Week 45: Pasta Bake

The Recipe
300g pasta
500g spicy sausage, cut into pieces
~150g spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 190C

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in 1tbsp butter until browned. When almost done, add garlic and cook briefly.

Place the spinach in the bottom of your pasta strainer. When pasta is done, pour pasta and water over the spinach allowing the spinach to wilt slightly.

Add pasta, spinach and tomatoes to the pan together with tomato sauce, yogurt, milk 1 cup of the cheese and spices. Mix well. Pour into oven-proof dish and top with remaining cheese.

Cover dish with foil. Cook for 30 minutes covered and then an additional 10 minutes uncovered.

The Verdict
Slightly boring. There were far too few vegetables, and the spinach turned out weird. If I make this again (rather than just using it for inspiration) I think I'll leave out the spinach and add a couple of bell peppers or a squash (or both!) instead.

Week 7: Chorizo Casserole

The Recipe
2 bell peppers
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
300g boiled potatoes
300g brunch or chorizo sausages
Fresh basil
1 400g can tomatoes (optional)

In a wok, cook onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Cut the bell peppers, potatoes and sausages into bite sized pieces and add to the onions. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

The Verdict
The original recipe didn't call for tomatoes, but I thought it looked like it needed it, and I definitely think it made it better that way. Easy enough to make - especially if you have potatoes left over - and it tasted great! Definitely worth a repeat.

Week 19: Shepherd's Pie

NB: This recipe is based on the left-overs from "Week 18: All-In-One Sausage Sizzler".

The Recipe
The left-overs of the mashed potatoes
The left-overs of the sausage sizzler
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup beer
1/8 vegetable stock cube
400g can lentils (I didn't have any, so used baked beans instead)
1tsp cornflour mixed with dash of water
1 cup grated cheese

Heat oil in a frying pan and gently cook the onion until soft.
Slice the sausages and vegetables from the Sausage Sizzler into small pieces. Add to the pan with beer, stock and 1/3 cup boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils and cornflour mix. Cook for 1 minute. Pour into an oven-proof dish.
Spoon the left-over mash onto the filling and cook at 200C for 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top and cook for another 15 minutes.

The Verdict
Much better than the sizzler by itself :) This is a lovely comfort food, and I was very impressed with it. It took an average dish and turned it into something nice and comforting. I could easily see myself making something like this again.

Week 18: All-in-One Sausage Sizzler

The Recipe
500g sausages
2 bell peppers, deseeded and sliced
rosemary
thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
300g green beans
6 tomatoes, cut into quaters
1.5kg potatoes
1/2 cup milk
50g butter

Preheat oven to 200C. In a large roasting dish, mix sausages, bell pepper, herbs and olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile simmer the beans for 2 minutes in boiling water, drain and add to the dish with the tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
At the same time, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, drain and mash with the milk and the butter. Serve half the mash with two-thirds of the sausage and vegetables, keeping the rest for the shepherd's pie (see "Week 19: Shepherd's Pie").

The Verdict
Okay, but really nothing out of the ordinary. It tasted alright, but I wasn't blown away by it. On the other hand, it was a solid dish, and apart from the mashed potatoes, quick enough to make. If I remake this I think I'll add more spices and serve with baked potatoes rather than mashed - so much quicker!