SAUSAGE STROGANOFF

Just over two years ago I gave up my job in the city to be a stay at home Mum.  It was not an easy decision to make as I have always loved my work but with rising child care costs, extortionate travel costs and the stress of trying to work full time and look after a young family we knew we had to make some changes to our lifestyle.  Without a doubt the decision to stay at home has been the right one but, and it is a big but, the financial implications have been hard.  My children are happy and love having their Mum around and both are blissfully unaware of the constant budgeting, re budgeting, planning and worry that goes with being on a tight budget.  It has been easy to cut out the restaurant meals, trips to the movies, overseas holidays and replace them with cheaper alternatives but what I really try hard not to compromise on is good, home cooked meals.  I may not be able to use the best cuts of meat anymore or to try out all the new exotic fruit and veg that is now so readily available but if you look around, there are always cheaper alternatives which can often be just as tasty and are probably more local and in season.  It was while I was going through my pile of recipe cuttings that I found this recipe for Sausage Stroganoff.  I have no idea where it originates from but has probably been pulled out of one of my South African magazines from about 15 years ago.  It is a much cheaper alternative to the original beef or pork stroganoffs.  I buy good quality sausages which contain over 85% pork at a cost of £2.50 and can easily feed the four of us.  It is simple, quick, cheap and tasty - definitely worth a try.

 

For the printable version - click here

Sausage Stroganoff

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tblsp olive oil
• 8 pork sausages
• 4 bacon rashers, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 500 g mushrooms, sliced
• 250 ml beef stock
• 60 ml tomato paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 60 ml plain yogurt

 

Cooking Directions

1. Grill or lightly fry sausages until cooked and nicely browned.
2. Slice each sausage into 3 or 4 pieces and set to one side.          
3. Add olive oil to a frying pan and fry onions until soft.
4. Add bacon and garlic to pan and continue to fry until bacon is cooked.
5. Add mushrooms and continue to fry for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
6. Add beef stock, tomato paste and paprika and bring to a simmer, stirring well.
7. Add cooked sausage pieces and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes.
8. Stir in yogurt, mix well until heated through.
9. Serve with mashed potato or rice.

 

I am entering this dish into this month's Random Recipe challenge over at Belleau Kitchen which is  cuttings, memories and clippings.

 

and as it is also a budget version of a well know dish I am going to enter into this month's Credit Crunch Munch blop hop wish is hosted by both Helen of Fuss Free Flavours and Camilla of Fab Food 4 All

 

Written by : Angela Darroch      

SAUSAGE, LEEK AND PASTA BAKE

 

On Sunday nights my children get to choose what we eat for dinner and yesterday we had a unanimous show of hands for this sausage, leek and pasta bake. For some reason neither of them will eat onions, managing to find the smallest piece in any dish and leaving them dotted round the edge of their plates.  Leeks on the other hand do not seem to bother them.  Of course leeks have a much milder flavour than onions and tend to be a bit softer if cooked well.  Leeks are also a good source of Vitamins A, C and K so I am more than happy that they eat them.  I like to have a nice crisp, green salad with this meal to lighten it a bit but haven't yet managed to get the kids to agree to that one. 

 

 For the printable version - click here

 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

 

Yield: 4 - 6

 

 

Ingredients

• 250 g Penne pasta tubes
• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• 600 ml milk
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• salt and pepper
• 400g Cumberland sausages
• 1 leek washed and sliced thinly
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 60 g cheddar cheese, grated
• 25 g fresh breadcrumbs

 

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C.
2. Boil pasta in plenty of salted water according to manufacturers instructions.
3. Drain and toss with a little oil. Set to one side.
4. To make the sauce - Melt the butter and stir in the flour.
5. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk.
6. Return to the heat and stir continuously until thickened. Whisk in the mustard and season to taste.
7. For the meat and leek mixture - Heat the olive oil and lightly fry the sliced leeks until soft.
8. Remove the skins from the sausages and break up each sausage into small chunks.
9. Add to the leeks and fry until cooked with some nice colour.
10. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine or water.
11. Add the sausage mixture to the pasta and mix well.
12. Place into a baking dish.
13. Pour the white sauce over the pasta and sausage mixture, mixing well.
14. Mix breadcrumbs,  grated cheese and paprika together and sprinkle over the top of the pasta.
15. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

 

Written by : Angela Darroch