Humble beginnings
Quick, easy and super tasty meals
Sausage meatballs & spaghetti
Well-flavoured sausages, stripped of their casings and reshaped, make perfect quick-and-easy meatballs to dish up with spaghetti and sauce.
6 flavoursome beef or Cumberland sausages
About 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
410g can diced tomatoes
11⁄2 cups beef stock
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 bay leaves
1 strip lemon peel (removed with a vege peeler)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 portions spaghetti, cooked to packet instructions
Grated parmesan and black pepper, to serve
Squeeze sausage filling from casings and shape into 15-18 large walnut-sized balls. Roll in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and cook meatballs until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, cumin and coriander to pan and saute´ over gentle heat 2-3 minutes until onion has softened.
Add tomatoes, stock, chilli sauce, bay leaves and lemon peel and simmer 5 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce and simmer 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Sprinkle parsley over.
Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti, with parmesan and a good grinding of pepper on top.
Serves 4
Chorizo & chickpea stew
Chorizo sausages are so tasty it’s possible to make a few go a long way, especially in a stew like this, which would be perfect for an easy Sunday night tea. If the chorizos you buy are uncooked rather than salami style (we used a 150g pack from the smallgoods section), parboil them before frying.
1⁄4 cup olive oil
3 chorizo sausages, thickly sliced on an angle
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, seeded and diced 1 tsp smoked paprika
1⁄2 cup red wine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
420g can chickpeas, rinsed
and drained
400g can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs Crusty bread to serve Chopped parsley and thyme for garnish
Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan and saute´ chorizo slices until crisp at the edges. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add onion, garlic, capsicum and paprika to pan and saute´ 3-4 minutes until fragrant and the vegetables have softened.
Add red wine and simmer to evaporate it slightly then add brown sugar, vinegar, chickpeas, tomatoes, stock, thyme and chorizo slices. Simmer 10-15 minutes until thickened and saucy. Check seasoning.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of chopped herbs.
Serves 4
Chicken sausage burgers
Sausages are squeezed out of their casings and reshaped with a few additions for these tasty burgers.
4 chicken sausages
27g packet instant chicken and herb gravy mix
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
Olive oil spray
4 ciabatta rolls
100g cream cheese
1 cup beetroot relish or cranberry sauce or similar
Rocket or baby spinach leaves
Squeeze sausage filling from casings into a bowl. Add gravy mix, breadcrumbs and egg and mix together well.
Shape mixture into 4 round, flat patties (coat with extra breadcrumbs if mixture is sticky).
Heat a grill pan and spray with oil. Cook patties 3-4 minutes each side until cooked through.
Split burger buns and toast or chargrill until coloured. Spread buns with cream cheese and fill with chicken patties, relish and rocket leaves.
Serves 4