Turkey Stuffing Gluten Free

No bread in this one. Apples I used were tart -- Empire and Cortland. Sausage should be a good flavorful breakfast or sweet Italian (I used the former). The Asian or Chinese eggplants are narrow and have thin, edible skins. If you substitute a regular eggplant, remove the skin first. For mushrooms, use either crimini, button or baby portobellas.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 5

Ingredients

• 1⁄3-1⁄2 lb pork sausage
• 1  large onion, sliced and broken up
• 1⁄3 cup mushroom, sliced
• 10  cardamom pods (optional)
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons black sesame seeds (optional)
•  ground pepper, to taste
• 1  teaspoon olive oil
• 1⁄2-1  eggplant, Asian, depending on size
•  salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vinegar
•  turkey giblets (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup celery or 1⁄2 cup fennel bulb, chopped
• 2  medium apples, cored and diced
• 2  limes

Directions

1. First, in a skillet, heat up the oil on medium.
2. Add the cardamom pods and the sausage meat, breaking up and crumbling the latter as you do so. Stir to cook evenly and prevent burning.
3. Remove sausage and pods and reserve. Wipe out most of the residual oil from the pan, but save enough for the onions. Add the onions, mushrooms, and sesame seeds and the ground pepper. Cook until the onions just turn translucent.
4. Remove from heat.
5. To prepare the eggplant, slice into 1/4 inch disks, and place in a bowl of tap water with the salt and the vinegar, to draw out any bitterness. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized pot, bring water to a boil then add the drained eggplant. Bring back to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Drain water and add eggplants to sausage mixture.
7. Simmer the giblets (neck, heart, gizzard) in water until done -- about twenty minutes. Slice the heart and gizzard and add to the mixture. Pull off the meat from the neck and add this to the mixture. (Alternatively, these items are great in any gravy you may be making.).
8. When ready to stuff bird, or bake in a casserole dish, add the celery or fennel, and the apple, and then squeeze the lime juice over the stuffing. Use your hands to mix.
9. If you are stuffing the bird, remember to adjust cooking time to reflect this. Otherwise prepare your turkey as you normally would.
10. For baking, place in a casserole dish and bake, covered, for approximately 30 minutes. You can remove the cover five minutes before done, if you wish.