Ahhh, it’s good to be back!
If there’s ever a time to indulge in delicious food and wine, it’s in Napa Valley – which I definitely did. To the fullest. To the utmost, unbutton your pants, throw in the towel, fullest.
That is to say, between drinking and dining at the wineries and dinners out at Oenotri, Morimoto Napa (one of the best meals. EVER) and several other places, I left California feeling like I wouldn’t eat again for weeks. Then three hours passed and I started craving Chipotle, but you know what I mean!
Anyways! Like I said it’s good to be back. Back home to Ben, my garden, my morning Mom walks, not splitting 14 appetizers amongst 7 people, and back to cooking healthy meals out of my own kitchen.
I knew exactly what I’d be making for my first meal back, too. A healthy grilled dish that’s exploding with flavor – Grilled Chicken with Mom’s Barley Corn Salad. You will LOVE this!
Chicken marinated in a sweet cherry tomato vinaigrette is grilled then placed over chewy barley salad bursting with the fresh flavors of corn, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Oh yeah, there’s bacon involved. Just a little bit!
This barley corn salad is slightly modified from the one my Mom makes, which tons of you have asked me about over the past couple of months. (Sorry it took me so long!) I think you’ll find the recipe is well worth the wait, though!
Start by making the Tomato Vinaigrette that will not only serve as a marinade for the grilled chicken, but also as the dressing for the Barley Corn Salad.
The star of the vinaigrette are these Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes from my garden. They are so sweet and juicy. I am in LOVE with these babies!
Combine 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and 1 clove garlic in the bowl of a food processor. I didn’t try, but I think a blender would also work for this vinaigrette.
Next add 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,
then 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons water.
Finally, add 1 Tablespoon red onion, and salt & pepper to taste, then whir it on up.
Smells, SO good!
Place 6 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a plastic bag, then add 4 chicken breasts seasoned with salt & pepper, and stash them into the refrigerator to marinate while you get started on the Barley Corn Salad portion of the program.
The base of my Mom’s salad is barley, which Ben and I both fell in love with while cooking to lower his cholesterol levels last year. Worked like a charm. 
Not only is barley super healthy, but it’s also tender, chewy, and a great replacement for pasta.
Cook 3/4 cup medium barley with a pinch of salt according to package directions (it will take 30-40 minutes) then drain to make sure you remove all the excess water, and place into a big bowl to cool. Look how plump it is!
Once the barley’s slightly cooled, add 1/2 cup minced red onion, and 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes to the bowl.
Add 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels next (I used fresh, uncooked sweet corn cut from the cob) and 4 slices thick or center cut bacon, cooked and chopped. Here’s a quick and easy way to cook bacon in the microwave.
Pour in the remaining tomato vinaigrette, then toss everything to coat.
SO MUCH YUM!
Finally, fold in 1 chopped avocado, then place the salad into the fridge to chill out for a bit while you grill the chicken.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, then grill for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through, then let it rest off the grill for 5 minutes.
Place a big scoop of Barley Corn Salad onto each plate, then top with a grilled chicken breast, and enjoy!
Grilled Marinated Chicken with Mom’s Barley Corn Salad
Serves 4-6
Vinaigrette adapted from Skinny Taste
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
3/4 cup medium barley
2 cups fresh or frozen-then-thawed corn kernels
1-1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup minced red onion
4 slices cooked thick or center cut bacon, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
salt & pepper
For the Tomato Vinaigrette:
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon red onion
salt & pepper
Directions:
- Cook barley with a pinch of salt according to package directions. Drain when barley is tender to make sure all excess water is removed. Place into a large bowl to cool slightly.
- Make the Tomato Vinaigrette: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or blender, then process until smooth. Place 6 Tablespoons of the vinaigrette into a plastic bag and set the remaining aside. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt & pepper, then add it to the bag with the vinaigrette and marinate in the refrigerator while you make the Barley Corn Salad.
- Stir corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and bacon into the cooled barley. Add enough of the reserved tomato vinaigrette to coat and stir well. Gently fold in avocado then season with salt & pepper to taste. Place into the refrigerator.
- Heat a grill to high and grill chicken for 4-5 minutes a side, or until cooked through. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes off the grill, then divide salads onto plates and top with grilled chicken.
You have got to try this dish sometime! The chewy, crisp, and creamy textures, mingled with sweet, savory, and salty flavors is unreal, and so satisfying.
I especially loved a little bit of bacon with the tomato and avocado. Kind of like a wee BLT! 
Oh, and the beer in the background? It was 105 degrees with, like, 115% humidity yesterday. A Miller Chill helped take the edge off. It had to be done.
Hope you’ll give this a try, guys!
I love barley salads! And bacon and avocado – one of the best combinations ever. Clearly, this is being pinned immediately.
Looks absolutely delicious, as per usual! Gotta try that tomato vinaigrette! YUM.
Holy cow does that vinaigrette look good! I also love how the barley and white corn kernels are almost indistinguishable
I bet the texture combo is out of this world!
