Thursday, November 15, 2012

Thanksgiving Stuffing!


If you're anything like me, you know that a good stuffing, like a good potato latke, is made of whatever you can round up. Bread crusts, dried fruit, kale from the garden, leftover soup, all of it will make your stuffing a memorable addition to your Thanksgiving table. 

This recipe was made using a loaf of this week's pumpernickel sourdough bread, toasted until it was almost completely dried out, about 20 minutes in the oven.

Please substitute liberally. This is a vegan recipe, but works great if you are stuffing a bird, or if you have some homemade stock on hand.

Serves 4-6

Preheat the oven to 375.
Saute in a hot skillet for 10 minutes or until parsnips are cooked through:

3-4T olive oil (coconut oil and butter will both work here)
2 large carrots, diced
1 large or 2 small parsnips, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 T chopped fresh ginger
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 t salt (add immediately)
pinch (not even an eighth of a teaspoon) celery seed
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 t dried thyme

Add 1 granny smith apple, diced, and cook for a minute more.

Remove from heat and add: 

1-1 1/2 c red wine or homemade stock
3 c gluten-free stuffing croutons
1/2 c chopped dried figs or other fruit
2-3 T sunflower seeds (or chestnuts if you can eat them!)
pepper to taste
salt to taste

Stir and let sit until the bread has softened.

Cover and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and bake 10 minutes more.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Spotlight on the pantry

This is my pantry. I've been stocking it for years now, with spices coming and going as I learn new things and forget old ones. When I moved away from home to start school, it was a shock to be pantryless, and ever since, I've strived to keep my shelves fully loaded! With a full arsenal of ingredients, you can make anything taste delicious. Here's a list of my pantry staples.


Flours and baking aids
The big 3! I use these flours in almost everything.
-sorghum flour
-millet flour
-arrowroot starch

Extras:
brown rice flour, sweet rice flour (makes the best tortillas for burritos!), corn masa (tacos and tamales), baking powder, xanthan and guar gums, kosher salt

Oils and Sweet things (pick your favorites)
coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut oil, olive oil, non-GMO canola oil

Spices
for baking:
cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne pepper, cardamom

for cooking:
turmeric, fenugreek, paprika, sumac, whole coriander, cumin, mexican oregano, chipotle pepper

Seeds and Miscellany
black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, buckwheat groats, gluten-free oats, quinoa flakes, cacao nibs, whole millet