Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups of white basmati rice
• 2 cups of homemade bone broth
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 2-3 tbsp of minced fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter and add all the seasons. Stir well to combine.
2. Add the rice and stir well, making sure all of the rice is well coated with the butter-seasoning mixture. Cook the rice, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Then, increase the heat to high and add the bone broth and water. Once the rice comes to a gentle boil, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low/simmer. (I know it’s tough to resist, but don't peek under the lid.)
4. Allow rice to cook about 15 minutes. Then turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat.
5. Let the rice sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. (Again, try not to peek under the lid, or you’ll allow the steam to escape.)
6. Then, remove the lid and add the minced cilantro. Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains and distribute the cilantro throughout the rice. (You can also create a delicious Veggie Confetti Style Rice by adding an assortment of fine-diced sautéed veggies. See recipe note below.)
7. You can serve the rice immediately, or put the lid back on to keep it warm while you finish cooking the rest of your meal. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients

Step One: Baking Homemade Croutons
• 10 cups gluten-free or grain-free bread croutons, cut 3/4x3/4-inch in size
• (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 loaves of your favorite GF bread; the better the bread, the better the stuffing)
Step Two: Preparing Stuffing
• 3/4 cup finely diced organic celery
• 3/4 cup finely diced organic carrot
• 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 5 tbsp butter (if DF, omit butter & increase olive oil to 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 heaping tbsp minced fresh sage
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk of your choice (I use unsweetened almond milk)

Instructions

Step One: Baking Homemade Croutons
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Using large chef knife, stack the bread two to three slices high and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. (You want at least 10 heaping cups of bread cubes.)
2. Arrange the bread cubes evenly on an ungreased baking sheet so they are not overlapping. Repeat process with remaining bread cubes. (You may not be able to fit all the bread cubes onto one baking sheet. So if you don’t have a second baking sheet, you will need to bake in batches.)
3. Bake bread cubes for approximately 1-2 hours (or more), making sure to check them every 20-30 minutes, until they are dried out and firm (like a salad crouton).
4. Once they are dry, remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Then proceed with making the stuffing. (See time and money saving tips below in the notes.)
Step Two: Preparing Dressing
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Finely dice the celery, carrot and onion and set aside in medium bowl.
6. Pluck leaves only from fresh sage and mince, set aside two heaping tablespoons (freeze the rest for future use).
7. Preheat large skillet to medium-high; add butter and olive oil. Immediately add celery, carrot and onion. Sauté until onion is translucent and carrot begins to soften (about 5 minutes).
8. Add poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, sage, cranberries and broth; bring to a slight simmer. Cook about 3-5 minutes, just until cranberries begin to plump. Turn off heat and remove skillet to a cool area of stovetop.
9. In a small bowl, add milk and eggs and whisk to combine. Slowly pour a half cup of the hot veggie-broth mixture into the milk-egg mixture while rapidly whisking (this is done to temper the milk-egg mixture, so you don’t get scrambled egg pieces). Then, slowly add the milk-egg mixture to the veggie-broth mixture while rapidly stirring.
10. In a large bowl, add your homemade croutons (dried bread cubes) and slowly pour the veggie mixture over them. Using a rubber spatula or your hands, gently combine until bread cubes are moistened. If still dry, you can add a bit more milk or chicken stock to moisten.
11. Add mixture to a well-oiled 9x13-inch baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until completely heated through.
12. Remove foil and bake another 8-10 minutes, until stuffing begins to turn slightly brown on edges. Enjoy!

Notes