Hearty Beef and Mushroom Stew

Name: Hearty Beef and Mushroom Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tsps (10 ml) vegetable oil; 1 pound (500 g) boneless beef chuck trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes; 1 medium onion chopped (250 ml); 1 can (248 ml) beef broth; 1 can (398 ml) diced tomatoes undrained; 8 oz (227 g) sliced mushrooms; 2 medium carrots sliced (1 cup/250 ml); 1/2 cup (125 ml) water; 1 tsp (5 ml) oregano leaves (club house); 1/2 tsp (2 ml) garlic powder (club house); 1/2 tsp (2 ml) organic thyme leaves (club house); 1/4 tsp (1 ml) pepper ground black (club house); 1 bay leaves (club house); 2 tsps (10 ml) cornstarch; 4 tsps (20 ml) cold water; 3/4 cup (175 ml) instant rice