Recipes for Shabbat

Stuffing

According to my kids you can't have turkey without stuffing, it's just wrong. Stuffing (AKA dressing and great anytime of the year) is a very versatile dish, it's easy to throw together and can, for the most part, be put together the day before you want to serve it.

For a crunchy and piquant kind of stuffing you can use chestnuts, green apple slices and cranberries. Conversely cornbread muffins and pecans and a dash of Cajun seasoning or a splash of bourbon will give you a  Southern-style recipe. Of course, you can go for a more elegant wild rice, mushrooms, and orange zest pilaf type of dressing if you want to really make something really different.

As always, when working with poultry, you have to be extra careful with the  preparation (no one wants our friend Sal Manilla coming to dinner). First,
stuff your turkey just before putting it in the oven. To be fully cooked, the
stuffing must reach 180 degrees. This will eliminate any harmful bacteria
from the bird's juices. If the turkey is done but the stuffing has not
reached 180 degrees, remove the turkey, transfer the stuffing to a casserole
dish and return the stuffing to the oven to finish cooking. For complete
safety, do not stuff your bird at all. Instead, make the stuffing recipe as a
dressing. You won't have the turkey juices to help flavor the dish but with
these great recipes you won't even notice the difference

STUFFING TIPS
To lighten up stuffing you can use egg whites plus a few tablespoons of stock instead of whole eggs.

You also can lighten your mixture by moistening with stock or giblet gravy instead of margarine.

If making stuffing ahead of time, mix dry and wet ingredients separately and refrigerate; combine just before using.

NEVER stuff the turkey in advance.

Remove all stuffing from the bird immediately after cooking; place in serving
bowl. Divide any leftovers into small portions for fast cooling, and then
refrigerate.

All of these stuffing recipes (except the stuffed pumpkin) can be made as
dressing.

PLEASE NOTE THAT SEVERAL OF THE RECIPES CALL FOR CORNBREAD.

CRANBERRY, MAPLE, AND ALMOND STUFFING (pareve)

In a bowl combine the cranberries with the sugar and maple syrup and set  aside. In a skillet saute the onions and celery in the margarine until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, about 7 minutes. Cool slightly and add the vegetables to the cranberries and then add the broken muffins, almonds and chicken broth. Mix well and you can either stuff a turkey or chicken or add 2 eggs and bake in a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. This can be doubled. Serves 6

HERBED STUFFING (pareve)

In a sauté pan cook the celery and onion in the margarine, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in about 1 cup of the bread cubes  and cook for 1 minute, stir once or twice to coat the bread. Remove the mixture from the heat and spoon the mixture into deep bowl. Add the sage,
salt, thyme and pepper and mix well. Stuff before roasting your choice of  fowl, or cook 30-45 minutes in casserole dish.

ALMOND APPLE STUFFING (pareve)

In a skillet sauté the apples, almonds, onion and celery in margarine for 5  minutes, stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in the cinnamon, poultry seasoning, and salt. Place the apple mixture in a bowl and add the bread cubes and raisins. Mix well. In another smaller bowl combine the egg with the apple cider beat until mixed and then pour the liquid over the bread mixture. Add more cider if moister stuffing is desired. Will stuff a 15 to 20 pound turkey, or two large roasting chickens. Makes 10 cups. The recipe can be halved, but still use 1 egg.

TROPICAL PINEAPPLE STUFFING (meat)

Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl. Add the  pineapple, celery, onion, water chestnuts, almonds and raisins. Mix well and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the sage, poultry seasoning, pepper, salt and cinnamon with the broth. Pour the broth evenly over the dry ingredients. Mix to combine. This is enough stuffing to fill a 10 to 12 pound bird. Makes 2 quarts.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.