Bangin' Beef Stew

I found this recipe a while ago online. Since I don't have much experience cooking, I thought it was odd to add red wine to a beef stew, but I tried it and I loved it! I don't care for olives or mushrooms, so I did not make it with mine, but you may like them. I served it with some mashed potatoes. The vinegar at the end adds a zing to it!

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1⁄2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1⁄2 cups  halved mushrooms or 8  ounces mushrooms
• 2  cups  diagonally cut carrots
• 1 1⁄2 cups  coarsely chopped onions
• 1 1⁄2 cups  sliced celery
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1  cup  cabernet sauvignon wine or 1  cup dry red wine
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 2 (14 1/2ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2  bay leaves
• 1 (2 1/4ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2  tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook 5 minutes browning on all sides, remove from pan.
2. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, celery and garlic, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Return beef to pan.
4. Stir in water, red wine, salt, thyme, pepper, tomatoes, and bay leaves.
5. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
6. Stir in olives and cook 30 minutes or until beef is tender.
7. Discard bay leaves.
8. Stir in vinegar and sprinkle with parsley.