British Sausage Week : Chipolata Fajitas

British Sausage Week this year runs from Monday 31st October until Sunday 6th November, and is now in its 19th year!

These days you can find so many varieties of sausage to suit all tastes and dishes, and the majority of sausages in Britain are made from fresh pork meat rather than processed meat.

I usually have a pack of sausages on the weekly shopping list as they're so versatile and can be used in so many different ways, from the good old British fry up to a more sophisticated cassoulet. By slicing sausages into bitesized pieces it's easy to make one pack stretch to feed a family of 5 too!

British sausage week promotes sausages that are made from quality or Red Tractor sourced pork from Britain. Sausages that depict the Red Tractor logo are traceable and have been produced responsibly, ensuring their quality. With this in mind, I selected some Red Tractor Asda Extra Special chipolatas to make these Chipolata Fajitas. You can find the original recipe on the Love Pork website, along with a guide to sausage etiquette - did you know that the type of sausage you choose says a lot about you!

This was such an easy dish to make for the family, and takes very little time to prepare. As it's cooked in the oven you don't need to spend time standing over the stove, and can instead get on with other things whilst it's cooking. It's definitely an easy one that the kids can get involved with making. What I loved about these chipolatas is that they weren't swimming in fat once they'd been cooked, and they are also gluten free, which is a plus point for many.

I served these fajitas with home made tomato salsa, sliced avocado and Greek yogurt, which we prefer to sour cream.

Chipolata Fajitas - serves 4

1 pack of Pork Chipolata Sausages
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced

to serve
wraps
salsa
avocado slices
yogurt or sour cream
grated cheese 

• add the chipolatas to a large bowl along with the other ingredients
• toss well to combine
• place all the ingredients on a large baking tray or baking dish
• bake in a preheated 190C oven for approx 20-30 minutes, until the sausages are browned

What will you be eating during British Sausage Week? If you're looking for inspiration, follow @LovePork on Twitter or Facebook, or take a look at some of my many sausage recipes :

Sausage pesto pasta

Butternut squash & sausage tagine

Spicy sausage & bean cobbler

Slow cooked sausages in onion gravy

Jumbo Mediterranean sausage pasty

Beef & mustard sausage rolls

Slow cooker sweet & sour sausages

Spanish sausage & mash

Fresh ravioli with sausage & chorizo

Baked full English

this is a commissioned post for Love Pork

Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy

As the nights are drawing in and the temperature begins to drop, we start to wonder when that first frost will be here, and whether we'll we be able to find the ice scraper we tossed aside after last winter, as we ran joyfully into Spring.

As it's British Sausage week this week it would be rude not to share a recipe for one of my family's favourite dishes, sausage and mash, which is perfect comfort food for this miserable weather.

I've been pretty busy recently and have been using my slow cooker a lot more, which makes cooking the evening meal so much easier. Onion gravy cooked in the slow cooker is amazing, and the onions just melt in your mouth - forget the sausages, I would be happy with a bowl of gravy and mash!

Slow Cooker Sausages in Onion Gravy - serves 4/5

tbsp oil

10-12 thick pork sausages

2 large onions, sliced

2 tbsp plain flour

750ml beef stock

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

tbsp Marmite or Bovril

black pepper

• Heat the oil in a large frying pan
• Add the sausages and cook over a high heat to brown
• Add the onions and fry for one minute, stirring continuously 
• Remove the sausages & onions from the pan and add the flour to the juices in the pan
• Cook over a low heat for 2 minutes, adding stock, a little at a time, to make a watery paste
• Add the rest of the stock and stir
• Add the sausages, onions and gravy to your slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until the onions are melt in your mouth soft

Serve with mash and steamed green vegetables - here I served mine with a buttery mash of sweet potato and white potatoes

Butternut Squash & Sausage Tagine

A few weeks ago I bought my very first Tagine. I've wanted one for a while but never actually got around to buying one. I found a a glossy red one in Dunelm which now sits nicely on my windowsill (as it won't fit into any of my cupboards!). 

We all love the Moroccan flavours in dishes that I've cooked previously (Moroccan Meatballs & Moroccan Lamb are two of them) so I decided to use up some sausages and throw everything into the Tagine and cook in the oven for a couple of hours, and it turned out perfectly, with clean plates all round!

