mini sausage rolls

cute little bites

These are really simple to make - especially because I used store bought puff pastry:)

what you need:

• 1 package puff pastry
• 6 or so italian sausages (or whatever kind you fancy)
• 1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 green onions, chopped finely
• a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 egg

what to do:

1. In a large bowl, mash together sausages (casings removed), mustard, breadcrumbs, salt & pepper, milk, greens and nutmeg.  Allow mixture to sit in the fridge for about 4 hours (or overnight).
2. Roll out puff pastry and cut into 2 1/2" width strips.  (About 3 strips each sheet)
3. Beat egg in small bowl.
4. Brush egg onto one side of the strip.  Spoon out the sausage mixture and place it along the other side of the strip, taking up no more than 1/3 width.  
5. Roll it up and make sure the seam is on the bottom. Refrigerate or freeze for about 1 hour, then slice into small bites and brush with egg on top prior to baking.
6. Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes, until tops are golden brown.  Enjoy!

panko crusted chicken lollipops

eat me!

I made these for the christmas sweater party and they were a hit.  They are a bit of work but totally worth it - the bony lollipop part makes it easy for guests to pick up and eat with minimal mess.  You can marinate the chicken in whatever you like - here I've used some asian flavours.

what you need:

• about 15 chicken drumsticks
• panko (japanese bread crumbs)
• 3/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tbsp sriracha 
• 3/4 ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire
• a few pinches black pepper

what to do:

1. Combine all ingredients (except for panko and drumsticks) - set aside.
2. Clean chicken drums by cutting the bottom (skinny end) tendons with a paring knife, then use the knife to scrape down the skin to expose the bone to form the "stick" of the lollipop.  (Hint: this part is easier to handle if the chicken drums are a little frozen, it makes the tendons/skin easier to cut through).  Cut a diagonal vertical slit on the meaty part of the drum stick, then use your hands to push the meat down a little to make the "top" of the lollipop.                                                                                               
3. Put prepared chicken lollies in a large tupperware and pour marinade over.  Cover well and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours.  
4. About 1 hour before you want to serve them, preheat oven to 425 F and prepare a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Hold chicken by the stick part and roll the meaty part in panko bread crumbs. 

5.  Once you've crusted all the chicken, bake in the middle rack for about 40-45 minutes, until panko is golden brown and chicken is cooked.  Enjoy!

samosas

This weekend I had my friends Liz and Sonia over for a girls weekend! We made a great dinner on saturday and samosas was on the menu.  Although these samosas are not exactly like traditional Indian samosas, they are really good and good for you.  Typically samosas are pockets of dough filled with garam masala spiced potatoes, green peas and then deep fried.  These ones were made with sweet potato, carrots, green peas, tofu, and a homemade blend if Indian spices including turmeric for a lighter flavour.  Even Sonia approved:)

what you need:

• phyllo pastry (thawed, room temperature)
• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 200 grams firm tofu
• 1 medium onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• canola oil
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cold water

for the spices:

• 1 tsp each ground turmeric, coriander seed, cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• salt and pepper

*you may choose to use garam masala instead (a blend of spices you can buy)

what to do:

1. Dice the onion, and roughly chop garlic into small pieces.  Dice sweet potato, carrots, and tofu into small cubes, try to cut them about the same size.  
2. In a large pan, heat up 1 tbsp canola oil on medium.  Add the mustard seeds; once they start making a gently popping noise (about 2-3 minutes), add the onions and saute until slightly translucent.  Add the rest of the spices and stir.  After about 1 minute the aroma should be intense, add in the rest of the vegetables and garlic.  Saute for another 2 minutes, then add water.  Cover and allow to simmer for several minutes.
3. Remove cover after about 8-10 minutes and check if vegetables are tender.  If they are, remove lid and turn the heat down to medium-low and allow, if any, excess liquid to evaporate.  If the vegetables are still hard and your pan is dry, add a little bit of water and cover again.
4. Remove vegetable mixture from heat and add frozen peas, stirring to incorporate.  At this point, add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature (or it can be made a day in advance and refrigerated).
6. Lay out phyllo pastry on a large cutting board (should be layers and layers stacked) and using the tip of your knife, cut into 2.5" strips.  Keep most of it under plastic wrap with a slightly moist tea towel on top to prevent drying out.
7. Lay one strip of phyllo flat, brush with a thin layer of melted butter all over, then place a second strip on top.  Put 1 heaping teaspoon of the veggie mixture in one corner of the phyllo, then fold it over to make triangle (isosceles), and continue folding it upon itself until you are on the last triangle - brush with butter then seal to finish. 

Liz making samosas!

folding onto itself into a triangle



8.  Put them on a cookie sheet.  You can bake them right away at 425 F, for about 10 minutes.      

    Once they are gold brown, remove and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes and serve       

    hot with fruit chutney or plum sauce.  Enjoy!   




9. You can also make these in advance; place the entire cookie sheet filled with samosas in the 

    freezer for about 20 minutes, then remove them and store in a container in the freezer to bake

    another day.

dinner with friends!