Stuffing in a Pumpkin

I have made this recipe a few times in the past - usually for Thanksgiving.  I have adapted it from a recipe by Tyler Florence.  It is one of my favorites!  This is the first year I made it vegan.  It was every bit as good!

You will need:

1 pumpkin
1/4 C melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/4 C chopped fresh sage, divided
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed
1 package vegan Italian sausage, diced
3/4 C Sauvignon Blanc wine
1/2 C vegan sour cream mixed with 1/2 C non-dairy plain milk (can use 1 C cashew milk here)
1 - 16oz package cornbread stuffing
2 tbsp flax meal mixed in 6 tbsp water
1 1/2 C vegetable broth


Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut off the lid of the pumpkin and set it aside.  Pull out the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin.  Brush the inside flesh with melted butter and season with salt & pepper.  Place pumpkin on a roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, celery seed, fennel seed, and 2 tbsp each parsley and sage.  Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the apples and cook 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with wine, cook down for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.  Stir in the sour cream/milk mixture, check seasoning.

Scrape the sausage mixture into a bowl and fold in the cornbread.  Gradually blend in the flax meal and broth until the stuffing is evenly moistened.  Add the remaining parsley and sage.  Fill the pumpkin with the stuffing, return to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes until the stuffing as a little lift.  Serve in the pumpkin topped with the lid.