GLUTEN-FREE ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOT STUFFING

SERVES 6
Browning chicken slowly develops its taste and an appetizing color—but keep the temperature low or the meat will burn. For succulent flavor, let the chicken cool for 30 minutes before serving.
¾ cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed in a sieve
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3½ tablespoons butter or olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons pine nuts, sunflower seeds
    or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt, more for bird cavity
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup dried apricots, soaked in hot water for
    30 minutes
1 (3 pound) chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup gluten-free chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
1. Cook quinoa in plenty of gently boiling water for about 12 to 15 minutes or until it softens (organic quinoa may take a few minutes longer). Tip quinoa into a fine sieve, make several steam holes through it with a skewer, and let it drain thoroughly.
2. Put onion in a small skillet with 2 tablespoons butter or oil and cook gently until soft and pale gold in color. Add pine nuts (or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds) and rosemary, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add cooked quinoa.
3. Strain apricots, reserving soaking liquid, and chop finely. Stir apricots into quinoa mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Season chicken cavity with a little salt. Loosely stuff cavity with quinoa mixture; reserve any stuffing that does not fit in the chicken. Stitch chicken opening with string and loosely tie legs together.
6. Heat 1½ tablespoons butter or oil in a small roasting pan over low to medium heat. Place chicken in pan and gently brown it on all sides, ending breast facing up. Pour stock around chicken and season with salt.
7. Place pan in preheated oven and cook chicken uncovered for 1½ hours or until cooked through, basting often. Add more stock or water if pan gets dry.
8. Remove chicken from oven. Place on board to cool for 30 minutes before carving into joints and scooping out quinoa stuffing.
9. Place remaining quinoa stuffing in a shallow ovenproof dish. Add a little apricot water to make it moist. Cover pan with aluminum foil and heat in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
10. Skim fat from juices in roasting pan. Add white wine to juices and simmer mixture to thicken. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately with baked quinoa.

Each serving contains 667 calories, 43g total fat, 14g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 179mg cholesterol, 499mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 43g protein.