Mock Thanksgiving Dressing (Gluten-Free)

This version of Thanksgiving “turkey dressing” has no meat and no gluten in it, yet it fills in the blank in Thanksgiving dinner for vegetarians. To me, the flavor of Thanksgiving is all in the spices. This vegetable medley is augmented with sage, thyme, and dill to give it that special holiday feeling. It works well with all the usual holiday side dishes and can be used to liven up those lush deep winter meals enjoyed with family and friends.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green pepper or orange pepper (or combination)
3 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped Portobello mushroom or 6-8 chopped ordinary button mushrooms
½ c. chopped onion or 1 tsp. onion powder
1 large crushed garlic clove or ½ tsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. ground sage
1 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. ground dill
½ tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions

Chop the vegetables. Combine the oil, vegetables, and spices in a deep dish frying pan and cook slowly over medium heat. If you don’t mind having the veggies get a bit mushy, you can put a lid on the pan and steam them down. If you like the veggies to be crunchy, then don’t cover the pan. Stir frequently, especially before the veggies begin to make some juice, so that you don’t burn the veggies to the bottom of the pan. It will take about 10-15 minutes to cook.

The recipe as provided contains no bread and requires no baking. For a more dressing-like dish, bake a batch of my gluten-free cornbread (refer to that recipe). Mix the cornbread and the cooked vegetables in a large mixing bowl, add 2 eggs, and bake the mixture for half an hour at 350˚.

Eat well, be well, live deliciously!