1 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillet, cut into thirds lengthways
1/4 cup sliced blanched almonds
1 cup pearl barley
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
1 zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthways into then strips
3 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
large handful arugula or other greens to scatter over top
Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon store-bought harissa paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch sea salt
To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Put the chicken into a shallow container and pour the marinade over, making sure the chicken is well coated. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place almonds in a small saute pan and cook over medium heat shaking occasionally until almonds are browned. Set aside.
Place the pearl barley in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 35 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside in a bowl to cool slightly. Place the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and some black pepper in a small bowl and whisk together, the pour this mixture over the pearl barley, stir to coat and set aside.
Cook the broccoli in a saucepan of simmering water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and plunge immediately into a bowl of iced water. Drain again and set aside.
Brush each side of the zucchini strips with a little olive oil. Heat a skillet or grill pan and cook the zucchini strips on both sides until light golden-brown. Leave to cool slightly before dicing finely.
In the same grill pan over medium high heat cook the chicken with its excess marinade for 10 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is caramelized on the outside and cooked through and the marinade is bubbling. Remove the chicken and juces an set aside, covered, to rest for 5 minutes before slicing each chicken strip very thinly.
Place the chicken, almonds, pearl barley, broccoli, zucchini, scallions, and tomatoes into a large bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter with arugula leaves and serve.