Jim Romanoff, For The Associated Press

Whole-wheat couscous, wild mushroom and leek stuffing

Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (45 minutes active)

Servings: 10

2 cups water

1⁄2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3⁄4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped sweet onion

2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

10-ounce package (12⁄3 cups) whole-wheat couscous

1⁄2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

3⁄4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (if baking in a casserole)

In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the dried mushrooms, then remove from the heat. Let stand for 20 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Pour them through a fine strainer set over a bowl, reserving the liquid. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the walnuts and stir until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and leeks, then saute until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the shiitake mushrooms, garlic and the reserved porcini mushrooms and saute until the shiitake mushrooms have softened, about 3 minutes longer. Set the mixture aside.

Add enough water to the mushroom-soaking liquid to equal 21⁄4 cups. In a large saucepan, combine this liquid with the salt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bring to a boil, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Stir in the parsley and the reserved mushroom mixture. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

If baking inside a turkey, let the dressing cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Stuff the turkey just before roasting.

If baking in a casserole, heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, then pour the chicken broth evenly over the top. Cover the dish with a lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for 15 minutes longer.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 224 calories; 84 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 204 mg sodium.