 

Butternut Squash & Sausage Tagine - serves 4/5

12 good quality sausages (I used apple & herb)
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 butternut squash, peeled & chopped
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored & chopped
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 lemon, sliced into wedges
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
500g passata
fresh coriander

• Heat a frying pan and fry the sausages to brown them
• Add the sausages to a large tagine, followed by all of the other ingredients apart from the fresh coriander
• Give everything a quick stir to combine and distribute evenly
• Place the tagine lid on and place in a preheated 150C oven for 2 hours
• Serve on a bed of cous cous and scatter fresh coriander over

Weight Watchers Filling & Healthy : this recipe is suitable for filling & healthy (just point the sausages or replace with lean chicken)

Sous Vide BBQ Sausages

Before I had my Sous Vide I used to think that it was just a posh way of cooking meat and not something that would fit into a family kitchen. Over the past couple of weeks the Sous Vide has definitely proved its worth in this busy family kitchen and has become and ideal solution to cooking dinner whilst I'm out of the house.

A slow cooker is great for making stews and casseroles but what about when you plan to have chops or sausages for your dinner.  With the sous vide the meat can sit in its warm bath of water for anywhere between one & four hours (depending on the cut of meat and temperature of the water) and then be finished off in a hot pan, or even a bbq.

Last weekend the weather was lovely again and perfect for a spot of outdoor cooking, but instead of risking the sausages ending up like a lump of charcoal I popped them in the sous vide at 65C for a couple of hours and then straight onto the hot bbq to brown off. Remember that the sausages are already completely cooked through in the sous vide hence avoiding any risk of them being undercooked.

These were our usual brand of Cumberland sausages but I can honestly say that they had a much more intense flavour than normal, which I assume is due to the cooking method.

I can't wait until the Summer now for plenty of hassle free barbecues with friends.

I also managed to cook some boiled eggs, although I've realised that I didn't take a note of the temperature or cooking time after the 2nd successful attempt so I'm kind of back to square one with that one!

The eggs were good though so I will be trying them again and taking notes next time.

Sous Vide recipes

Ostrich & clotted cream mash

Pea & Potato soup

72 hour BBQ ribs

I was provided with the Sous Vide Discovery Thermo Circulator for the purpose of review

Sausage Pesto Pasta

I often get near tea time and realise that I haven't given what we're going to eat a single thought. This is one of those fail safe recipes that I often fall back on at times like that. It can be whipped up in no time and everyone loves it. I've even been known to cook it for friends after a few drinks in the pub instead of getting a takeaway, as it's quicker, especially if you have sausages already cooked.

It can be made with whatever cooked meat you have really, leftover bbq pork chops or chicken are a favourite, along with roasted peppers, mushrooms and olives. It's a great dish for a family meal or with friends as it can be placed in the centre of the table and everyone can help themselves - I love an excuse to use my lovely big bowl!

This time I used pork & sweet chilli sausages and added fresh tomatoes and baby sweetcorn, because those are the 3 ingredients in the Swallow's Recipes for Life challenge this month. You can read more about the challenge on their website here (where you will see that little ol' me gets a mention) and on Bangers & Mash, who's hosting the challenge.


Sausage Pesto Pasta - serves 4-5

375g dried pasta - I used tricolour fusili
454g Sausages - I used pork & sweet chilli
150g Baby corn, each cut into 3
150g Baby plum toms, halved
75g Red pesto 
Grana Padano or Parmesan to serve

• Cook the sausages in the oven, grill or even barbecue them - I use a cast iron griddle pan - until they're cooked through & browned on the outside
• Boil the pasta as per the directions on the pack, adding the corn 1 minute from the end. I usually cook pasta for around 1-2 minutes less than stated otherwise the it can fall apart.
• Drain the pasta & corn & stir the pesto through it
• Add the tomatoes & sausage & serve with grated Grana Padano or Parmesan

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Sausages

It's now month 3 of the Swallow's Recipe for Life challenge on Banger's & Mash, and this month the 3 ingredients to use in a recipe are pork, sweetcorn & tomatoes. Unfortunately I don't think I'll be rustling up any cakes with those ingredients but there are lots of tasty meals that are going around in my head.

