Beef and Barley Stew

On Thursday night I was faced with some defrosted steak, no shopping done, no plan and a mother-in-law coming for dinner. It was time to call on my inner Nanny Ogg, here's what she came up with:

Beef and barley stew

a slosh of olive oil
3 onions, diced
1kg steak, diced
1/2 red capsicum, diced
generous sprinkling of garlic powder
a shake or three of dried chili flakes
some allspice...maybe a bit more
3 tablespoons plain flour
1L beef stock
a few bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
the rest of the bottle of worchestershire sauce (I dunno, 1 tablespoon?)
3 carrots, sliced
4 potatoes, diced
1/2 cup pearl barley
salt & pepper to taste

Brown the onion and steak in the olive oil. Add the capsicum, spices and flour and brown a little more. Add everything else on the list except the barley. Simmer for 30 minutes. Decide to add barley. Simmer till barley is cooked. Season. Eat with rice. Be smug when your fussy daughter says "It's good!" Be less smug when she ends up feeding most of her serve to the dog.