Italian Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing

This was awesome! The original recipe called for chestnuts but I really don't think they are necessary. I also doubled the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage - casings removed
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup quartered mushrooms
2 cloves garlic - diced
1 TBSP fresh chopped thyme
2 TBSP fresh chopped sage
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
1 handful parsley - chopped
4 cups day old bread cut into 3/4" cubes (I used ener-G gluten free bread)
2 cups chicken stock with 2 TBSP butter - warmed

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a pan over medium heat and cook sausage, breaking apart, until no longer pink - set aside.
Add butter, onions and celery to the pan and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and saute until everything is tender and barely brown. Add the 1/4 cup wine or stock, deglaze the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Mix the sausage, vegetables, parsley and bread in a large bowl. Slowly add the warm stock and butter and mix until all the bread is moist.

Pour mix into a greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until top is golden - about 10 minutes.

Allergy Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose gluten free flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup dairy free milk of choice (I suggest vanilla flavored)
1 TBSP ground flax
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP maple syrup
*1/2 tsp Maple extract (optional)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together milk, pumpkin, ground flax, vanilla, *maple, maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

The batter will be a little thick so you may need to spread it with a spatula. Cook a half cup at a time in a hot nonstick pan, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

I top mine with pumpkin puree mixed with maple syrup!

Mushroom Thyme Risotto

Ingredients:
1 oz dried mushrooms
1 cup boiling chicken stock
2 TBSP butter
1 onion - diced
1 cup mushrooms - sliced
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme - chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup warm chicken stock
1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
salt and pepper to taste

Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling chicken stock for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute until they turn tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.

Remove the dried mushrooms from the chicken stock and squeeze out excess - reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms and add them to sauce pan. Add the rice and toast until it starts to turn translucent. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and cook while stirring until the wine has disappeared. Mix the reserved stock and additional cup of stock together and add to pan 1/2 cup at a time until it has disappeared.

Add the butter and parmigiano reggiano and stir until it has melted. Season with salt and pepper.

**Allergy-free Substitutions:
Butter - coconut oil
Garlic - omit
Cheese - omit

Yam Crumble Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter - room temperature
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Crumble:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3 TBSP butter - melted
1/2 cup pecans - coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a small casserole or quiche dish.

Boil sweet potatoes until tender, drain and mash.

Mix together the sugar, maple syrup, milk, eggs, butter, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish.

Combine crumble ingredients and sprinkle on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake in preheated oven until golden on top, about 30 minutes.

**Allergy-free Substitutions:
Butter - coconut oil
Milk - preferred dairy free milk
Eggs - 3 TBSP ground chia or flax seed mixed with 7 TBSP water
Flour - all purpose gluten free flour

Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:
8 oz dried mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
2 TBSP butter
1 small onion - diced
1 cup cremini mushrooms - sliced
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme - chopped
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
1 handful parsley - chopped
1 lb green beans - ends trimmed

Soak dried mushrooms in the boiling water for 15 - 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cremini mushrooms and saute until they start to caramelize and turn gold, about 10-15 minutes.
Add the dried mushrooms and the water they were soaking in and simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream and parmigiano, season with salt and pepper and simmer until it thickens, about 2-4 minutes.

Meanwhile steam the green bean. Remove sauce from heat and mix in parsley. Serve green beans covered in mushroom sauce!

**Allergy-free Substitutions:
butter - bacon fat
garlic - omit
cream - canned coconut milk
cheese - omit