Whole Wheat Fruit & Nut Stuffing

Photo:
Tod Dimmick













The dilemma wordlessly posed by this rich dressing is whether to treat it as a mere dressing, or a dish unto itself.


Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings:8-10

3 TB Olive oil
10 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
3 big ribs celery, sliced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 cups whole wheat bread, coarsely hacked into 1/2" cubes
1 large apple, with peel, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup dried cherries or raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Melt 3 TB butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the sage, onion and celery, stirring, for 5 minutes or until celery is tender and onions are soft and translucent. Add the apple and saute for another two minutes, stirring, then remove skillet from heat. Mix the bread cubes, dried fruit and nuts in a large bowl. Scoop onions into the bowl on top of the bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to mix. Add 2 cups of the stock and gently toss to evenly spread the stuffing mixture. The bread cubes should be moist enough to cling to each other. If necessary add a more stock. Scoop stuffing mixture into an oiled baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. Serve warm, or refrigerate for later use. This stuffing can be frozen. It will affect the texture of the apples a little, but not enough to outweigh the convenience of pulling pre-made but home-made stuffing from the fridge.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

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