Food of Colour

There is nothing better than eating colourful food, I had some Lamb Sausages in my fridge and there was no way that I was going to eat them all in one go, so what's better than turn them into a casserole  

I also had some vegetables, that need to be used up so I decided to combine all these elements and make this dish

It will be dinner tonight and then some into the freezer, for another time

It is very simple and basically takes very little time

 You will need 

 Sausages, I had 4 lamb and mint  in my fridge 

1 onion finely chopped

1 red pepper sliced

1 yellow pepper sliced 

2 sticks celery sliced

Big handful of spinach, just tear it up

Olive oil

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 packet of Mushroom Soup and 1 cup of warm water to dissolve

Heat about tablespoon of Olive oil in a frypan to medium heat and add the sausages,                                                                      Fry gently till golden brown, remove and slice         

 Place in a casserole dish  

Add chopped onion to pan, sauté till soft and starting to brown, remove and set aside 

Add the peppers and celery to pan and gently sauté them, till just soft      

Meanwhile mix the soup mix with a little bit of cold water to start it off, then add the warm water            Stir well

Add to the vegetables in the pan, bring to a gentle boil and pour over the sausages in the casserole dish

You can do this earlier in the day and just before you eat, place in a 180C oven and heat till gently bubbling

I served it over mashed potatoes, but you could try rice or mashed potatoes 

Sausage, Pumpkin and Mushroom Bake - Can't eat Pasta? - Use Kumera Chips

Let’s Eat what We Have
It was a very cold day and the thought of going out to buy supplies was not on the agenda
So...I opened the fridge

There were some chicken sausages, not really enough to feed 5 people
So I surfed the net

There are a couple of food issues currently in the family
Someone is keeping away from wheat
So the dish I was going to make was a Penne Bake

So I substituted Penne for cooked Kumera Chips
Just lightly roasted
And by the way This is good for a Gluten Free diet
I grabbed a pumpkin out of the garden

Turned it into Pumpkin Purée
Just cut into pieces, bring to the boil and simmer till tender
Remove skin and blend till it is smooth
Season with S & P to taste

I had mushrooms
Onions, garlic, herbs
Great let’s go

So I peeled the kumera, cut into chip size

Toss with oil, season with Salt and Pepper
roast in 180C oven for about 10 minutes
Don't overcook them, you want them to stay in shape, not turn to mush

So you need
Ingredients
200 gms chopped mushrooms
400 gms Chicken Sausages
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced 
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese (you can use cheddar)
1/2 cup cream
Sea salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
500 gms Kumera chips or of course penne pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

 In a frying pan cook the sausage till just brown

Cool and slice diagonally, set aside
Add a tablespoon olive oil
add mushrooms season with Salt and pepper and cook till brown

Meanwhile in another pan
Melt butter and saute onion and garlic
Till translucent about 10 minutes
Add sage and grated nutmeg

 

Stir, 

Transfer to a big bowl
add pumpkin, sausage, mushroom, cream, Gruyere Cheese
Taste and season with S & P if needed

Add cooked chips to sauce
Pre-heat oven to 180C

Transfer mix to a greased gratin dish,
Top with grated Parmesan
Bake for about 30 minutes till bubbling
Whoops I forgot to take the photo, when I removed the dish from the oven
The Greedies couldn't wait

I served with Baby Bok Choy

 

I normally associate Baby Bok Choy with Asian Food
but if you cook it this way, it goes perfectly with other flavours

For 5 people
1/8 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Bok Choy washed thoroughly and cut in half
1 cup chicken stock

In a large frypan melt butter
Add Garlic, season with S & P
Cook till garlic fragrant but but not brown
Lay bok choy in pan
Gently saute, turning once
add chicken stock and cook till bok choy is tender
Turn occasionally
It will take about about 8 minutes
Yum
It's a new basic in our house

A "Newish" Twist on Sausages and Onions - Add Apple

Rhubarb is now in the shops.
My Dad used to grow Rhubarb in his wonderful Garden and when Mum stewed it she always added an apple
Along with a reasonable amount of sugar. Probably more than would be acceptable today
Mind you it tasted really good

Thought I would make some Rhubarb and Apple Pies and bought some canned stewed apples

Remove 3 tablespoons of the sauce for the Sausage bake
Keep the rest for the Rhubarb
Recipe below

But first
I decided to make the Apple work for me,
Blend it with some Pork Sausages and Onions
Little sweet and sour
Another little Cheap and Cheerful Dinner.

