Kicking off our Very Tasty Thanksgiving series is the lovely Sherrie from With Food + Love. I found Sherrie and her blog, if I recall correctly, through Instagram, it really is amazing how hashtags can totally connect you to people that share your interests). I immediately began perusing her site and loved everything about it. Around the time I found her she was in the starting weeks of her CSA Project where every week of the season she shares the contents of her CSA share. Even if you don’t get a CSA, it’s so fun to see all that is available and in season. All of Sherrie’s recipes are gluten-free, obviously, but I really enjoy that she also has a love for what is in season and fresh, and that shows in her recipes. She cooks seasonally and unprocessed, which I can obviously appreciate! Today Sherrie is sharing a beautiful looking recipe for a Quinoa Sage Stuffing. Enjoy!

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Hi all – it’s Sherrie from, With Food + Love. I have been a fan of Beth’s blog for some time now and I love how she incorporates fresh seasonal foods into all of her recipes. This time of year is my favorite so I am honored and delighted to contribute to her, A Very Tasty Thanksgiving blog series.

Stuffing has always been and will always be my favorite side at the Thanksgiving table. Each year I make a gluten free stuffing with intent to share with my friends and family. But luckily for me no one at the table wants anything to do with this {gluten free} stuffing. Unluckily for me, I end up eating pretty much the entire bowl.

I, like most of you am on a lifelong commitment for an overall better health. And with each day going forward I strive to make simple changes in my diet to eliminate the processed foods and add whole, mostly plant based foods in their place. As I approach this coming holiday season plant strong, I wanted to see how delicious I could make this traditional stuffing taste without the processed junk, also known as gluten free bread. It seems crazy, right? I know. Since whole grains are all the rage in my home right now, I took my quinoa {the little power seed} into the kitchen with me and created this twist on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.

[print_this]Quinoa Sage Stuffing – Gluten-free + Vegan
{yields 6 servings}

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 heaping cup of diced celery
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• small handful of fresh sage, chopped {about 2 tablespoons}
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• fresh ground coarse pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sized pot bring 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil. Add in the quinoa and bay leaf, salt, pepper and stir. Set to low heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat {do not lift lid} and allow the quinoa to steam for another 10 minutes. When that is over, you will have picture perfect quinoa – trust me, no  more soggy mess!

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over low heat. Add in the chopped celery and onion. Cook until they begin to become clear, about 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add in the vegetable broth, sage, garlic powder and season with more salt and pepper if needed; simmer for a few minutes.

Combine the quinoa with the veggie mixture and add in the last 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stir together well. Place the stuffing mix into a greased oven safe dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Then broil under a low flame until the top become golden brown.

t i p: I prefer my stuffing on the drier side so, this recipe will come out that way. If you like your stuffing to be on the moist side, feel free to add more broth into the quinoa mixture before it goes into the oven to bake. [/print_this]

Sherrie is the founder and author of With Food + Love where she creates naturally gluten free and seasonally delicious recipes.  Currently she is in Nutrition School to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach.  You can find her living in the heart of Philadelphia with her supportive fiance and sociable cat.

Visit Sherrie’s blog With Food + Love

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