Apple, Herb & “Sausage” Stuffing + a J.Q. Dickinson Salt Giveaway!

Mmm… sausage, so good. I practically grew up on the stuff, aka: wurst – thanks to my german parents. The browned buttery bits of spicy stuff was always the best part. Since I had to go fall in love with a long-time vegetarian I’ve been making it my mission to not feel left out at the party. You know, the party that celebrates brown food, e.g. turkey, gravy, sausage balls, etc. Enter: black chickpeas! Where have these magic beans been all my life?! Ok, yes, I know, all you sausage loving peeps are probably thinking no way is a bean going to replace my true love but hear me out: this stuff is browned, buttery and spiced up just right. A few glasses of that thanksgiving wine and you may not even know the difference. Yay! It’s a party and everyone’s invited!

Oh speaking of parties, there’s this internet/friendsgiving/potluck/giveaway celebration going on this week, I feel so lucky to be a part of it! J.Q. Dickinson of West Virginia is giving away some of their lovely salt to lucky winners everyday this week! Why am I so excited about salt/using so many exclamation points?! It’s hand harvested in small batches, the brine is sourced from an ancient, untouched sea trapped below the Appalachian mountains. Pure and local all the way! The current owners are 7th generation decedents from the man that started it all back in 1817, you can see more about that here. So cool! And tasty! It’s soft, slightly sweet and just melts away on your tongue. Ok! Salt! Yay!

For the J.Q. Dickinson 3.5 oz jar heirloom salt giveaway, leave a comment telling me what your favorite Thanksgiving dish is (stuffing, obviously) or just tell me what’s on the menu for tonight! A winner will be selected randomly on Saturday, November 29th.

Don’t forget to check-out all the other tasty dishes on the #jqdfriendsgiving menu!

Ingredients for the Spicy Chickpea Crumbles

1 cup black chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 inch fresh ginger
2 spicy green thai chilis
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 handful fresh cilantro or parsley
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tamari or good quality soy sauce
dash of liquid smoke (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper
a couple tablespoons butter + olive oil for sautéing

Ingredients for the Stuffing

2 small tart apples
2 celery stalks
1 onion
1 egg
1 generous cup of vegetable stock (homemade is best)
1/2 of a big rustic day-old loaf of bread
1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces
2 heaping handful herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley

Directions

Grind up the cilantro, ginger, spicy chilis and salt in your food processor. Next add the soaked and drained black chickpeas and process until you start to see the crumbs stick together. Get two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil all warm and toasty, add your onion and cook on medium low until translucent. Next add the chickpea mixture as well as the rest of the ingredients for the “spicy crumbles”. Let it sit to cook and form little brown crusts, aka: flavor bombs, on the bottom of the pan, stir it up and do it again a few more times until the chickpea crumbs are mostly tender before adding the apples and celery. Add the chopped celery and apples. Let them marry with the rest of the ingredients for a few minutes or so. Whisk the egg together with the vegetable broth. I used a fresh loaf of bread, cubed it, then toasted it to dry it out. Combine all the ingredients and place in buttered ovenproof dishes. Top with fresh herbs and bake for 35 minutes at 350F.