Stuffing Anyone?

I was making vegetarian stuffing for our Thanksgiving banquet at church yesterday and thought it would be a timely post for this week.

I found the recipe by Anne on vegweb.com. I made slight changes, so I am posting my version. The original recipe had a few optional ingredients and slight differences from my version. This tastes similar to that "stove" stuff. It's really good and everyone will enjoy it, vegetarian or not.

Vegetarian Stuffing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Put into a 9 x 13 baking pan in the oven to toast, about 15 minutes:
8 cups diced bread (I used whole grain spelt)

Put in a large skillet:
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or other high heat oil)

When heated, add and saute the following three, over medium heat until onion is translucent:
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

Separately mix the following together:
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt)

Add the seasoning and nuts to the toasted bread.
Carefully drizzle with:
2 cups vegetable stock

Mix gently. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes.

Laundry Care

Now for something new and generally unrelated to food...I've been curious to know what the new laundry care symbols mean. I've seen some of our care tags with just symbols and others with symbols and worded instructions. I decided to look it up for a "cheat sheet" to post in my laundry room.

I found "Your Guide to Fabric Care Symbols" (covers all the different symbols and what they mean) and a "Fabric Care Language Made Easy" (a quick shortcut guide) very informative. I printed them out as they are easy to read and will make easy reference in my laundry room.

Applesauce Quick Bread

I found this recipe in one of my children's magazines (recipe by Denise Super-Braith). It is simple and the only thing I changed was the sweetener. I added (half as much) honey instead of sugar. Because I made homemade applesauce this year (might make more), I had some in the freezer to use.

Applesauce Quick Bread

Mix liquids together in one bowl:
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup honey)
1/2 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients in another bowl:
2 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine wet and dry ingredients together, mixing well. Bake in a greased and floured bread pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool, then slice when ready to serve.

(When I made this the first time, I actually didn't have the cinnamon, so I added the cloves along with some allspice and nutmeg. Still came out great!)

This would probably do great as cupcakes too, just adjust for less time and watch your oven.

Cooking with Oils

I have always known that there are certain oils that can be used in cooking (heated) and some that are best used in a cold state for full benefit.

The Spectrum company has a great online resource that can be useful in the kitchen. It's a kitchen guide that shows which oils can take heat and how much. It also shows you which oils should not be heated and the best Omega 3-6-9 sources. I printed one out so I can use it as a reference. I will put it into my 3 ring binder along with my recipes.