Vegan Herbed Mushroom Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of ciabatta bread

2 C baby bella mushrooms

1 yellow onion

2 carrots

3 stalks of celery

1 granny smith apple or your preference

½ C sunflower seeds

½ C cranberries

1 handful of fresh rosemary

1 handful of fresh thyme

1 C of homemade vegetable stock

Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

EQUIPMENT

A working oven

Casserole dish, whichever shape

Baking sheet

Spoon to stir

Measuring cups or your cooking intuition

Cutting board

Sharp knife

Large skillet

Veggie peeler

LET’S COOK.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F or 218C.

2. Chop bread into small cubes. Spread evenly onto baking sheet and lightly coat with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring halfway through.

3. Take a damp cloth or paper towel to gently wipe excess dirt off of mushrooms. Thinly slice. Roughly chop onions and celery. Peel carrots and roughly chop. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a splash of olive oil once pan is heated along with chopped veggies. Add a dash of salt. Lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 4-6 minutes until onions are translucent in color.

4. Thinly slice apple. To skillet, add in rosemary, thyme, apples, cranberries and stir. Cook for 3 minutes.

5. In casserole dish, alternate layering apple mixture with toasted bread, starting with apple layer. Top with ½ c of remaining stock. Lower oven to 350F or 176C.

6. In skillet, lightly toast sunflower seeds over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until nutty fragrance is released. Spread evenly over stuffing. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until stock is fully absorbed.