dressing and the salad will taste great without all the added fat.

Yes, this tip will help you “DITCH THE CALORIES NOT THE FLAVOR”.

Let’s “COOK IT OFF “. It’s time to get back into the kitchen and cook your way to the body you always wanted.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do xxx Chef MM