Olive oil
6 Pork Sausages
2 onions peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons Apple sauce
1 Large Kumera (Sweet Potato) 
Butter
Flour
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper 
Chopped Chives

First get the Mash underway
Peel and cube the  Kumera 
Into a pot of well salted water
Bring to boil and simmer till fork goes through
Drain and reserve the water
Mash with a big knob of butter plus a tablespoon olive oil
and 2 tablespoons chopped chives and a good grind of freshly ground Black Pepper
Set aside

Brown sausages in a tablespoon oil

Meanwhile in another pan slowly cook sliced onions in 2 tablespoons olive
till soft and starting to brown

When sausages cooked, remove and slice

Move the onions to the sausage pan and stir well
To take up all that goodness and flavour on the bottom of the pan
Add 3 tablespoons apple sauce
Add a good knob of butter 2 tablespoons

Mix well
Add 3 tablespoons flour
Cook for about 3-5 minutes

Add 2 cups of the reserved Kumera water and whisk well over heat, till it starts to thicken
Add more if it gets too thick
When it has thickened.
Simmer for a few more minutes

Add sausage to gravy and place in ovenproof dishes
Top with mashed Kumera

Now either freeze...as above
or bake in 180 C (like below)
For 25-30 minutes
Till the Kumera Topping is golden and the sauce all bubbly

Now for the Rhubarb
Cut up the Rhubarb in 2.5 cm pieces
add the remainder of the Canned apples
1 tablespoon sugar
Zest and juice of 1 Orange
and about 1/4 cup water 

Bring to the boil, turn down and simmer till rhubarb breaks up
Cool
I made some pies for the freezer

Saved the rest and it is in the fridge for breakfast, with cereal maybe or just
With Ice Cream for dessert

Dress up The Sausage - Some Apple and Some Wine

Sausages, cooked in the same pan as apple halves, throw in some wine to make a sauce
Of course, serve with mashed potato and yes...peas

Simple as.
Nice idea this and it was wolfed down by both my guest and I
Found the idea on Epicurious attributed to Alison Roman from Bob Appetit

Of course as one usually does…I changed it to suit what was in the fridge
Alison suggested to serve with Watercress
Very pretty but not as good as Mashed Potatoes and Peas, in my book

(Also I didn't have any watercress !)
I used Angus Beef Breakfast Sausages which as it turns out were Gluten Free
So another Gluten Free Meal for those interested


1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sweet apple per person, halved through stem ends
400 gms sausages
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper

Frozen Peas Thawed
Mashed potatoes

Preparation 
Heat oil in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add apples, cut side down, and cook, turning occasionally,
until golden brown, 5–8 minutes.
       
Prick sausages with a fork, add to skillet with apples, and cook,
turning occasionally, until browned, 10–12 minutes.
Add wine and vinegar to skillet.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened (liquid should coat a spoon),
about 4 minutes.
Add thawed Peas and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste

Serve over mashed potatoes…with pan juices spooned over.
Looking a little amateurish but very tasty

Since I originally posted this recipe which has been very popular, I have cooked it again, this time I added red cabbage to the vege.
Just saute some red cabbage in a little butter and add to the pan
The cabbage added fabulous colour

 There were leftovers, so I turned it into a Frittata

Another view, Look at that filling
Vege, Sausages, apple and eggs, just as simple as that

