Beef & Barley Stew

As the weather changes it's time to spruce up those dreary winter days.  A great way to do this is a warm and hearty stew.  Not just any stew, a beef & barley stew with red wine!  Since I posted this photo I have already had the recipe request a couple of times so here it goes....

Ingredients:
1 kg stewing beef, cubed, rinsed and pat dried
1 bottle of a hearty red wine (I used a Chilean Cab Sav)
Chopped or dehydrated garlic
2/3 cup Pearl onions
3 Carrots
1 Red pepper
1 small sweet potatoe, peeled
9 nugget yellow flesh potatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes or 1 cup grated fresh tomatoes
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary)
1/2 cup barley (pearl or pot barley both work fine)
Stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F
In a dutch oven or other oven proof pot with a lid brown beef with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, salt and pepper.  Once brown add wine and stir to deglaze pan.  Continue cooking at med/high until 1/2 of the wine boils off. 
Chop veggies into similar sizes, if the nugget potatoes are small and tender no need to peel.  You can substitute regular potatoes but those should be peeled.  Add all veggies & barley and stir to coat.  Add seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  Add enough stock or water to come up to the 3/4 full mark on your pot.  Cover and put in the oven for 45 mins.  Check occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid and add stock or water as needed. 

Serve with a crusty Italian bun or loaf and watch the dreariness disappear!