Rev. Dr. Melinda V. McLain’s take on the recipe in celebration of Pi Day and St. Patricks!

In the Kitchen:

In celebration of Pi Day (3/14) and St. Patricks Day this Sunday, here’s a fun pie recipe that Pastor Melinda shared with us! A traditional steak and Guinness pie by chef, Jamie Oliver. This is made particularly easy by using puff pastry for the top pie layer! If you want to skip the puff pastry layer, you could serve this as a normal stew.

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Steak, Guinness & Cheese Pie

Link to Original Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 red onions

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 2 carrots

• 2 sticks of celery

• 4 field mushrooms

• a few sprigs of rosemary

• olive oil

• 1 kg quality brisket or stewing beef , cut into 2cm cubes

• 440 ml Guinness (no lager, please!)

• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 140 g Cheddar cheese

• 170 g puff pastry

• 1 large egg

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.

2. Peel and chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery, slice the mushrooms, and pick and finely chop the rosemary.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over a low heat, add the onions and fry gently for about 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.

4. Turn the heat up, add the garlic, carrots, celery and mushrooms, then mix everything together before stirring in the beef, rosemary, and a pinch of sea salt and 1 level teaspoon of black pepper.

5. Fry fast for 3 or 4 minutes, then pour in the Guinness, stir in the flour and add just enough water to cover.

6. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for 2½ hours, or until the meat is very tender and the stew is rich, dark and thick, stirring halfway. A perfect pie filling needs to be robust, so if it’s still quite liquidy, place the pan on the hob and reduce until the sauce thickens.

7. Coarsely grate the cheese, stir half through the pie filling, then transfer to a pie dish and leave to cool slightly.

8. Meanwhile, dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the pastry out to the thickness of a pound coin.

9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pie filling. Place the pastry over the top of the pie dish pinching or folding and tucking in the edges to seal, then lightly score the surface with a criss-cross pattern.

10. Beat the egg, then brush over the top of the pie and bake directly on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked, puffed and beautifully golden. Delicious served simply with peas.

The Joy of Za’atar

by Melinda V. McLain

As our gardens give up the last bits of summer harvest, it’s now time for Fall feasting on hard squashes, gourds, and of course, some of ya’ll are having a great time with your annual love affair with all things pumpkin.

Before the pandemic, The Good Table UCC spiritual community always had a community meal after our Sunday Gathering that we called La Mesa. Like so many other things lost during the pandemic, we have not restarted this weekly shared meal due to COVID concerns. But here’s a favorite dish that Bonnie Hariton used to bring to share at La Mesa from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, that you can make it home. And hopefully, we’ll be able to restart La Mesa again in our new space in El Sobrante sometime next year!

The star ingredient of this dish is a Middle-Eastern spice blend called za’atar. You can make this spice yourself, or you can buy it at Middle-Eastern or other well-stocked grocers. The name, za’atar is of ancient origin, possibly Akkadian, but also describes the plant known in English as hyssop. While this spice blend varies from culture to culture in the Middle East, it is usually a blending of herbs such as oregano, thyme, coriander, marjoram, or hyssop with sumac, sesame, and salt. And even if this recipe doesn’t appeal to you, za’atar is a fabulous addition to almost any dish that needs a bit more pizzazz!

Roast Butternut Squash with Red Onion, Tahini, and Za’atar

Great as a vegetarian/vegan entree or an excellent side dish! Consider adding to your Thanksgiving or holiday table too.

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, cut into wedges (some like it peeled)

2 red onions, cut into 1” wedges

4 tbsp good olive oil

Maldon (or another good) sea salt and black pepper

3 1/2 tbsp tahini paste (easily found now at Trader Joe’s!)

3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp water

1 small garlic clove, crushed

1 oz pine nuts (about two tbsp)

1 tbsp za’atar

1 tbsp roughly chopped parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the squash and onions in a large bowl, add three tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of salt and some black peeper, and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions – they may cook faster than the squash, so they might need to be removed earlier. Remove from oven and let cool.

Put the tahini in a small bowl with the lemon juice, water, garlic and a 1/4 tsp of salt. Whisk to the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini as necessary.

Pour the remaining oil into a small sauté pan on medium low heat. Add the pine nuts and half a teaspoon of salt, cook for two minutes, stirring until the nuts are golden brown, then tip the nuts and oil into a small bowl.

To serve: spread the vegetables on a platter and drizzle over the sauce. Scatter the pine nuts and oil on top followed by the za’atar and parsley. Option: Bonnie throws in some pomegranate seeds for color and little flavor bombs!