First up (as I'm sure I'll be entering more than one recipe again) is a nice & easy one, perfect for a midweek meal for the family. It's also a great way to stretch a pack of sausages without the family realising that they're only eating just over 1 sausage each!

It seems like there's a lot of ingredients but it's far from difficult to prepare, I don't even brown the sausages usually (saves on washing up), but you can if you prefer. You may also like to add some pineapple, but I don't as my children aren't keen on it.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Sausages - serves 4/5

1 large onion, chopped
1 courgette, sliced
3 small carrots, sliced
1 tsp garlic puree (or 1 clove of fresh)
1 tsp ginger puree (or 1cm of fresh, grated)
400g tinned tomatoes
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with a little water
100g sweetcorn
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
454g pork & leek sausages, each cut into 4 pieces
1/4 empty can of water or stock

• Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker & give it a good stir
• Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or follow your instruction manual)
• Serve with boiled rice

Simple Beef & Mustard Sausage Rolls

My kids love sausage rolls, and unfortunately they're not fussy about the quality of the sausage inside them.  When I make them myself though I like to use good quality sausages as they not only emit less fat than cheaper sausage meat or sausages, but they are also flavoured well and it's possible to make lovely sausage rolls without much mess or effort. For these I used beef and red wine sausages, which were shorter than regular sausages and a perfect size for lunchtime sausage rolls. I added Dijon mustard but unfortunately we couldn't taste it once they were cooked so I know for next time to add twice the amount.

Simple Beef & Mustard Sausage Rolls

320g Ready Rolled Puff pastry sheet
Dijon mustard
480g Beef Sausages (12 small sausages)
1 Egg, beaten

• Cut the pastry into strips as wide as the sausage and 2cm longer
• Spread a spoonful (or more) mustard over the pastry, leaving 2cm at the end
• Brush beaten egg onto the end without mustard
• Place the sausage at the opposite end 

• Roll the sausage up and press down the end & placed on a baking sheet
• Repeat with the remaining sausages & pastry
• Score the pastry diagonally, careful not to score the sausages
• Brush beaten egg over the pastry

• Bake in a preheated 180 C oven for 30 minutes until golden brown

Jumbo Mediterranean Sausage Pasty

Last week my attention was drawn to a blogging challenge and, as I'm always up for a challenge, I thought I should give it a go.

The challenge is to come up with a simple recipe that could be taught to adults with learning difficulties to enable them to lead more independent lives. The cookery courses are run by a charity called SWALLOW'S and they're looking for suitable recipes to include in their new cookbook. You can read more about it on Banger's & Mash here.

This recipe does have a few ingredients and may not look that simple on the surface, but trust me, it is very easy and doesn't create much washing up either, as well as giving quite an impressive result without much effort.

Jumbo Mediterranean Sausage Pasty - serves 4-6

50ml Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled & thinly sliced
5 good quality sausages, each cut into 6 pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
fresh herbs (I used thyme)
4 mushrooms, sliced
150g baby plum tomatoes, halved
50g olives, halved
200g Feta cheese, cubed
1 Jus-rol puff pastry sheet (320g)
1 egg, beaten

• Preheat the oven to 200 C
• Add the oil, garlic, sausages, pepper, onion, herbs & mushrooms to a roasting pan and toss to coat everything in oil.
• Roast for 15 minutes before adding the tomatoes and roast for a further 10 minutes
• Stir in the olives and Feta cheese
• Spoon the mixture onto one half of the pastry sheet, leaving a 1cm gap around the edge (If there is too much filling just serve the extra with cooked pasta)
• Brush the edges with beaten egg, fold over and seal with a fork

• Brush with beaten egg
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown

Serve hot or cold

Beany Turkey & Chorizo Meatballs

Baked beans are a staple food in this house, the kids love them and they form part of the husband's speciality tea, which he makes from time to time - egg on beans on cheese on ham on toast.

As soon as we received a couple of cans of the new Branston Baked Beans range Jack was was first to clap eyes on and bagsy the Beans with 2 large Lincolnshire sausages.

Rather than serve the Beans with Spicy Chorizo the same way I decided to experiment with them...

