Wild Rice and Barley Salad

I alluded to this salad in my West Coast Wrap-up post and, as it was tasty and healthy and a good balance of fiber and protein, I made it again when I got home. However, it was so different from what my sister and I made that it's almost a different recipe now. Of course, this kind of salad I like to think of as a vehicle for a number of different flavors; adding some sort of acid, dried fruit, nuts and herbs will always be good. Inspired by my sister, I haven't been eating much meat lately and have been trying to focus more on eating my "superfoods" like barley and beans and berries. Fortunately, this salad has all three!

1/4 c. wild rice or brown rice
1/4 c. pearl barley
1 c. chicken stock or water
1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
zest and juice of one small to medium orange

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Spoon rice mixture into a medium bowl. Add beans, cranberries, and onions.
Combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour over barley mixture; toss well. Cover; chill 2 hours. Stir in cilantro and orange.


If you look at the original recipe, you can see where I made substitutions and additions, based mostly on what I had at home. I though both versions were very tasty, but the orange zest really perked up the revised recipe.