Three years ago, I posted that I wanted to make Pumpkin Bread Stuffing (from a recipe on VegetarianFood About.com). We hosted Thanksgiving this year for my parents (and brought food to my aunt's), so I gave it a try...though a few years late. I didn't have time to make the bread, and picked up this amazing loaf of "Pumpkin Seed Bread" at our local bakery, Seven Stars. The best ingredient in this recipe ended up being the seeds, which became more pronounced as the bread broke down from stirring/pulsing in the food processor. If your bread doesn't have them, it couldn't hurt to add them separately.
My changes: I used butter (and much less), dried herbs (1 Tbsp fresh = 1 tsp. dried), and could have used more broth. I prefer stuffing to be very moist (I was raised on Stove Top) and will add more broth next time. I also put the mixture in the food processor after baking, and I'm convinced that with more broth, the processor would get me the texture I wanted. Regardless, a great success.Pumpkin Bread Stuffing
- 1 cup vegan margarine, plus 1 teaspoon (1/2 cup of butter)
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 6 cups pumpkin bread, cubed
- approx 1/3 cup vegetable broth (1/2 cup or more)
Allow pumpkin bread to dry overnight, or toast in oven at 250 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and grease a large baking dish with butter. In a large skillet/pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the celery and onions and sautee for 8-10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes until mushrooms are soft.
Turn off heat and add spices, stirring well to combine. Add bread cubes. Add vegetable broth a few tablespoons at a time just until stuffing is moistened.
Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or until done.
11/25/10.
