Beef Stroganoff

In a medium or large pot, bring the broth, carrot and bay leaf to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand until needed. If you're going to serve the stroganoff over noodles for the high-carbers, you can use the same pot to cook them in later while the stroganoff is simmering.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. This will be the same pot that you will cook the meat in later. Sauté the mushrooms until tender and somewhat browned; remove from the pot to a small bowl and set aside until needed. I recommend refrigerating them since they will be sitting around for about 2 hours.

Pat the meat cubes dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown the meat in two batches so that it is always in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. Return all of the meat to the pot; add the onions and garlic; cook until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and strain the beef broth into the pot; discarding the carrot and bayleaf. Simmer, partly covered, 1 1/2-2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

When the meat is done, add the mushrooms, sour cream, mustard and parsley. Adjust the seasonings to taste. If you'd like to give the gravy a bit more body, push the meat into a pile on one side of the pot. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the meat then mix in well. You don't want to boil the sauce, so just let it sit for a few minutes on low heat until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. This won't make a thick gravy or make the sauce slimy, it just makes it so that it's not watery.