Frying-pan sausage hotpot (adapted from good food)

(original link)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 6 plump good-quality sausages with herbs (1x400g pack)
• splash of port
• 175ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp caramelised red onions (I used extra special onion chutney from ASDA when I did this recipe)
• 400g pack long-life potatoes (or standard potatoes are fine, sliced & par-boiled for 10 to 15 mins and then sliced are fine)
• A scattering of rocket/watercress
• Optional vegtable additions: half an onion and or sweet pepper diced and added to the pan when the sausages are cooking 

1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan (one the sausages will fit in fairly snugly). Add the sausages and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning them often. Turn the grill to high. Splash a couple of tablespoons of port into the pan if you are using it, then pour in the stock and stir in the caramelised red onions. Allow the mixture to bubble for 3-4 minutes, so it thickens a little and turns into a rich gravy. Remove from the heat.
2. Spread the potatoes so they roughly cover the sausages and gravy and scatter some grated cheese and some rocket/watercress over the top. Put the frying pan under the grill for about 8 minutes until the potatoes turn crisp and golden. Serve while bubbling and hot - there is no need to add seasoning. 

 

Chickpea and Potatoes Croquettes

This is a recipe which we had on the global retreat weekend at the Global Retreat Centre in Oxfordshire. The food was vegetarian all weekend and so delicious I bought the cookbook:

 

This is the first recipe I have tried from it:

  

One thing I might try next time is adding some sweetcorn to the mix too... 

 

They were very yummy indeed...

I served them with rumbledethumps and tomato salad with homemade honey and mustard dressing....

 

Enjoy! x

Potato Dauphinoise (my first atempt)

I've always fancied trying to cook Potato Dauphinoise, it is previously something which I have only had in restaurants. Anyway had my sister Tess round for dinner this evening and thought I would try it out as something different with potatoes to accompany my maple chicken drumsticks which I was already cooking. 

I googled it and came up with this recipe from the Potato Council (which I had never heard of - but figured they of all people will know what they are doing when it comes to potatoes)

To summarise this recipe in just a couple of words they would have to be naughty but delicious! Treat yourself

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Serves: 4
Oven Temperature: 180˚C, gas mark 4

Best Potato Varieties

• Desiree
• King Edward

Ingredients

 

• 500g King Edward potatoes, thinly sliced
• 200ml double cream
• 100ml milk
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 50g Gruyere cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4
2. Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from browning. Rinse then pat dry with kitchen paper.
3. Place the cream, milk and garlic in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until just tender. Season well.
4. Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.