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Italian sausage

Prue Leith’s Veggie Sausage Plaits

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Vegetable Sausage Plait

I am so excited that the Avid Baker’s Challenge group has chosen The Great British Bake-Off’s website as a recipe source this year. If you watch the Great British Bake-Off, you’re familiar with one of the judges – Prue Leith.

The Avid Baker’s Challenge chose Prue Leith’s Veggie Sausage Plaits  to start off this year’s baking challenges. It’s gonna be an interesting year!

The first thing to know about about Veggie Sausage Plaits is that there is no sausage in them. I’m guessing that Prue has taken a standard sausage plait and made it vegetarian, but still wants to everyone to know it’s originally a sausage plait. Or maybe it’s the shape of the filling when you place it on the pastry dough. No matter – let’s get going!

Vegetable Sausage Plait

The pastry dough for this is quick to throw together in the food processor. It has tons of butter and the end result is a buttery, flaky, terrific pastry.

Stuff  the pastry with vegetables, cheese, and a few spices, and you have a very tasty pastry lunch or dinner. A little side salad and your meal is complete and satisfying.

The dough rectangle measurements used in the recipe are a little off to me. I recalculated and changed them a bit so that not much pastry is cut away and wasted. Roll the dough rather thin (3 to 4 mm.) so it will be wonderfully flaky after baking instead of thick and doughy.

Vegetable Sausage Plait

The recipe also says to put frozen spinach in a sieve and pour boiling water over it to thaw it out. Uh, why wouldn’t you initially just thaw out the spinach? I’m changing the instructions a little (and couple of unobtainium ingredients) so that the recipe is put together a little more easily.

Be patient when plaiting (braiding) the pastry. It’s easy to do – just take it piece by piece and layer the strips diagonally over the filling and tuck them in a bit. Brush the beaten egg over all of the surface – top, sides, and in between the plaits. It bakes up beautifully golden, shiny brown and tastes as good as it looks.

Be creative with the filling, making sure to pat any juicy vegetable or meat very dry before filling the pastry so it won’t leak and be soggy. I added a little mild Italian sausage in one of the fillings and it was great in there.

My final opinion? I love the pastry on Prue Leith’s Veggie Sausage Plaits. The filling is really tasty, too, but be creative and stuff whatever you like into these little pocket pies. I’m thinking a cherry filling will be terrific!

Vegetable Sausage Plait

Vegetable Sausage Plait

Prue Leith's Veggie Sausage Plaits

Yield: 4-5
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Adapted from Prue Leith's Veggie Sausage Plaits; outstanding pastry, yummy filling.

