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      

SAVOURY LAMB STEW

 

Today is a duvet day. 

 

It is cold, it is miserable and it is grey, grey, grey. 

 

What do you do on a day like this?  Well, in my house the boys decided to go for an 8km run around a cold, stark lake.  Madness in my mind.  I, on the other hand head for the kitchen.  I decided to make this simple, homely casserole from one of my favourite South African recipe books by Lynn Bedford Hall.  The boys came back from their run to the smell of this lamb stew cooking away in the oven and I had to threaten them with everything under the sun just to keep them from sneaking a piece of lamb before dinner time.

 

My favourite way to eat this stew is with a dollop of mashed potato to soak up all the lovely gravy but we are trying to watch the calories so plain boiled potatoes it had to be. 

 

For the printable version - click here 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 90 minutes

Total time: 1hr 50 minutes

Yield: 4

 

Ingredients

• 4 (700g) large lamb leg chops
• 2 ml paprika
• 2 ml dried thyme
• 2 ml dried oregano
• 2 ml curry powder
• 35 ml flour
• 2 ml salt
• olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 375 ml lamb (or beef) stock
• 1 tin (390g) chopped tomatoes
• 5 ml brown sugar
• 10 ml Worcester sauce

 

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
2. Cut chops in half to make 8 neat pieces and remove any excess fat.
3. Mix together the paprika, herbs, curry powder, flour and salt and coat meat on both sides.
4. Add olive oil to your pan and brown the chops lightly on both sides until nicely coloured.
5. Transfer to a baking dish to fit closely.
6. Add a little more oil to your pan, and fry your onions and garlic.
7. Add any of the remaining flour mixture to the onions and garlic, then add the stock.
8. Stir well, making sure all the residue from the pan is stirred into the stock.
9. Add the tomatoes, sugar and Worcester sauce, mixing well.
10. Remove from the heat and pour over the chops.
11. Bake, covered for 1 hour 30 minutes.

 

Written by : Angela Darroch