Happy Fall!

We’re sharing this week’s recipe from a fabulous local organization run by an Episcopal priest friend of Rev. Melinda. You can check out their website by CLICKING HERE!

Harvest Fatoosh Style Salad

At our 8th Annual Harvest, in August, we were treated to a delicious salad made with blistered whole grain Hourani berries. The salad was created by Chef Dominic Machi, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at one of California’s largest school districts, Mt. Diablo Unified School District, along with his Culinary Manager, Chef Joshua Gjersand.

Since then we’ve had many requests to share the recipe (Harvest Fatoosh Salad) and offer whole Hourani berries to our customers. So, here we go!

Harvest Fatoosh Style Salad

Serves six

Ingredients:

1 cup Hourani whole wheat berries, soaked and cooked
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons flake salt
½ cup sheep’s feta, crumbled or diced
2 minced scallions, white and green parts
1 bunch or about 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 bunch or about 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 firm cucumber, unpeeled and chopped
2 cups seasonal tomatoes, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Soak the Hourani berries in water for 6-12 hours. Drain and rinse the berries. Place berries in a saucepan with a 1⁄4 tsp salt and enough water to generously cover them. Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for about 20 minutes until al dente. The grain should be plump and chewy, not hard or mushy. Drain well and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and pepper while still warm. Let cool.

While the berries are cooling, chop the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, 1 teaspoon flake salt, and more pepper. Gently mix the herbs, vegetables, and feta into the berries. Squeeze lemon juice and more olive oil if you wish and mix. Season, to taste. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate. Tabbouleh is best enjoyed at room temperature. If refrigerated, let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Optional - boost nutrition and digestibility

Sprouting the berries

As with all wheat berries, sprouting them before cooking unlocks loads of health benefits.* The germination process breaks down some of the starch, which makes the percentage of nutrients higher.

It also breaks down phytate, a form of phytic acid that normally decreases absorption of vitamins and minerals in the body. So sprouted wheat has more available nutrients than unsprouted grains. Those nutrients include folate, iron, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, and protein. Sprouted grains also may have less starch and be easier to digest than regular grains. It may help people who are sensitive to digesting grains.

Method
It’s easy. Use a 64 oz. glass Mason jar. Place the berries in the jar and fill the jar with water. The water line should cover the berries by 2-3 inches.

Let sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Drain the water and rinse with clean water, drain again.

Turn the jar on its side. Spread the berries out for maximum air circulation.

It can take anywhere from 6-12 hours to sprout. Depending upon the time of year–warmer temperatures will reduce the amount of time it takes to sprout the berries. Every 6 hours, turn the jar upright, fill with water to wet the grains and drain. Set the jar on its side and spread grains out again to continue the sprouting process.

The berries are considered sprouted when the tip of the root (the radicle) emerges from the berries. When you see tiny white tails emerge, the grain is ready to cook.

Once sprouted, cook immediately per the directions above, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Sprouted, uncooked berries can be frozen for up to two months.

*Harvard Health Blog

Mediterranean Summer Salad

By Melinda V. McLain

I recently made this salad for a tailgate at the Santa Fe Opera, but it is both perfect for any picnic potluck or substantial enough to serve as a main dish. It is also easy to substitute ingredients for dietary preferences or make it using the bounty of your garden! It keeps well and is easy to serve outside. Quantities below are general, but I try to make sure the ingredients are somewhat evenly distributed, so you get a bit of everything in each bite. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Summer Salad

Serves six

Ingredients:

1 cup Israeli pearl couscous (or farro) or gluten-free couscous

1 large cucumber chopped bite-sized

2 Large heirloom tomatoes chopped or a cup of cherry tomatoes halved

1 small red onion finely chopped

3 oz of Feta cheese (cheaper to chop the brick than buy crumbles)

3 oz Kalamata olives (half a jar from Trader Joe’s) or to taste

2 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp Olive oil

Fresh lemon juice from two large lemons (we use Meyer lemons from garden)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Optional: Add roasted or broiled chicken cut into bite-sized chunks or chickpeas for veggie and vegan-friendly extra protein. 

Instructions:

1. Cook the couscous. I learned how to do this from Bob’s Red Mill. Drain it, run cold water over it, and cool it in the fridge in a large bowl that you can also use to serve outside.

2. Squeeze the juice of two large lemons into the couscous and add a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil. Mix well.