Cooking for Kids - Chicken Lasagne with a Twist - Sausage Casserole

Our Grand daughter Sophia is about to turn 14 , where has that time gone, here she is with her friend Annabel, just little kids, only 5 years ago

now they are beautiful young ladies…anyway I digress, I am contributing my Chicken and Corn Lasagne for dinner on Sunday, to celebrate her birthday.
We are about to swan off for the weekend, so I needed to get it made and into the freezer .
It is not strictly speaking Italian.
The Chicken part is actually a Chicken and White Bean Chili that I have borrowed from Giada de Laurentis, Food Network.com
The kids like it and it makes an excellent filling for the lasagne.
I bought free range breast and thighs and minced them in the food processor.
Nothing but the best for our kids!
I cut out the chili powder, there are some young mouths not quite ready for heat, but I did add a little red chili flakes. You need a little bite.
The addition of celery salt, I really like, I feel it helps to give an authentic flavour to the chili.
I also disregarded the Swiss chard (Silverbeet) for the kids...but have left it in the recipe, I think I would like it, if making for a wider audience. it would add great colour

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds/1 kg ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard,(Silverbeet) stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Directions
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven,
heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, celery salt and chili powder.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Stir the flour into the chicken mixture.
Add the beans, Swiss chard, (if you are using it) corn, and chicken stock.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened.
Add the red pepper flakes and chopped parsley, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Also make a béchamel sauce
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon white flour
2 cups milk infused with peppercorns, a peeled shallot and 2 bay leaves
Just pop the milk into the microwave about 2 minutes
Heats and infuse all at once.
20 gms grated Parmesan
20 gms grated Feta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grated Mozzarella for the topping
Melt the butter
Add the flour
Cook for about 3 minutes to cook the flour out
Add the strained hot milk
Stir well and bring to the boil to thicken
Simmer about 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Cool a little
Add cheeses
Stir well
Taste and adjust seasoning

To assemble
Lightly cover the bottom of gratin dish with béchamel
Place lasagne sheets on top
Layer of chicken

Lasagne
More béchamel
Lasagne
More chicken
Lasagne and then cover with the remainder of the béchamel

Pre heat oven to 180
Into the oven for 20 mins

Cool
add grated Mozzarella then a sprinkling of breadcrumbs for a little crunch at the end

I then covered it and into the freezer for Sunday.

Now onto the Sausage Dish for the Thursday Night Feats With Grandma
Veal Bratwurst Casserole

I love Veal Bratwurst and its not easy to find in the local Supermarket, but Faro Fresh, over on the North Shore has a wonderful selection of Deli meats. IN fact all of their meat is excellent. More about that later. I bought a few packets while I was there. Some for the Freezer
Great dinner, for the kids and to get the vege into them, how about a nice casserole.
Just a base of carrots, onions, celery and garlic.
I added some White Balsamic vinegar for acidity and also it has a lovely sweetness to it
And separately, I fried some onions. Sausages and onions. Oh Yes
This is so tasty and so, so simple, soft meaty sausages, topped with a fluffy Cheesy Potato Topping.
A kids delight.

5 Veal Bratwurst Sausages
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion fine chop
1 small carrot finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 stick of celery finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little water
2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

For the fried onions
1 large onion peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 cups chicken stock
I browned the sausages in a pan and then transferred them to a casserole dish

Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pan
Season and sauté till they get a little colour and start to tenderize.
Add a little water and let that absorb
Add white balsamic vinegar

Meanwhile in another pan
Add olive oil and the sliced onion
Cook slowly to caramelize
Add flour stir well and let cook for a few minutes

Add chicken stock
Bring to the boil stirring while you do
Simmer about 5 minutes
Add the other vege

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary
and then pour the finished sauce over the sausages

Potato Topping
4 large potatoes peeled and chunked
3 tablespoon milk
Big knob of butter
70 gms cream cheese
1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
1 egg
Sea salt and ground white pepper

Meanwhile cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender
Strain and make sure they are quite dry

Heat the milk and butter in the microwave or a small pot
Now I am with Delia Smith, when it comes to mashing.
You can either put the hot potatoes through a ricer, or just get out your hand beater
and whip them up with that.

Start off slowly, you don't want to end up with it all over you
Add the hot milk and butter

Beat them up
When they are smooth
Add the shallots and cream cheese
You can start beating with a fork now
Add egg
Season with salt and white pepper
Continue to beat till smooth
Pile on top of sausages

I have popped this into the fridge and will finish it off tomorrow night
From room temperature,
180C for 30 mins
Should be a winner