Quick-cooking barley makes fast stew

Barley is good for you, and fast-cooking barley is fast for you, so — with the help of the microwave — we're using that convenience product for a swiftly assembled stew-meets-soup (stewp?) starring chicken and barley.

Speeding up the process is that Italian relish called giardiniera; it will take the place of the oil, onion and garlic.

CHICKEN-BARLEY STEW

Prep: 13 minutes

Cook: 17 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

1 each, sliced: carrot, parsnip

1/4 cup oil-based mild giardiniera

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped

2 cans (15 ounces each) low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup quick-cooking barley

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Italian cheese blend

1. Place carrot, parsnip and 2 tablespoons water in microwave-safe bowl; heat on high until halfway cooked, 2 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the giardiniera in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; cook just until browned, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan (leaving behind as much of the giardiniera as possible); keep warm.

3. Pour the broth and wine into the pan; heat to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, barley, herb blend, pepper to taste, reserved chicken, carrot and parsnip; cook until barley is done and chicken has cooked through, about 12 minutes. Divide into bowls; top each with 2 tablespoons of the cheese.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 270 calories, 30 percent of calories from fat, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 44 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbs, 24 g protein, 609 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.