Thanksgiving Sides With A Healthy Twist!
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 heaping cup of diced celery
1 medium white onion, diced
small handful of fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground coarse pepper
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium-sized pot bring 1 cup of vegetable broth to a boil. Add in the quinoa and bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir. Set to low heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat {do not lift the lid} and allow the quinoa to steam for another 10 minutes. When that is over, you will have picture-perfect quinoa - trust me, no more soggy mess!
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over low heat. Add in the chopped celery and onion. Cook until they begin to become clear, about 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add in the vegetable broth, sage, and garlic powder and season with more salt and pepper if needed; simmer for a few minutes.
Combine the quinoa with the veggie mixture and add in the last 1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stirring together well. Place the stuffing mix into a greased oven-safe dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Then broil under a low flame until the top becomes golden brown.
tip: I prefer my stuffing on the drier side so, this recipe will come out that way. If you like your stuffing to be on the moist side, feel free to add more broth to the quinoa mixture before it goes into the oven to bake.