Ingredients

  • The Pastry:
  • 200g (7.05 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 200g (7.05 oz) butter
  • 1 scant tsp salt
  • 135g (4.75 oz) plain Greek yogurt
  • The Filling:
  • 300g (10.5 oz) frozen spinach, thawed
  • 120g (4.2 oz) feta, crumbled
  • 2 tbsp bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • The Topping:
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 egg, beaten (to glaze before baking)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  2. Put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor and pulse until combined and like bread crumbs. Add in the Greek yogurt and pulse briefly until just combined (will be crumbly). Transfer the dough to a medium bowl and with your hands, knead the dough very gently and briefly until it comes together.
  3. Form into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Place dough into freezer for about 15 minutes while you're putting the filling together.
  4. Place the thawed spinach in between paper towels, twist and squeeze to release all of the liquid possible. Replace the paper towels with dry ones and squeeze again to make sure all of the liquid is out of the spinach.
  5. Put the spinach in a medium bowl and add the feta, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and egg. Stir to combine and then salt and pepper to taste (feta is kind of salty, so it may not need much salt). The mixture may seem a bit dry, but will moisten up.
  6. Remove the pastry from the freezer. Flour your counter or marble very generously and roll out the dough until fairly thin (3 to 4 mm.) and approximately 21" x 9 1/2" rectangle. Use a pizza cutter or very sharp knife to cut three 7" x 9" rectangles. (There will be a little dough cut off on the ends to make straight edges - these sizes are approximate.) If the dough is sticking to the counter after rolling it out, take a wide spatula and gently scoot it under the dough to unstick it.
  7. Take about 1/3rd of the filling and roll into a 9" log. Place the log vertically on the rectangle. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal 1/2" strips evenly on both sides all the way up the rectangle. Cut off the top two diagonal strips and lay the end flap of dough to cover the top of the filling. Working from the top, fold the first left strip over diagonally and tuck under the right side of the filling. Then repeat with the right strip. Continue with the other strips until you are at the bottom. Before crossing the bottom strips, fold the layer of end dough up over the end of the filling, then finish with the final two strips.
  8. Repeat the plaiting with the other two rectangles, then transfer all three to the prepared baking sheet. Brush the plaits on the tops, sides and in every nook and cranny with the beaten egg. Top with fennel seeds if desired or finish off with a sprinkle of salt.
  9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking at 25 minutes, until medium golden brown on tops and sides. Serve warm or let cool completely on a rack and wrap well to store.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Be sure and weigh these ingredients - if you don't have a kitchen scale, you can get one fairly cheaply from Amazon or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  They are worth the investment for baking purposes.

The original recipe:  used fromage frais instead of plain Greek yogurt, used crumbled Cheshire cheese instead of feta, and had 1 tsp of fresh dill, finely chopped.  I chose to use the substitutes.

I used salted butter, so backed off on the teaspoon of salt to about 3/4 of a teaspoon and didn't salt the filling because the feta is fairly salty.  

If you don't like fennel seeds, don't use them.  These pockets are great without them.

I cooked one link of mild Italian sausage and added it to one-third of the filling to see what it would be like.  Yep, was good.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 203Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 863mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 13g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Prue Leith, The Great British Bake-Off
Category: Pies/Pastry/Puddings

Best Bowl of Red (aka: Awesome Chili)

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Best Bowl of Red

For years I’ve been attempting to recreate the best chili I’ve ever had and finally developed this Best Bowl of Red. A Bowl of Red is the most complimentary slang term for a perfect bowl of chili and to me, this is the best!

This chili is an amazing combination of flavors starting with 80/20 ground beef and Italian sausage, and moving on to the tomatoey, spicy, thick sauce. I made sure the herb/spice combination will reach perfection after simmering for a couple of hours – chili powder, not too much cumin, garlic, paprika, and oregano. Balance out the salt and pepper, and yes a bit of Worcestershire sauce and the flavor palate is complete.

Here’s a bowl of it right out of the pan, piping hot with no condiments yet. You can see why it’s called Bowl of Red (thank you paprika):

Best Bowl of Red

Now here’s the controversial part…

Beans!  I usually scoff at beans in chili.  Southerners don’t put beans in chili, but I’m finding out that they enhance my recipe quite a bit – both the texture and the flavor.  So there.  I put pinto beans in this chili and it works.  Don’t judge (or if you like them in chili, you’re welcome).

Best Bowl of Red

Serve with sour cream, your favorite shredded cheese, onions, fresh saltines (my favorite) or homebaked cornbread (Bret’s preference) and you have a perfectly rounded, hearty meal.

You’ll want to make this all year round, but especially right now while the weather is frosty cold. It’ll sure warm you up.

I know there are a lot of chili recipes out there, but to me this one is finally the best! If you enter a chili competition and win, let me know (and send me my 10% please….). Enjoy!

