Quinoa Dressing

Posted by AlaskaJohn on 5667 for Thanksgiving 2009

I found this recipie on the internet and tried it because I love dressing but can't eat much because of the carbrohydates in the bread. This one tastes very good and I am going to bring it asmy pot luck at the fire station pot luck dinner on thursday.I didn't know what the recipie sausage was so I used andouile.

Note wash the quinoa a few times to get the bitter poisin off it.

Provided by Ross Martin, Allred's Restaurant, Colorado Adapted by StarChefs.com This recipe is part of these featured cookbooks: The Quinoa CookbookPrep: 20 mins Cook: 1 hr.

Quinoa:
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups quinoa
About 4 cups roasted turkey stock, warmed

Stuffing:
2 cloves garlic
1 large onion, medium dice
2 carrots, medium dice
2 celery stalks, medium dice
2 cups smoked surry sausage, quartered
2 sticks butter
¼ cup dried cranberries
2 granny smith apples, medium dice
3 cups cooked quinoa (recipe follows)
4 cups dried bread, large dice
¼ cup fresh thyme, picked

Method:
For quinoa:Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Gently sweat onions until translucent. Add quinoa and toast slightly for about a minute. Add ½ cup seasoned turkey stock and simmer until quinoa absorbs the liquid. Keep adding turkey stock a little at a time until the quinoa grain opens. When it opens, a small tail-like pistol will pop out. It should be tender to the bite. Remove quinoa from pot and cool on sheet tray. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary. If the stock was well seasoned, the quinoa should not need any further seasoning.

For stuffing:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Melt 3 Tablespoons butter in large pot over medium heat. Sweat garlic, onions, carrots, celery and sausage until tender. Season with a pinch of salt. Add remaining butter and melt. Add cranberries, apples, cooked quinoa, bread cubes, and thyme; toss to bind. Add turkey stock to moisten to liking. Transfer to baking dish and bake, uncovered for 45 minutes.