As you all know I am awfully fond of cookbooks.   My motto is you can never have too many of them. Todd would disagree . . . but what does he know?   His idea of cooking is holding a tin in one hand and a pot in the other.    I have noticed that whilst he might balk at the amount of cookery books I have . . . he never complains about the recipes I cook from them.   He's always more than happy to chow down!

I was recently sent this beautiful cookery book Sicily published by Phaidon.   It's a pretty hefty book, containing more than 50simple  recipes from the Silver Spoon restaurant in Sicily, this book is much more than a mere cookery book.  Personally I found it completely fascinating and I learned a lot about Sicily that I hadn't known before.

I always thought of Sicily as being not much more than an Island at the tip of Italy's boot, but I didn't know a lot about it.  I just always thought of it as being Italian, but it turns out it is so much more than that.

It is a unique cuisine which can boast influences from Neolithic migrants from Africa and the Arab Peninsula, Greeks and the Romans.

 

This book is divided into the different areas of Sicily, with a variety of recipes representing each area . . . some 9 different spots and chapters in all . . .



As you can see from the map, each area has their own individual variety of cuisines, depending on the cultures of the people which have settled there and the raw ingredients which are in abundance.  Sicily has a unique and varied landscape, comprised of lush and fertile mountains and valleys, arid desert-like plains and a wonderful coastline filled richly with a variety of sea life.  Altogether this makes for a delicious mosaic of cultures and cuisines.



The book is filled with beautiful photographs which read like a travelogue of this beautiful Island . . . representing each area wonderfully.   I really enjoyed seeing them and reading about the cuisine of each area.



It truly is a beautiful spot.  Earlier this year Todd and I had planned on doing a Mediterranean Cruise and Sicily was going to be one of the spots we stopped at.  Unfortunately we had to cancel it and so this book has truly allowed me to see this beautiful Island in a unique and interesting way.  It is a wealth of information about the climate, the people, the landscape and the food.

 

Beautiful fresh produce such as these lovely peppers . . . and lemons



Beautiful olives, fresh sardines, pasta, pizzas, tomatoes, aubergines, chocolate, anchovies, capers, cheeses, shrimps, swordfish, garlic, fennel, oranges, pistachio nuts . . . there is no end to the variety and quantity of ingredients which make Sicilian food so beautifully tasty, and this book so fabulous.



One of the recipes in this book is called Pasta Con I Mascolini, or Pasta with anchovies.   It looks delicious, absolutely delicious . . . of course as you know the Toddster doesn't like pasta, but he does love pies . . .



I was able to bake him this delicious Chicken Pie, Pasticcio Di Pollo. which he really enjoyed.   It was a fabulous mix of chicken, pistachios, almonds, capers, lemon and Parsley and a beautiful crust which was quite unique in that it used eggs, butter, lard and Marsala wine.  Totally delicious. 



Beautiful sauces such as this Salmoriglio sauce, or Salsa Salmoriglio, consisting of simple ingredients . . . olive oil, lemons, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.  Said to go very well with fish, especially sword fish.





Pomodori Ripieni Fritti, Fried stuffed tomatoes.  These look gorgeous and I can hardly wait for tomato season so I can get stuck into some of them.  Have I ever told you how much I love tomatoes??  Well, I adore tomatoes and these look fabulously delish!

But there is not just savory things in this book . . . there is also plenty of sweetness to be found with recipes for these beautiful sounding sweet fritters called Sfinci, served with a citrus syrup,  Panzerotti di ricotta (sweet ricotta pastries), an assortment of ices, granitas, a sweet coffee jelly and sweet biscuits like these  lovely  Convent Biscuits, or Biscotti Del Convento.  (Did you know I love Biscotti?  You do now!)



Altogether this is a beautifully presented hard covered book, with gorgeous pictures, a wealth of information about Sicily and delicious sounding recipes.