Best Bowl of Red

Best Bowl of Red

Yield: 5 - 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Finally - I put together the perfect ingredients for the perfect chili!  Spicy, tomatoey, and hearty. 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb ground beef (80/20 best)
  • 3 links mild Italian sausage
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 C water
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes*
  • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 (14.5 oz) Rotel tomatoes**
  • 3/4 C ketchup
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika, plain or smoked (I use smoked)

Instructions

  1. Heat a Dutch oven or large stew pot over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and break up into small pieces.  Remove the sausages from the casings and add to the beef.  Stir until almost browned, 3-4 minutes.  Drain off as much excess grease as you can.
  2. Add the chopped onion and stir until slightly translucent and onion is fairly tender.
  3. While the meat and onion are cooking, heat the 2 cups of water in the microwave for 1 minute, then add the bouillon cubes until dissolved.  Pour the liquid into the pot.
  4. Add the drained pinto beans, tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato paste.  Stir in the chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  5. Bring to a boil while stirring, then turn down heat to lowest Low, cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so to prevent sticking.  At the end of 2 hours, add 1/2 to 1 cup more of water (according to how thick you want it), then simmer for 1/2 hour more.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  6. Serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, and saltines (or freshly baked cornbread).  Store cooled leftovers in a tightly sealed container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

*If you don't have bouillon cubes handy, use 2 cups of beef stock or broth (I adore "Better than Bouillon" if you can find it).

**If you can't find Rotel tomatoes, use diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of chopped jalapenos (or green chiles).  I use Rotel medium and it's just right on the heat - use mild if you're not into spicy.

I rub the oregano ( use Mexican oregano) between my palms before adding to the chili, to bring out the aroma of that wonderful herb.

Adjust the seasonings to your tastes and add water if you want thinner chili.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1358mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 15gProtein: 27g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Susan Blades
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads

Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna

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Everyone has their favorite lasagna recipe – I’m partial to the one my sister gave me over thirty years ago (Virginia’s from the side of the box – really good!).

This Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna by Paula Deen caught my attention because one of the cheeses is cream cheese. It’s added to the sauce and creates a creamy, creamy sauce. I would use it on any pasta any day of the week!

When done well, lasagna is one of the best Italian dishes around. If not done well, it can be pretty icky. This one, though, turned out great. I’m thinking I could eat lasagna three times a week and not get tired of it. Don’t forget the cheesy garlic bread…

This Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna starts by layering the noodles, sauce, and cheeses and repeating:

Then it’s covered with aluminum foil and baked, then uncovered so it will turn a beautiful golden brown on the top. It didn’t make tall layers, but it had a good amount of sauce to cheese to noodles.

Next time I might add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the sauce to make the layers a little more saucy. I cheated and put a little more mozzarella on top than called for because we enjoy cheesy pasta, but the called-for amounts would be about perfect for most.

We enjoyed this Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna and will definitely make it again and again. It makes a ton (13×9″ dish), so you can share it or take it to a covered dish dinner.

We’re not sharing this one this time, though. I’m gonna keep it nearby and we’ll be eating it for lunch and dinner for the next three days!

If you want a different kind of lasagna, try my delicious and easy Enchilada Lasagna.

Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna

Three Cheese and Sausage Lasagna

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Creamy sauce and lots of cheese!  Adapted from Paula Deen's "My Favorite Lasagna."

Ingredients

  • 9 lasagna noodles
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 3 Italian Sausages
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 32 oz. spaghetti sauce
  • 5 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces
  • 16 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease a 13x9" glass dish with cooking spray. 
  2. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned.  
  4. Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.  Add the spaghetti sauce and cream cheese.  Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce (will take awhile to blend).
  5. Spoon 3/4 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a single layer of noodles, 1 cup of the sauce, one-third of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.  Repeat the layers two more times until all of the ingredients have been used, ending with remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan.
  6. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking until golden on top and bubbling (15-20 minutes).

Notes

I used sweet Italian sausage, but you can use spicy if you want more of a kick.

You can also use a pound of ground beef if that's what you have on hand.

There should be a little grease after browning the meat, but if it's excessive be sure and drain it so the lasagna won't be greasy after baking.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 473Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1318mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 24g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Pasta