Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon-Cumin Grilled Chicken from Ellie Krieger

This hearty salad is bursting with harvest flavors and chock-full of exciting textures—chewy yet tender wheat berries, sweet-tart dried cherries, crunchy walnuts, and crisp celery. Served over leafy spinach and topped with cumin-scented chicken, this is a power lunch that will fill you up without slowing you down.


Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon-Cumin Grilled Chicken
(Makes 4 servings)

Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients

Directions

  1. In medium-size pot, combine wheat berries and enough water to come 2 inches above wheat berries. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and let cool.
  2. Meanwhile, toast walnuts in a medium-size dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. In large bowl, combine wheat berries, toasted walnuts, celery, parsley, dried cherries, scallions, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Salad will keep up to 5 days in airtight container in refrigerator.
  4. To serve, place 1 cup of spinach leaves on plate or in to-go containers. Mound ¾ cup of wheat berry salad on top of each serving. Top with slices of Lemon-Cumin Grilled Chicken. Place lemon wedge on side of each serving.
  5. Right before eating, squeeze lemon wedges on top.



Lemon-Cumin Grilled Chicken
(Makes 4 servings)

A touch of aromatic cumin and a citrus punch take basic grilled chicken to the next level. Pack it in your lunch box on top of the wheat berry salad.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Put chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound slightly with mallet or rolling pin to even thickness of about ½ inch.
  2. In small bowl, combine cumin, salt, and pepper.
  3. Rub chicken breasts on both sides with olive oil. Then rub spice mixture on both sides.
  4. Spray grill or nonstick grill pan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat.
  5. Grill chicken until grill marks have formed and chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  6. Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into ½-inch thick slices. Drizzle with lemon juice.
  7. Chicken will keep for up to 3 days in airtight container in refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving (¾ cup wheat berry salad, 1 cup spinach, 7 slices chicken)


Calories: 550
Total fat: 23 g
Carbohydrate: 48 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 39 g
Sodium: 420 mg


Recipe and photo from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week, by Ellie Krieger. www.elliekrieger.com © 2009 by Ellie Krieger. Used with permission. All rights reserved.