These pictures are amazing (and so does the food)! What kind of camera do you use?
Thanks, Erin! It’s a Nikon D3000!
Uh, yum. Chickennnnnnn.
WOW, that dish looks flawless. The pics are amazing too!
Wish I hadn’t done my weekly shopping yesterday, this definitely would have made the list for dinner this week! Yum!
Looks absolutely wonderful. And from one Iowa chick (born and raised by now semi-distantly removed) to another Iowa chick…way to plug that Quaker Oats version!!
Looks so delicious! I’ll be making it this weekend for sure! Welcome home and we are planning a trip to Napa for our 26th wedding anniversary after your great posts last weekend!! Yay!
I bet you could use quinoa in place of barley in this. What do you think?
Well, once we see that nightly beer disappear. We will know:)
so many of your dishes are starting to all look the same. lol
Haha, I know – I’m obsessed with salads this summer!
This looks delicious! I think I might try it with tofu later this week!
)
Moms always have the best recipes. Recipes like this gets passed down for many generations.
I’ve wanted to try barley for ages but not sure what to have it with :S I’m guessing I could add it to dishes as I would cous cous, quinoa and rice?
You bet! I know it’s super hot out right now – but this is one of our favorite soup recipes with barley: http://iowagirleats.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6007756
This sounds amazing, I love barley but alas I can not eat glutten, what would you suggest instead of barley?
A small, gluten free pasta would probably work!
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try this one! How do you slice your avocados so perfectly? I always seem to end up with a mushy mess
Here’s how I do it! http://iowagirleats.com/2012/03/13/no-cook-spring-supper/
Great, thank you
How do you get your avocado to look so picture perfect?
Here’s how I cut it! http://iowagirleats.com/2012/03/13/no-cook-spring-supper/
yummmmm! What wonderful flavor combinations. I haven’t had barley in awhile. I guess it’s time I dig it out of the pantry.
I’m curious about the corn being raw. Why not cooked?
You can definitely cook if you prefer. I just like the sweet crispy taste of summer sweet corn!
I just wanted to say that I have been following your blog for some time now and I wanted to thank you for all of the delicious and easy to re-create recipies. I have been pre-planning and utilizing most of them for my weekly meal planned dinners! You rock!
Thank Alexa – that’s really sweet of you to say. Happy eating!
So glad you shared her recipe! Looks great, and reminds me of the first time I ever tried to make a tomato puree in the blender. Major fail- tomato all over the kitchen cabinets, drawers, and floor! Haha, live and learn!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! So fresh and flavorful!
First off, you have one of my favorite blogs! You are just adorable!
I have tried so many of your wonderful recipes and my family and I have loved them all.
Can you please tell me how you slice and dice up your avacado like you show above?
Thanks!
Oh! Had I read ALL of your comments first I would have seen that someone already asked! Thanks for the link and at least I got to tell you that I enjoy your blog!!
Made this last night, substituted quinoa for the barley and it was amazing! Thank your mom for the excellent recipe:)
Loving this recipe! Made it tonight using chocolate cherry tomatoes and quinoa in place of barley. It was so good! Perfect with a glass of crisp Chardonnay!
Made this last night. It was so yummy! My girls loved the barley corn mixture. They ate the remaining bits on their plates with tortilla chips. They said it tasted like salsa. Yummy.
[...] salad to accompany our grilled burgers (veggie and not). It was inspired by a post I saw on Iowa Girl Eats this week, a barley corn [...]
Made this tonight – it’s delicious and super filing! Thank you!
This was so good! The corn and bacon give you the sweet and salty combo that is amazing!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was YUM, YUM, YUM!!! My boyfriend and 9 year old son liked it too…My 9 year old liking it is a feat not easily accomplished…I will definately be making this again and again!!!
Hi! What is the herb you used? Cilantro? I am making this right now!
It was just a little bit of fresh parsley sprinkled on top!
[...] those little guys those plants can crank out everyday!Anyways, we swapped recipes we’d made, Barley Corn Salad with Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette from me, and Summer Garden Pasta from her, and both agreed a recipe I’d found for a Caprese [...]
I found this salad recipe on pinterest and I made it last week. It reminded me of a BLT, but better! I just loooovvvee the dressing too. I will definitely make it again and again. Thanks for sharing!
Yum, sounds great!
[...] installment of Pinterest Productivity includes three Summer recipes I’m itching to try. The grilled chicken and corn salad, Parmesan Baked Tomatoes and Salmon Cakes are on my must make next week list. Once I make these [...]
I stumbled upon your recipes from Pinterest and seriously I love you already! I want to eat light and healthy but not feel like I’m starving myself and your recipes are exactly what I’m looking for!! One of the people on here said that all your recipes are starting to look the same and to that I thank you! I’m going to make the shrimp and quinona salad this week and I picked this one as well because the ingredient list is similar! This makes grocery shopping much easier!
Thank You! You are making my life sooo much easier this summer!!