Chestnut Stuffing

Taken from Vegetarian Times Magazine, holiday 2008. Slightly altered to make it sattvic. (No garlic and onions.)

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  vegetable oil
• 1  lb  vegetarian  soy crumbles
• 1  teaspoon rubbed sage
• 5  tablespoons vegan margarine
•  hing
• 3  celery ribs, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1  large fennel bulb, trimmed and diced (1 cup)
• 1 (15 ounce) jar  cooked peeled whole chestnuts (I used fresh ones from the Asian market and did the dicing and peeling myself. What a labor of love!)
• 8  cups  cubed  dry bread
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped parsley
• 2  tablespoons fresh thyme
• 3  cups vegetable broth

Directions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 4 qt baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in skillet to med heat. Add sausage crumbles and sage and cook 7-9 min until sausage is browned. Drain on paper towel lined plate.
2. 2. Melt 3 Tbs margarine in skillet and add hing, celery and fennel and cook 5-7 min or until veggies are soft and translucent. Then add chestnuts and cook another 2-3 minute.
3. 3. Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl and stir in fennel mixture, then add sausage crumbles. Mix in fresh herbs and season with pepper. Stir in broth adding more if necessary without making stuffing too wet.
4. 4. Spoon stuffing into prepared baking dish and top with remaining margarine. Cover with foil and bake 30 minute Remove foil and bake another 30-40 minutes longer or until top is browned. Try not to eat all the stuffing yourself as it rocks!