Holiday Quinoa Stuffing

by Betty Murray

Quinoa:

• 2 Tablespoons minced onion
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 ½ cups quinoa

About 4 cups veggie or chicken stock, warmed 

Stuffing:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion, medium dice
• 2 carrots, medium dice
• 2 celery stalks, medium dice
• 2 cups smoked gluten-free sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup flax seed
• 2 cups mushrooms, medium dice
• 3 cups cooked quinoa (recipe follows)
• 4 cups dried bread (I like Local Oven or Whole Foods croutons), large dice
• ¼ cup fresh thyme, picked

Method:
For quinoa:
Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Gently sweat onions until translucent. Add quinoa and toast slightly for about a minute. Add ½ cup seasoned stock and simmer until quinoa absorbs the liquid. Keep adding stock a little at a time until the quinoa grain opens. When it opens, a small tail-like pistol will pop out. It should be tender to the bite. Remove quinoa from pot and cool on sheet tray. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. If the stock was well seasoned, the quinoa should not need any further seasoning.

For stuffing:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Sweat garlic, onions, carrots, celery and tofu until tender. Season with a pinch of salt. Add cooked quinoa, bread cubes, and thyme; toss to bind. Add stock to moisten to liking. Transfer to baking dish and bake, uncovered for 45 minutes.