 

There are also two great bookmarks included which come in very handy for making note of what you want to make.  I hate picking a recipe to make and then having to search to find it because I have lost my place.  These bookmarks get rid of that problem.  If I had any criticism at all about the book it would be that some of the ingredients are not readily available here where I live at my local grocery stores, although I am sure I would be able to procure them at specialty shops, or with my knowledge of cookery and flavours . . . I could probably quite easily substitute them with something else.

If you are looking for a nice book, with some beautiful recipes, fabulous pictures and which is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate, you could not go far wrong in getting this book.  Many thanks to the people at Phaidon for sending it to me.



There's all you need to know in that picture there.   Available now.

 

A part of the order of meat which arrived last Thursday from  the Westin Gourmet people was a delicious looking Mini  Beef Roasting Joint.  Weighing in at just over a pound, it is calculated to serve two people generously, with leftovers.  

Westin Gourmet meat is sourced from the best suppliers.  Their beef is grass fed and butchered responsibly and traceable right from the cow in the field and on to your plate.  You cannot ask for much better than that.



I used the recipe which I normally use to roast my beef, cutting back the cooking time considerably as it was a much smaller roast.  In all it took 1 hour from putting it into the oven to resting time.

 

As you can see it was perfectly cooked just the way that we like it, medium rare in the centre.   Of course if you like your meat more well done than that you can cook it for longer, but it has been my experience that over cooking beef toughens it . . . cooked this way it is juicy and tender.

It made for a delicious Sunday Roast dinner and yielded plenty of meat for the two of us and some very generous leftovers.



*Perfect Roast Beef*
Printable Recipe

This is more of a technique than it is a recipe. There is a lot more to cooking a roast than just banging into an oven. Whilst it is also very simple to cook, there is a proper way to do it and helps and tips that can produce the perfect roast every time. (if you follow them!) First of all, allow approximately 350g or 12 ounces of meat per portion.

8 to 10 pound wing, rib or strip loin roast of beef
2 TBS prepared English Mustard
1 TBS maple syrup
4 TBS water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 TBS of beef dripping

I think it's best to cook meat always from room temperature so plan ahead and take your meat out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan on cooking it. Pre-heat your oven to 250*C/480*F.

Mix together the water, mustard and maple syrup. Massage this mixture into the meat on all sides. This concoction will help to flavour and colour your meat. (Trust me here.) After you have massaged most of it in, or as much as you can, season your meat liberally all over with the salt and pepper. The fat will largely wash off a large portion of it so more is better. Always season just prior to cooking it as well, to prevent the salt from drawing out the blood and juices.

Heat a heavy based roasting tray over high heat with the dripping inside. (If you have no dripping a knob of butter will do.) Once the fat is hot, lower the beef into it to commence the browning process, lightly browning it on all sides.

Lower the oven temperature to 220*C/425*F. Roast the beef in it for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan juices. Lower the temperature to 180*C/350*F. Return the beef to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes per pound of beef, plys an extra 15 minutes. The end result will be a perfectly cooked joint, pink in the middle without being overdone.

Once the meat is cooked allow a further 30 minutes resting time in a turned off oven or a warm place.

This resting time is very important. This helps the juices and the temperature of your meat to stabilize and relax, which helps to make the meat much more succulent and easier to carve. When you cut into hot meat alot of the delicious juices escape, and we really don't want that.

I often roast my meat on a bed of root vegetables . . . chunky carrots, parsnips, onions. This helps to raise the meat above the fat in the roasting tin and prevents it from frying instead of roasting, not to mention it gives a lovely flaour to the juices and the gravy!

To make a delicious gravy, add some liquid to the pan, once the meat has been removed and set aside to warm. (leave the vegetables in the pan) Your liquid can be some beef stock, or even a bit of red wine. It's your choice. Cook and stir, scraping up from the bottom to get all your brown bits etc. Strain this into a saucepan, removing all the solids. Skim any fat off of the top. I then shake some flour together with some water in a jar until it's smooth and I strain this back into the pan juices in the saucepan. I then cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Leave to cook over low heat for at least five minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in a gravy boat and pass with the meat

With the leftovers I was able to make a delicious cottage type of pie for our supper on Monday, and with all of the vegetables and topping, it was ample enough to feed four people, which makes it very thrifty.