3. Chop cucumber, tomatoes, feta, olives, onion and parsley. (or whatever veggies you have on hand or in your garden) and toss into the bowl of couscous.

4. Toss well and make sure ingredients are evenly distributed. Taste it enthusiastically to make sure it’s good! ;-)

5. Store in fridge until needed so that flavors combine well. It’s often better the next day.

SHREDDED ZUCCHINI SALAD (V/GF)

Lightly adapted from Cuisine Niçoise

Serves 4

It’s THAT time of year - everyone’s garden is full of zucchini and the search for new ways to use all this bounty is on! In addition to using a spiralizer to make zoodles and the always popular zucchini bread, we’ve really been enjoying making raw zucchini salads. They are fast, refreshing and easy!

The simplest version is to chop off the ends of the zucchini and grate it (skin and all) into a bowl using a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor. Toss with lemon juice (we have a Meyer lemon tree that is always loaded) olive oil, salt & pepper. It’s also nice to add garlic salt or a bit of fresh garlic. You can make a lot and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days in a mason jar.

Raw zucchini can also become the base for fancier salads too such as this lovely recipe from Maja Lukic of Veggies & Gin. This recipe adds cherry tomatoes and teaches you how to make a chiffonade of basil - something I can’t wait to try!

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, unpeeled

2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 cup micro radish (or other micro greens)

1/2 cup basil

1 tbsp champagne vinegar 

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt, pepper

Instructions:

Wash and trim the zucchini (no need to peel). Grate the zucchini on a box grater or process in a food processor with the shredding attachment. Toss the zucchini with 1/2 tsp salt in a colander. Set aside to drain for 30 minutes. 

Whisk together the champagne vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. 

Wash and halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. 

Drain the zucchini and squeeze out all of the extra liquid. You can either wrap up the zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry or just use your hands for the task. 

Toss the zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and vinaigrette together. Adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice or vinegar. It should taste bright and refreshing, not dull or chalky. Add more salt, if needed. 

Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Chiffonade the basil: stack the leaves like a deck of cards, roll them up into a cigar (or yoga mat) and slice into 1/4-inch thick ribbons.

To serve, portion out 1 cup of the salad on each plate. Scatter micro radish and basil over the salad and drizzle with additional olive oil.

Store in the fridge for up to two days.

Note: Substitute white balsamic, white wine, or red wine vinegar for the champagne vinegar, if necessary. The zucchini should be pretty salty after draining so you may not need to add additional salt to the salad.

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

Image: Kelly Knight

From the Kitchen

Tortilla Espanol or Spanish tortilla is one of Spain's most popular national dishes, and it is pretty much eggs, potatoes and onions cooked gently in olive oil. It’s basically an omelette, but denser, and used as an appetizer or snack.

I ate it fresh out of the pan, but I’m told it’s even better at room temperature. I’d have it with a side green salad, or breakfast meat if you want a heartier meal.

SPANISH TORTILLA
Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Dish

INGREDIENTS
10 medium eggs
Salt
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika, optional
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ lb russet potatoes (or 2 to 3 russet potatoes), peeled, halved and sliced cross-wise
1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced cross-wise
4 scallions, trimmed, chopped (both white and green portions)
Optional: a handful of greens like baby spinach or baby kale

DIRECTIONS

1. In a big bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, and paprika. Set aside for now.

2. Prepare a 10-inch oven-proof nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.

3. Add the potatoes, onions, and scallions to the oil (at first, they won't all seem to fit, but with a little stirring, they'll compress as they cook). Lower the heat immediately to medium-low and watch to control the heat and make sure it continues to gently bubble. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very tender.

4. Use a heat-safe strainer over a heat-safe bowl to drain the olive oil (reserve the oil aside for now).

5. Season the potatoes well with kosher salt and add them to the egg mixture in the bowl.

6. Turn the oven broiler on.

7. In the skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the reserved olive oil over medium heat. Pour in the egg and potato mixture, and gently press to even out the top. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until you see the edges of the omelet begin to set and firm up then put the pan under the broiler to finish cooking. Broil for about 5 minutes, watching carefully until the eggs are cooked through and the top of the omelet browns slightly (see notes if you prefer to finish cooking on stovetop).

8. Allow the tortilla a few minutes before serving.

9. To serve, invert the tortilla onto a large serving platter (you may need to loosen the edges using a spatula). Cut into 6 slices and serve.

