beef barley stew

boy oh boy, it's getting to be stew time of year, isn't it? 

i bought some barley a while back. it's not something i normally cook with, but i have always loved it in soups and stews, and what is better than branching out and trying new ingredients?

after i bought it, i was thinking of what to make. i don't know if i've ever actually had "beef barley stew" (if so i'd have been very young, before i became vegetarian) but i googled it, and found a few recipes. of course, i didn't follow any of them, and just ended up doing what i wanted. 

matt thinks this stew was a little heavy on the barley. i think it was just right. try it out and see for yourself! you can always substitute more veggies or another grain for some of the barley!

ingredients:

3/4 c barley (dry)
1 c TVP chunks (i used really big chunks, and chopped them up a bit)
2 bullion cubes
3 c veggies (i used onion, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
1/2 t sage
1/2 t thyme

1/2 t rosemary
1 T parsley
1 T garlic powder
5 c water 
1/8 c flour
1/8 c nutritional yeast

to make:

throw barley, TVP, bullion and spices in your slow cooker. 

top with veggies.

add water. cover, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low 7-8 hours. 

add more water if you want it soupier. add additional salt, pepper, etc to taste. 

take a 1/2 c or so of broth, and mix it with flour and nutritional yeast. 

 

pour the mixture into the slow cooker, stir well, and heat another 30 minutes to an hour. 

enjoy!