Beany Turkey & Chorizo Meatballs - serves 4 (approx 24 meatballs)

Meatballs

1/2 can Branston baked beans & Chorizo

200g Turkey breast mince

2 slices of wholemeal bread

Sauce

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1-2 Peppers, sliced (I used frozen mixed peppers)

3 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 can Branston baked beans & Chorizo

Can of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp Harissa paste

• Mash the baked beans and chorizo (1/2 can)
• Mix in the turkey mince
• Blend the bread into crumbs, or break into very small pieces and mix into the mince & beans
• Form into meatballs the size of large marbles
• Bake in a 200 C oven for 15 minutes, until cooked all the way through
• Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion gently for a few minutes
• Add the peppers and mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 minutes
• Add the remaining beans & chorizo, tomatoes and harissa
• Simmer for approx 15-20 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich
• Toss in the meatballs and heat them through

Serve with rice or cous cous for a very tasty and extremely frugal family meal - less than £1 per serving.

or in a bun, sloppy joe style

The beans are sold in Sainsbury's stores, priced at £1.29 for beans & sausages and £1.09 for beans & chorizo or beans & chilli

I was sent the baked beans for the purpose of this review

Spicy Sausage & Bean Cobbler

I'm loving my new cast iron casserole dish that I received as a Christmas present, yes I am one of the sad ones that asks for pots & pans instead of diamonds and pearls - you can take the girl out of the kitchen but you can't take the kitchen out of the girl. I'm using it as often as possible for a spot of one pot cooking and the husband doesn't even complain about washing it as nothing sticks to it, no matter how hard I try.

A family favourite in this household is sausage casserole and as the casserole dish can be used on both the hob and in the oven I decided to finish it off with some cheese topped scones on top - in hindsight I perhaps shouldn't have topped them with apricot stilton as the fruity bits burnt a little.

Spicy Sausage & Bean Cobbler - serves 4/5

1 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
625g Good Quality Sausages (I used Chipolatas as Asda substituted my Cumberland sausages!)
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Mild Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
400g Can of tomatoes
410g can of Baked beans
300g can of Cannelini beans, drained
1 tbsp Tomato puree

Topping
250g SR Flour
1 tsp baking powder
60g Butter
70g cheese, grated (I used a mix of leftover Christmas cheese - mexican hot and white stilton with apricots) + extra for topping
pinch of dried rosemary (optional)
125ml milk + extra for brushing the tops

• Heat the oil in an ovenproof/stovetop dish & add the onion & garlic
• Fry gently for approx 5 minutes, until softened
• Cut the sausages each into 3 or 4 pieces
• Add the sausages to the pan & fry until browned off
• Add the paprika, chilli powder & cayenne & stir in
• Add the tomatoes, beans and tomato puree
• Stir well, place the lid on and simmer for around 20 minutes
• Make the scone topping by rubbing the butter into the flour
• Stir in the cheese & herbs and then the milk until the mixture comes together 
• Roll out onto a lightly floured surface to approx 2cm thick
• Using a 5cm cutter cut circles out
• Arrange the scones on top of the casserole and brush with milk and top with grated cheese
• Bake in a preheated 180 C oven for around 20 minutes, until the scones are lightly browned & cooked through

ReGGae ReGGae Sausage Casserole

Last month we were sent some Reggae Reggae sauces to try out and I blogged about it here. We've since been using the sauces a lot, the ketchup has been used with chips, wedges and bacon sandwiches, the extra hot sauce has been added to dishes to give them a bit of a kick after the children's portions have been served up.

Today I was making a sausage casserole in the slow cooker and decided to finish off the bottle of mild sauce and add it to the casserole. It was a very simple yet very tasty dinner.

You will need :

750g Sausages, each chopped into 4 pieces & browned off
2 onions, chopped
4 peppers, cored & sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bottle of mild Reggae Reggae sauce
can of chopped tomatoes
100ml water
tbsp cornflour, mixed with tbsp cold water

• Throw everything except the cornflour into the slow cooker.
• Cook on high for 4-5 hours
• Towards the end of cooking add the cornflour paste to thicken the sauce, a little at a time until the desired consistency is obtained

Serve with boiled rice or pasta