From the Kitchen

In our spiritual - and soon our café community - we have a strong commitment to serve foods that are delicious and nutritious, but also meet the various allergy limitations of some members. Of course, one of the most difficult and challenging items on our menu is bread.

Bread is an ancient human food that has significant liturgical significance in Jewish and Christian communities, but it is now a challenging food to offer when so many folks have developed gluten intolerance or are choosing to eat vegan, paleo, or keto.

Amongst clergy colleagues, we’ve had a lot of conversations about how to provide a single loaf that most, if not all, could share together for communion. Here’s my favorite that I regularly bake for our Good Table church community that I found on the blog:  An Edible Mosaic.

It’s basically an egg bread made with almond flower, arrowroot, tapioca starch, and flaxseed meal. It is leavened with salt and apple cider vinegar. You can use coconut oil or ghee, almond milk or cow’s milk if you want to make it vegan. While you may not have all these ingredients in your pantry, they are easily sourced in bulk in natural groceries and may even be readily available through some chain stores. But best of all, it is easy and delicious! And unlike many gluten-free breads, it isn’t “crumbly” or dry and holds together well, making it versatile for many uses.

Image courtesy An Edible Mosaic

Best Paleo Sandwich Bread
by An Edible Mosaic

Prep Time: 10 mins. 

Cook Time: 40-45 mins 

Yield: 1 (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch) loaf or 1 8” round, or 4 mini-loaves

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

6 tablespoons arrowroot starch

4 tablespoons golden flax seed meal

2 tablespoons tapioca starch

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly, plus more to grease the baking pan

4 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or cow’s milk

1 1/2 teaspoons apple sider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, generously grease baking pan

2. Whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, tapioca starch, flaxseed meal, salt and baking soda in a large bowl

3.  Whisk together the slightly cooled ghee or coconut oil, eggs, “milk”, and vinegar in a medium bowl or large measuring cup. (I melt the ghee in the microwave)

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once and stir until combined, but do not over-mix (if you stir it too much, it will not rise)

5. Immediately pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes our clean, about 40-45 minutes (depending on the pan.)

6. Cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Freezes well and keeps in the fridge for up to five days.

Enjoy!

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

From the Kitchen

I love a biscuit. Flaky, buttery, warm from the oven… there’s nothing better than a fresh biscuit. My partner though is gluten-free, and that makes biscuiting rather tricky. Until I discovered this amazing, one-bowl recipe from Zen Belly! The biscuits are denser than a wheat flour biscuit, but really delightful as a base for eggs benedict, or even just butter and jam. If you’re gluten-free or paleo, I’d recommend giving these a try. I made some today, and it was a lovely treat!

Paleo biscuit with butter and jam

Rainy Day Biscuits
by Simone Miller of Zen Belly

Yield: 6 large biscuits/12 small biscuits

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 cup arrowroot flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons cold butter (frozen if possible)
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs

Ready to go into the oven!

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the almond flour, arrowroot, salt and baking soda. 

3. Cut the butter into 4-5 pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or 2 knives. You’ll want the result to look like coarse crumbs, no larger than pea sized. (Kelly’s tip: I freeze the butter, then grate it with a box grater. It’s fun and easy, and I get great results.)

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and eggs.

5. Gently mix into the dry ingredients, but try not to over mix. You want it just to come together.

6. Drop the batter onto your prepared sheet with a large spoon. It helps to dampen your hands to shape them a bit- the dough is sticky. 

7. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and done in the center.

Yum!

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

From the Kitchen

Something I’ve been thinking about this week is about how rude New Year’s resolutions are. After the indulgence and coziness of December, the expectation that we’ll all just jump into goal-setting and capitalistic productivity just seems like a vast disconnect. No disrespect if that’s your vibe, but it’s always just seemed so weird to me that we’ve collectively decided, somewhat arbitrarily, that January is the time to optimize for our best selves.

It’s winter. Winter is a time for hibernation, for rest, for nestling ourselves in blanket forts with good books. One of my favorite writers, Helena Fitzgerald of Griefbacon, writes:

Winter … offers permission to turn away, to nest, to build forts and climb into the imagined worlds within them.

In winter I remember all the movies I always mean to get around to watching. It’s a good time for sitting down with multi-part epics and three-hour grand undertakings. I make up little thematic film festivals in my own home and drown the day in them. It’s easier to focus on a screen or a page indoors when outdoors is a cold, blank void. The sense of waiting that winter offers is sometimes a comfort. This is a time to plant and plan and not yet expect anything from the frozen ground. Here, work and love can be interior and unseen, burrowing through a long night, keeping warm and making plans for when springtime comes. Winter is comforting in a perverse way, but it’s still comforting all the same, huddled up in small spaces, making blanket forts and cooking a spicy heavy stew so that the house smells like an embrace, and then watching all the Matrix movies in one day without even feeling a little bit guilty. 

