Modified from Cooking for 2
1/2 lb ground beef [this is a two person magazine, but I freeze all my hamburger in 1 lb packs so I doubled this recipe]
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp flour
4 cups water
1/3 cup medium pearl barley
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon granules (the bouillon cubes you buy to make broth (I buy mine at Sam's Club in bulk) are 1 tsp if you smash them (a big pot works well).)
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried oregano
In a large pot, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in flour. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until barley is tender (and 1 hour worked well for me).
Makes 3 cups.