Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Casserole

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         FOOD FUNNY
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Here's another classic food funny from Rosemary Zwick:

The farmer's son was returning from the market with the crate of
chickens his father had entrusted to him, when all of a sudden the box
fell and broke open. Chickens scurried off in different directions, but
the determined boy walked all over the neighborhood scooping up the
wayward birds and returning them to the repaired crate. Hoping he had
found them all, the boy reluctantly returned home, expecting the worst.

"Pa, the chickens got loose," the boy confessed sadly, "but I managed to
find all twelve of them."

"Well, you did real good, son," the farmer beamed. "You left with seven."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This one-pot meal is hearty, healthy, and easy to prepare.

Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Casserole

2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
2 lbs (900 g) beef stew meat, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried rosemary
1 bay (laurel) leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups (500 ml) beef stock
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry red wine or additional beef stock
1/2 cup (125 ml) barley, rinsed
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1 lb (450 g) mushrooms, quartered

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot with a cover (Dutch oven) over
moderate heat and brown the meat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for
5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the mushrooms and bake
covered in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 1 hour. Stir in the
mushrooms and bake covered until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Mon Sep 10 07:21:06 2007