Italian Beef or Veal Stew

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean beef or veal, cut into cubes (or 1 pound of each)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lb white mushroom or baby bella mushroom, cleaned and cut into quarters
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (28 ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes (or 2 14 ounce cans of tomato puree)
• 4-6 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 5 large peeled potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 lb fresh green string bean, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed (optional)
• salt, to, your, taste
• pepper, to, your, taste
• 1 quart boiling water

Directions

1. 1

   In a 6 quart pot, brown the meat with the onions in oil.

2. 2

   Add the mushrooms, and cook until the juices start to run.

3. 3

   Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, wine and bay leaf to the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. 4

   Add the carrots, potatoes and just enough boiling water to cover the vegetables.

5. 5

   Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are almost tender.

6. 6

   Add the green beans and a bit more boiling water if necessary to cover the green beans.

7. 7

   Continue cooking over medium low heat until all vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes.

8. 8

   Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well.

9. 9

   Serve with a good crusty bread.