Beef and Barley Casserole

A wonderful hearty meal for cold and rainy days with lots of good veg and lovely tender meat.
Ideal for cooking ahead.

Portions: 2 adults + 2 children
Cooking time: 20 mins preparation + 2 hours cooking
What's in it:: Pearl barley is rich in fibre and a good source of vitamin B.

Ingredients: 500g good quality braising steak 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped 2 carrots, cut into cubes 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 beef stock cube/pot 1 can chopped tomatoes Salt and pepper, 2 bay leaves 3 thyme springs Lemon zest of 1 lemon 70g pearl barley Optional: 1 tablespoon Sundried tomato paste Freshly baked baguette

Preparation: In a large casserole, sear beef with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden brown, then remove and move aside. Add onions, celery and carrots, fry for a few minutes until soft. Add garlic and sundried tomato paste, stir, put beef back into casserole. Pour in chopped tomatoes and 1 cup of water, add stock cube Season with salt, pepper, bay leaves,  thyme and lemon zest Bring to the boil, cover and simmer slightly for 1 ½ hours. Add pearl barley and simmer for further 30 mins. Serve in a deep plate with a slice of fresh baguette. The casserole can be set aside and reheated later if required.

Adult version: Enjoy with a glass of red wine :-) Suitable for reheating and freezing. ----- About this blog This blog is about family cooking. It's important to get together for family meals however finding healthy recipes for kids and adults can be difficult. Here are some ideas for quick and easy family meals that toddlers and grown-ups will love. They are well balanced, healthy family recipes, however they can be tweaked for fussy eaters or spiced up for a more sophisticated adult palate. In addition to the healthy family recipes, I'm publishing some of my knitting and crochet patterns for toddler toys and accessories.