Polenta Stuffing for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is coming!  One of the best Thanksgivings I ever had was several years ago when my roommate Debbie and I hosted about a dozen friends at our Upper West Side apartment for an Italian-inspired feast.  I decided to try a polenta stuffing recipe from Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun, which I’d been reading right around that time.  It turned out to be my favorite dish that day, and there’s no reason to give up the stuffing just because cooking a bird is no longer part of the plan!  Here’s my cruelty-free variation on the book’s recipe for you:

ingredients:

• 2 cups polenta
• Ener-G Egg Replacers (3 tsp. to 4 tsp. of water)
• 1 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
• 2 cups multi-grain croutons
• 2 white onions, finely chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• sage, thyme, marjoram (about 1 teaspoon each)
• sea salt and black pepper
• olive oil baking spray

directions:

1. Soak polenta in 2 cups of cold water for 10 minutes, then add to 2 cups of boiling water in a stock pot.
2. Bring to a boil again, and then lower the heat.  Stir continuously for about 10 minutes, then stir in Earth Balance.
3. Remove from the heat and add Egg-Replacers.
4. Add croutons, chopped onions, and celery.
5. Go wild with the spices!  Season with sea salt, coarsely ground black pepper, sage, thyme, and marjoram.
6. Lightly spray a casserole dish with olive oil baking spray, and then bake the stuffing mix (covered) at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until cooked and golden.

(Serves 6-8)

Bonus Tip!
In a separate casserole dish, bake slices of Bartlett pears and slivers of fennel to serve alongside the stuffing — your Thanksgiving guests will love it!

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