^[1]We had a good Thanksgiving this year, with oodles and oodles of delicious gluten-free food. And, in a surprise twist, DH decided to forgo his beloved turkey and just enjoy my vegetarian menu. Not to say he didn’t contribute to the meal- no, my amazing baker boy not only took on mashed potatoes and his favorite green peas, but he rolled out THREE gluten-free pie crusts. I mixed the dough and he rolled out and put it in the pie pan with filling- which to me is the work of a true hero ’cause that’s the most annoying part of baking. (Pie crust is where my patience starts to run out.) Meanwhile, I whipped up a vegan cranberry-apple cobbler. Truthfully I’d intended to just BUY a gluten-free pie crust from the Los Altos Whole Foods, but of course, that one itsy bitsy bakehouse in South- or is it North- Carolina was completely unable to handle the demand of Bay Area gluten-free folks this time of year and they were out every time I checked. Of course homemade tastes better anyway, so maybe it was for the best. I usually make spinach pie and Bette Hagman’s rapid rise french bread for the holidays, but since I’d just made them for our recent Celiac Bay Area group meeting, I skipped them this time. *sniff* But, as usual we were in no danger of starvation. ;) Our full menu?

Shared with Kim’s Thanksgiving Series at Cook it Allergy Free ^[3]

Portabella Stuffed Acorn Squash Main Course [4]  Vegetables [5]  American [6]

Ingredients Stuffing: 24 oz. gluten FREE bread, cubed (any type works, even bread that isn’t that tasty) 1 tbsp. Olive oil 1 tbsp butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 medium carrots, diced 2 medium portabella mushrooms, diced 1/4 cup walnut (or pecan) pieces 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/2 cup fresh basil or other herb 1 cup warm vegetable broth 1/2 tsp. Black pepper 1/2 tsp. salt For the Squash: 4 medium acorn squash, halved, with seeds removed 1 cup water 1/2 cup ginger ale 1/4 cup orange juice 2 tsp low sodium gluten-free tamari (San-j preferred) 1 tsp honey juice of a lemon pinch of cayenne pepper Directions Stuffing Instructions: 1) Place bread cubes on cookie sheet and dry them for 20 to 30 minutes in a 250 degree oven, uncovered. 2) Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan. Add onion and carrots, and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes until lightly caramelized. Add mushrooms, nuts, and poultry seasoning, continuing to saute for 2 minutes. Add fresh herb, and transfer to a large mixing bowl, then add dried bread cubes, and mix well with broth. Let sit for 30 minutes until bread absorbs all the liquid and the stuffing is fluffy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Squash Instructions: 1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place squash halves cut-side-down on a cookie sheet lined with foil, or use a nonstick pan. Add 1/2 cup water and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until nearly tender. 2) Combine ginger ale, orange juice, tamari, honey, lemon juice and pepper. Mix well and set aside. Place squash cavity-side-up in a roasting pan. Brush generously with the glaze. Fill the cavity of each squash with the mushroom stuffing, using an ice cream scoop or large spoon. Pack stuffing in the cavity, forming a uniform mound. 3) Pour 1/2 cup water in the pan and bake 30 minutes, until squash is lightly browned and stuffing is thoroughly heated. Enjoy! Notes My favorite vegetarian “turkey”- excellent with gravy. Of course I use a vegetarian gravy made from scratch using nutritional yeast, but you don’t have to. The stuffing is good on its own as well. Mmmm…. Thanksgiving memories.

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Adapted from the Whole Foods Market Flavors magazine, Volume 1 Recipe ID:  1161 Added:  November 22, 2007 Last Modified:  November 21, 2011