Instead of hopping right back into an exercise routine, a diet, or a bunch of habits I’ll probably leave behind by March, I’m going to embrace the concept of Gentle January.

I’ve seen this term around Instagram. It’s best encapsulated by this post:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Karlee Sisler Flores (@oliveandartisan)

My own Gentle January project is making toast. Toast is my coziest food - when I’m sick or sad, I reach for toast. But to make it interesting, I’ve been exploring toppings. As it turns out, toast is the perfect vehicle for pretty much anything! (Open secret: it’s basically an open-faced sandwich.)

Here are some of the toasts I’ve made during Gentle January:

From left to right, in rows, from the top:
1. Boursin garlic & herb cheese spread, homemade pickled red onions, manzanita olives, skipjack tuna
2. Cream cheese, roasted red peppers from a jar, crispy chickpeas
3. Cucumber, cream cheese, Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Bagel” seasoning
4. NuttZo nut butter, raspberries, hemp hearts
5. Goat cheese, beluga lentils, chives
6. Avocado, homemade pickled red onions, crispy chickpeas
7. Boursin garlic & herb cheese spread, homemade pickled carrots, fresh dill
8. Cream cheese, Fig & Apple tart cherry & white tea preserves
9. NuttZo nut butter, banana, shaved chocolate

There are endless variations, and it’s a pretty low barrier to entry to try this. You probably have a bunch of things on-hand to try. So if you’re looking for a snack or easy meal, try toast. Also, keep your twinkle lights up for January, if you haven’t taken them down already. Why not?

Have a great Gentle January everyone!

by Kelly Knight, Marketing Manager for The Good Table

From the Kitchen

My partner is gluten-free and holidays have been kind of a nightmare for him in the past. Everyone kind of rolls their eyes at peoples’ food sensitivities when it gets in the way of them enjoying traditional recipes, which I understand: the need for rituals that repeat year after year is really strong! But: I want to make sure my partner enjoys the holiday without having the anxiety that something that tastes delicious will cause pain and discomfort later on. So this year, I’m extensively researching gluten-free recipes so that he can fully participate in the wonder and bounty of Thanksgiving!

Read on for a highly recommended gluten-free stuffing recipe, followed by a round up of other gluten- and dairy-free recipes to make your holiday more accessible.

This recipe is from A Spicy Perspective. They wrote some notes to get the most out of your stuffing:

Use the best Gluten-Free white bread you can find. Cut the bread into cubes and toast the cubes in the oven so they hold their shape after you add liquid.

Amp up the other ingredients. You never realize what a distinctly iconic flavor wheat has, until you stop eating it. In order to not miss the wheat in the Thanksgiving stuffing, you must add more pops of freshness than you might overwise. After all, stuffing is primarily bread, butter, and herbs, so make the butter and herbs count! Dried cranberries are another great distraction. The tangy-sweetness balances the savory flavors.

INGREDIENTS
12 cups Gluten-Free White Sandwich Bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (from 1 large loaf, or 2 average loaves)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cup turkey stock (or chicken broth)
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set out a 9 X 13 inch baking dish, a large rimmed baking sheet, and a large saute pan (or skillet.)

2. Cut the gluten-free bread into cubes. Spread the cubes out on the baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, and herbs. Set the sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, sauté the onions and celery for 3 minutes to soften.

4. Add the fresh herbs and sauté another 1-2 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

5. Pour the dried cranberries, and turkey stock into the saute pan. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine and lower the temperature. Then stir in the eggs until well combined. (Make sure the mixture is just a little warm before adding the eggs, so they don't cook.)

6. Once the bread cubes come out of the oven, pour them in the 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Pour the broth and vegetable mixture over the cubes and toss. Gently mix until well combined. Then spread the stuffing out evenly in the pan.

7. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. If you would like the top to be crispy, you can take the foil off the last 5-8 minutes. Serve warm.

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Here are some more resources for gluten-free Thanksgiving dishes:

• This roundup from Mama Knows Gluten Free

• An Easy Guide to a Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Menu by What The Fork

• 32 Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes from The Food Network

Enjoy your holiday, no matter where you fall on the gluten spectrum! I hope you find peace, comfort, and joy this holiday season.