Italian Beef Or Veal Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs lean beef or 2 lbs veal, cut into cubes (or 1 pound of each)
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb white mushrooms or 1 lb 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

Preparation

In a 6 quart pot, brown the meat with the onions in oil.
Add the mushrooms, and cook until the juices start to run.
Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, wine and bay leaf to the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the carrots, potatoes and just enough boiling water to cover the vegetables.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for about another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are almost tender.
Add the green beans and a bit more boiling water if necessary to cover the green beans.
Continue cooking over medium low heat until all vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste, stir well.
Serve with a good crusty bread.