Tasty, Low Carb Wild Rice “Stuffing”

    ”Hello, I’m Sarah and I’m a mushroom lover.”

Here’s a stuffing recipe for you low-carbers out there. It arrived in my email from South Beat Diet.com. I’m posting it with a couple of substitutions - vegetable broth and we aren’t going to be cooking it inside of anything. This recipe is full of lots of healthy fruits, nuts, vegetables, texture, and flavor.

Another serving idea is to prepare the stuffing, then serve it “stuffed” into the top of grilled portabella mushrooms.  For tips on portabella grilling look here.  My daughter, Sarah, recently discovered mushrooms. Thank goodness, because I like to throw them in everything.  Hopefully, we can get her older sister to give them a try.

Wild Rice, Dried Cranberry, and Walnut Stuffing (Phase 2)

Makes 8 servings

Description
Although we call it stuffing, this colorful dish is almost too pretty to hide inside the bird. Be sure to use cranberries without added sugar, available at natural-food stores.

Tip: Leeks can be gritty. The easiest way to clean them is to trim off the root end, then thinly slice. Put slices in a colander and run cold water over them, separating layers with your fingers to wash away any hidden dirt.

Ingredients
*4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups wild rice, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced and cleaned
2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup (4 ounces) dried cranberries (unsweetened)
5 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
Salt and black pepper

Instructions
Place broth in a medium-size saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in rice; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid has absorbed.

Meanwhile, warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and celery; cook 10 minutes, until softened, stirring. Transfer to large bowl.

Stir rice into bowl with vegetables. Add walnuts, cranberries, sage, salt, and pepper.

Coat a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray; add stuffing and an additional 1/4 cup broth. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.

Make-ahead tip: Just cover and refrigerate bowl after adding walnuts, cranberries, sage, salt, and pepper. Keeps for 1 day in refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before continuing with recipe.

Nutritional information
336 calories
13 g total fat (1 g sat)
86 mg cholesterol
48 g carbohydrate
11 g protein
5 g fiber
13 mg sodium

*substitution to original recipe

Image credit - Michelle