Thanksgiving gone Healthy & Wild! Coming from generations of traditional Italian cooking, my family Holiday dinners are a combination of traditional Italian favorites, turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing; so I decided to put a healthy exotic twist to the All-American Stuffing! The result is an AMAZING Cranberry-Apple Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe that can be tailored to dietary restrictions or allergies like vegan, dairy-free, gluten free, nut-free or to your desired taste palette. Wild rice adds a wonderful texture to this stuffing while the slight sweetness of the dried cranberries and apples lends a delicious flavor. This is a perfect stuffing for winter squashes making a dazzling holiday main dish. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.....ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, or 2 1/2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
2/3 cup Raw Wild Rice or 1/2 Package of Trader Joe's Cooked Wild Rice
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium White Onion, chopped
1 Large Celery Stalk, diced
2 Medium Apples, cored & diced
4 Cups finely diced Cornbread or Whole Grain Bread (Use Gluten-Free Options like our Gluten-Free Zucchini Cornbread Recipe minus the zucchini or Gluten-Free breads)
1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup finely chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 tsp Salt-Free Seasoning (like Spike or Mrs. Dash)
1/4-1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, to taste
Salt & freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1/2 Cup Apple Juice or Apple Cider (Organic, Unfiltered or All-Natural)
Directions:
**Bonus Quick Tips:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, or 2 1/2 cups water with 1 vegetable bouillon cube
2/3 cup Raw Wild Rice or 1/2 Package of Trader Joe's Cooked Wild Rice
1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium White Onion, chopped
1 Large Celery Stalk, diced
2 Medium Apples, cored & diced
4 Cups finely diced Cornbread or Whole Grain Bread (Use Gluten-Free Options like our Gluten-Free Zucchini Cornbread Recipe minus the zucchini or Gluten-Free breads)
1/3 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup finely chopped Pecans or Walnuts
2 tsp Salt-Free Seasoning (like Spike or Mrs. Dash)
1/4-1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, to taste
Salt & freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1/2 Cup Apple Juice or Apple Cider (Organic, Unfiltered or All-Natural)
Directions:
- Bring the broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir in the wild rice, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 35 minutes. (**If using cooked wild rice, omit this step)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, sauté until translucent. Add the celery and sauté over medium heat until both are golden.
- Combine the onion-celery mixture with the cooked wild rice and all the remaining ingredients except the apple juice in a mixing bowl. Stir well to combine. Drizzle the apple juice in slowly, stirring until mixture is evenly moistened.
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled or buttered, large shallow baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top begins to get slightly crusty. (**Cover with foil if desired)
**Bonus Quick Tips:
- Whirl slices & chunks of whole-grain bread in a food processor until fine. This is a good way to use up ends and slightly dated pieces of bread.
- Plump dried cranberries in the cider by warming them both in a saucepan or in the microwave and letting them stand for about 5 minutes. Drain the cranberries, reserving them and the cider separately.
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