I can't believe it's October already?! Where has the year gone?
With Thanksgiving coming up I wanted to share one of my favourite holiday recipes with you. Stuffing.
Stuffing has been a bit of a new discovery for me. Neither of my parents are huge fans of stuffing so it just wasn't part of our holiday meals. By default, I assumed I didn't like it either... man was I wrong! I stumbled across it at a family friend's one year and it changed everything.
I have been a huge fan of Whole Foods for a long time. So I was delighted to collaborate with them to create this recipe. Shopping there truly feels like an experience for me. From walking in the door to fresh flowers, to scanning the aisles for the latest specialty products that will give my recipes that perfect touch, not to mention their amazing selection of healthy on-the-go meal possibilities in their hot food or salad bars. These will save the day when cooking just doesn't seem to be in the cards!
Besides the obvious feel good vibes you get when you walk in there, I love the extra steps they take to help take the guess work out of grocery shopping. To name a few, they don't allow hydrogenated fats (translation- no tans fats), artificial colors, flavours, preservatives or sweeteners in their foods, so when you don't have time to be checking every label, there's not need to worry, they've already done it for you! Their daily fresh-baked bread add a whole new definition to fresh food. Since sourdough is my favourite, It took everything I had not to be dipping the pieces in oil and vinegar as I cooked 🙂
They are also committed to animal welfare and sustainable seafood, which always earns bonus marks with me. As you know, I like to get creative in the kitchen so having some more unique options to pick from like duck, quail, and goat, can really keep things interesting. If you're not sure how to cook something or needing new ideas, their butchers are happy to help out with suggestions (believe it or not, I've never actually cooked my own turkey...I know, crazy right?! So their tips on picking and cooking the perfect turkey to go with this stuffing were warmly welcomed!) and a little secret- they will even cut and season by request if you don't see what you're looking for!
Ok I'm sure all this talk is getting you hungry so let's get to it! Over the years I've tried out different variations, but this one is a winner. If you're feeling creative, here are some other suggestions to mix it up!
Other additions to mix things up
- Different nuts like pecans, pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
- Diced up sausage or bacon
- Dried fruit like cranberries, cherries or figs
- Play around with spices like rosemary, dill or tarragon
I hope you have an amazing long weekend with your loved ones, if it involves making this stuffing, make sure to tag me with #inthekitchenwithLJ. I love seeing what you're up to in the kitchen!
Sage and Apricot Sourdough Stuffing
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- 1 x 1-pound loaf of sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used a fresh-baked loaf of Whole Foods sourdough)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted (can sub for almonds, pecans or walnuts)
- 1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
- ¼ cup fresh sage, minced
- ½ tsp each coarse salt and freshly-cracked pepepr
- 1 cup dried apricots (about 6 ounces), chopped
- 6 large eggs, beaten
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Pour broth over; let stand until bread absorbs most of broth.
3. Melt butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and celery and sauté until tender, approx. 10 minutes.
4. Stir in poultry seasoning, hazelnuts, sage, salt and pepper and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add apricots and remove from heat.
5. Add mixture to the bowl with the bread. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Let the mixture cool before adding the egg, approx. 10-15 minutes.
6. Mix the beaten eggs into stuffing and transfer the stuffing mixture to your pan.
7. Bake stuffing until golden brown, stirring half way through. Total bake time will be approx. 1 hour.
Happy Feasting!
Enjoy!
For more recipes and kitchen inspiration, check out www.lindsayjang.com or find Lindsay on Instagram here or Facebook.
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