Sauage, Apple & Potato Casserole

I invented this dish when I was on maternity leave before JT was born. I had four weeks leave and had planned loads of baking and cooking only to find that I couldn't stand on my feet for any length of time. So this was a way of preparing a hearty dinner without having to stand over a chopping board or hot stove for any length of time. The chopping is minimal (everything is in wedges) and I cook this in the oven, although you could do it on the hob to speed things up. Don't worry about precise quantities in this dish - you can adjust the quantities to suit your personal taste/requirements without doing any damage.

SAUSAGE, APPLE & POTATO CASSEROLE
Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 pork sausages
2 apples
5 potatoes (or as many as you want per person)
1 onion (red or white)
Hot chicken stock (about 300ml)
Handful of chopped rosemary
1 tblsp honey
2/3 tblsp olive oil

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 210oC

2. Cut the potatoes into wedges (I don't bother to peel them) and the sausages into bite-sized chunks.

3. Place in a casserole dish (I use a large rectangular one) and coat in a few tblsp of olive oil.

4. Put in the oven for 10 mins. During this time cut your onion into wedges.

5. After 10mins add the onion to the dish, toss to coat in the oil and return to the oven.

6. Chop the apples into wedges and after a further 10mins add them to the dish, again tossing everything around. Add the hot stock, pouring in just enough to come about half way up the dish. Add the chopped rosemary and return everything to the oven for 1/2 hr.

7. Finally drizzle a tablespoon of honey over the whole dish and return to the oven for 10mins. (I sometimes mash the apples roughly at this stage to thicken the sauce a bit).

Smashed Potaotes

Elegant name isn't it? But that's literally what these are and the 'smashing' makes all the difference. It give the potatoes a crispy edge when finished. I've been trying to squeeze these in before all the baby potatoes disappear from the shelves. These are just perfect for now when the baby potatoes on the shelves aren't the quality of the first summer crop.



This is more a method than an exact recipe as how much you make depends on how many you're feeding. I first came across this idea in a food magazine years ago. It was an article written by Jill Dupleix and I logged it in my mind but never got round to trying it out. Then another food blogger posted about this very method at the start of the summer. I gave it a go and we've been having these practically every Sunday since with our roast dinner. I tend to boil and prep them mid-morning and then pop them in the oven for 20mins when I come home from church (i.e. you could make them in advance up to roasting point if you're having guests then just finish off when they arrive).



Make more of these than you think you'll need - I guarantee you they'll be eaten.

Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Baby Potatoes (do not peel)
Salt
Fresh Rosemary, chopped (you could replace this with thyme)
Oil (olive, vegetable or sometimes I use garlic oil for the flavour)

Method:

1. Par-boil the baby potoates until just tender - you don't want them mushy and they will be getting a while in the oven later. Drain.

2. Drizzle oil over a baking tray and spread with your hands. Place the potatoes on a single layer on the tray.

3. Using a potato masher, press on each potato to flatten. You don't want them flat as a pancake but you do want them to burst open and their flesh to start spreading.

4. Sprinkle salt and chopped rosemary over the potatoes and drizzle them with oil.

5. Roast in a hot oven (about 210oC though if your oven is at something close to that for the meat don't change it, just roast the potatoes for slightly longer/less) for about 20mins. I say 'about ' - when you see the edges starting to brown and crisp they're ready.

Hot Potato, Bacon and Spinach Salad

This is the dinner I was trying to make last night while Jacob was occupying himself with the pegs. Maybe that's why it turned out so good. But I'll definately be making this again and again and again.

When those beautiful little Jersey Royal gems show themselves in the shops at the start of the summer I immediately think salad! Now if I'm going to make salad for dinner and I want my two men to it then it has to be substantial, it has to contain meat and it has to be warm (unless it's a real scorcher of a day). This salad has the added bonus of being incredibly easy to make. The bacon and onions can be fried and chopped ahead of time, the potatoes can sit in a pan of cold water ready to be turned on half an hour before you want to serve (using just one hand, if like me you're carrying a baby around) and the spinach just involves opening a bag (if you buy the ready washed version). The dressing comes from Pioneer Woman .

Hot Potato, Bacon and Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

100g Fresh Spinach

350g Jersey Royal Potatoes, washed (or other salad potatoes)

1 small red onion

1 packet of bacon (about 6 rashers)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Olive oil to taste

Method:

1. Put your potatoes on to boil.

2. Fry the bacon with a little butter or oil. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE GREASE. Strain the grease into a container for later (you can leave a little in the pan for frying the onion). Set aside to cool down and when cool, chop up.

3. Peel, half and then slice the onion and fry in the same pan. Set aside with the chopped bacon.

4. Make the dressing: Put the vinegar, sugar, mustard and grease into a small pan (I use a metal measuring cup). Whisk together while heating gently. Taste to see if you need some oil (this will depend on how much grease came out of your bacon). Season accordingly. Set aside until the potatoes are ready.

5. When your potatoes are ready, drain them and assemble the salad: Put the spinach in a large shallow bowl, topple the potatoes over the top, followed by the bacon and then the onions. Finally pour over the dressing (re-heated if necessary).