Agave Syrup and Mustard Sausages with Garlic Mash

 

The nights are getting chilly and comfort food is in order.  I always remember having bangers and mash as a child, always on the same night of the week.  That was how it was - dinner was at 6pm and you always knew what was going to be on your plate.  My grandfather used to walk down from his house in the same street to join us, the rules were strict and we always sat at the table. Unlike these days where we often grab our plates and curl up on the couch in front of the fireplace and the telly.  So times have changed. 

 

My mom would have used honey with the sausages but I have discovered Agave nectar and wow!!!   This natural syrup is obtained from the sap in the hearts of the Agave or Maguey plant. It is slowly metabolised and has a very low Glycaemic Index. And best of all - its local, home grown in Africa. 

Ingredients

8 pork sausages

1 tbsp whole grain mustard

2 tbsp agave syrup

zest and juice of one lemon

salt and pepper

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

 

For the mash

750g potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

large knob of butter

2 cloves garlic, sliced

Warm milk

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C.

2. Place the sausages in a roasting pan, making sure they are in a single layer.

3. In a bowl mix together the mustard, agave syrup, zest and juice of a lemon, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the sausages.

 

4. Bake for 30 -40 minutes, turning the sausages a few times during cooking. This gives them a sticky, glossy coat.

5. While the sausages cook, make the mash by boiling the potatoes until soft.  Gently heat the butter with the garlic until the butter has melted. Set aside. Drain the potatoes when cooked, discard the garlic and add the butter to the mash with enough warm milk to make a creamy mash.

6. Serve the sausages on top of the mash. Top with caramelised onions and parsley.

 

Chicken meatballs served with a salad and drizzled with a honey,mustard yoghurt dressing

Now that our weather has settled down and we are experiencing a normal Autumn season, with beautiful warm days and cool nights, lunch needs to be simple and tasty over the weekends.  We always need more time to enjoy the outdoors while we try not to think of winter which is on the way.  Today was a perfect day to try out chicken meatballs. Now the recipe I have uses chicken mince, and its really not easy to find.  So not wanting to drive around looking for it, I sliced chicken breasts up into thin strips and then cut them with my herb scissors! Worked like a charm!

 

Ingredients

 

Meatballs

2T olive oil

4 chicken breasts (minced or finely chopped)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2T chopped chives

1T dried oregano

1T plain yoghurt

1t dried mushroom powder (optional)

salt and pepper

 

Salad

1/4 cucumber, peeled, take the seeds out and cut into chunks

150g baby tomatoes, sliced in half

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

100g goats feta

salt and pepper

 

Dressing

50ml plain yoghurt

1T honey

1t wholegrain mustard

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, lemon zest and juice, chopped chives, oregano, yoghurt and mushroom powder together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

 

 

4. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat.

5. Shape the small meatballs and fry for a few minutes until brown.

6. Transfer meatballs to the oven for 10 - 15 minutes.

7. Mix together the salad ingredients and season to taste.

8. Prepare the dressing by combining all the honey, mustard and yoghurt in a bowl.

9. Serve the meatballs and salad, drizzled with the dressing.

 

 

 

Grilled Cheese and mustard sandwich

The fridge and pantry cupboard always seem to be a bit bare after the weekend, but I always have cheese and today I also had some left over small ciabatta loaves. And what is more perfect than making grilled cheese sandwiches. 

This sandwich is fried gently and slowly in a pan, so that the cheese melts and runs out. The taste is so much better than if you’d toasted it in a toaster machine.  This amount of filling is enough for one small loaf, just double it up if you need more grilled cheeses.

Ingredients

 

1 T olive oil

1 small garlic clove, peeled

1 sprig fresh rosemary

50g strong cheddar cheese

½ t wholegrain mustard

1 egg yolk

A dash of Worcester sauce

1 t fresh parsley, chopped

1 small clove garlic, crushed

salt and pepper

1 small loaf ciabatta

Method

1. Place the olive oil, garlic clove and rosemary in a small pan and heat gently. Remove from the heat and let it rest for a while.

2. Mix the cheese, mustard, egg yolk, Worcester sauce, parsley and crushed garlic and season to taste with the salt and pepper.

3. Slice the loaf (I got six slices out the small loaf) and place three slices on a board.

4. Divide the cheese mixture between the slices and cover with the remaining slices. Brush the olive oil over the slices on both sides.

5. Pan fry the sandwiches very gently over a low heat until the bread is golden and the cheese mixture has melted.