Fennel Chestnut Stuffing

Looks like your typical stuffing, but she’s so much more. The fennel & chestnut pairing might seem out of left field but take a chance. Wow your taste-buds & while you’re at it, wow your guests’ too. Just make sure to set aside leftovers before you lose the chance.

Recipe:

• About 6 slices of preferred vegan & gluten-free bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces (I used Food For Life, but only because I ran out of my favorite Sixteen Mill & Kneadlove)

• About 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (I used Trader Joe’s garlic olive oil for extra flavor. Highly rec)

• 1 tbsp ground fennel seeds (I toasted the whole seeds & then crushed them down, but do you)

• 1 tbsp Rosemary leaves, chopped fine

• 1 tbsp thyme leaves

• 1 Onion, diced fine

• 1 Fennel bulb, diced fine

• 1 Celery stalk, chopped fine

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 2 tbsp chickpea miso

• 1 c veg broth (I like the Trader Joe’s Hearty Broth)

• 2 tbsp coconut aminos 

• 1/4 c cooked chestnuts, crumbled (can be found in the Trader Joe’s produce case)

• 2 flax eggs (1 tbsp to 1.5 tbsp water)

• 1/4 c chopped Parsley 

• About 1 tbsp preferred vegan butter, to coat baking dish & to dot casserole before baking (I prefer Miyoko’s)

  Preheat oven to 400. Toss the bread in the oil & bake for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make croutons. Combine the flax & water to make the eggs, set aside.

  In the meantime, sauté the spices about a minute, then add the herbs & sauté another minute, and add the aromatics & cook down until soft. Stir in the lemon zest. Add the chickpea miso & broth. Bring to a boil then turn heat to medium, simmer to reduce about 6 minutes.

  Coat the baking dish with the butter & evenly distribute the cooled croutons. Pour the reduced sauce over the bread. Crumble the chestnuts over the top. Then pour the flax eggs over the top (if they thicken up too much, you can add a little extra veggie broth & stir to an egg consistency), and top with the chopped parsley. Toss gently. 

  Cover with foil & bake about 30 minutes. Then remove, dot the top of the casserole with little pieces of the butter, re-cover & and bake about 20 minutes more. Top should be crispy.

  About 6 servings.