Quick barley stew
Once the seasonings are adjusted to your tastes, this dense, filling barley mixture might well go onto your list of favorite comfort foods.
Ingredients
• 1/3 c. slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 11/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (101/2-oz.) can beef broth
• 1 soup can water
• 1 c. quick-cooking barley
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 tbsp. sherry, or to taste
• 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Hot pepper sauce to taste
• 1 c. sour cream
Directions
Toast the almonds in an ungreased frying pan over low-medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté the onions until they become translucent. Stir in the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Stir in the mushrooms and almonds and cook 1 minute.
Brown the ground beef in the frying pan; drain well and add the drained beef to the onion-mushroom mixture. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the broth, water, barley, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, sherry, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the cover, raise heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed or cooked off. Remove from heat.
Stir about half a cup of the hot mixture into the sour cream to temper it (just as with egg protein, to keep it from curdling), then stir the sour cream into the barley mixture. Serve immediately.