Beef & Barley Stew

There is something about walking from the farthest parking spot to work and back four times today that resulted in me never unthawing… so here is a recipe that I felt helped me unthaw.

Beef & Barley Stew
1 lb. lean ground beef or grounded turkey
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 cups beef broth
3 carrots peeled and cut into 1/2-in. rounds
3 ribs celery, sliced
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and Pepper

1.) In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef or turkey over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it starts to brown.  Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

2.) Stir in the tomatoes and oregano and bring to a simmer over high heat.  Stir in the broth, carrots, celery and barley and return to a simmer. Lower the heat and cook until the barley is very tender, about 1 hour.  Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Believe it folks that I made this and used EVERYTHING listed above.  Just call me Martha :)