*Monday Night Meat Pie*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious casserole cottage pie made from your Sunday leftovers.

For the mash topping:
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
a small quantity of warm milk
a knob of butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60g of grated strong cheddar (1/2 cup)
3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped

For the filling:
olive oil
1 1/2 cups of finely chopped leftover cooked roast beef
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot peeled and finely chopped
1 lump of swede, peeled and finely chopped
(alternately you can use leftover cooked carrot and swede, chopped)
a handful of frozen peas or leftover cooked peas
1 generous cup of leftover gravy
1 dessert spoon of tomato ketchup
1 dessert spoon of barbeque sauce
a splash of Worcestershire sauce
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme or summer savory
a splash of balsamic vinegar



Put the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water.  Bring to the boil and cook until fork tender.  Drain well and then shake the pot over the residual heat of the burner to dry them out.  Mash well along with some warm milk and a knob of butter.   Stir in the cheese and spring onions.  Season to taste.  Set aside.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the chopped onion, shallot and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently until they have softened.  Add the chopped beef, carrot, swede and peas.  Season to taste with some salt and pepper and the thyme or summer savory.  Add the tomato ketchup, barbeque sauce, gravy, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.  Bring to the boil, then reduce to a quick simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and you have a thick mixture.  Spread this mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish.  Dollop the cheese and spring onion mash over top of the hot meat mixture.

Bake in a preheated 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 oven until the filling is bubbling and the mash is golden brown.  Serve hot.

 

And I also got two hot roasted beef sandwiches for a hearty lunch . . . I simply heated leftover thinly sliced roast beef in some strong beef boullion and then layered it onto toasted buns which I had spread with horseradish sauce and topped it with some strong cheddar.  And I can tell you . . . it was twice as delicious as it looks!  Nom! Nom!

So far I have been more than pleased with the products I have received from Westin Gourmet.   Everything has been of fantastic quality and what makes me happiest is I know where it came from and I can trust what it is.

All of their steaks and cuts of beef come from specially selected grass and grain fed cattle who wear their happy badges with lots of pride.  You can't beat that.

Up next . . .



Veal Meatballs . . . now whatever do you think I will  do with them??  Hmmm . . . the wheels are turning . . . 

I confess that in the past I have been known to buy ready made burger patties at the shops.  I always bought the best most expensive ones, telling myself that they were sure to be better than the el cheapo ones.  In light of the recent debacle here in the UK with horsemeat having been mixed into minced beef products it makes me cringe just to think about it now . . .

Not that there is anything wrong with eating horsemeat if that is what you choose to do . . . but the important word here is "choose."  I don't choose to eat horsemeat and I think it is pretty disgusting that as consumers we have been subjected to the possibility of eating it without any choice and under the guise of it being "beef," when really it isn't . . . and all in the name of producing larger profits for these big grocery chains.   And as they would have you believe they were also duped . . . and I will give them the benefit of the doubt here, but really . . .  somebody was not doing their job properly because it is something which just SHOULD NOT happen!  It's hust plain wrong, no matter how you cut it.  I think a huge lesson has been learned by everyone involved . . .

I, for one, will never buy any meat from the supermarket again unless I can be 100% sure that it is what it is said to be.  One of our local Butcher's went out of business just prior to Christmas because he said he just couldn't compete with the grocery chains . . . methinks he should have stuck with it just a tad bit longer, because I think he'd be doing very well now.

 

Anyways, I was recently contacted by Westin Gourmet online butchers and asked if I would like to sample some of their products.  Of course I said yes.  I'm not stupid!  And from their site everything looked pretty good from here.

Westin Gourmet have gained awards from The Observer, Consumer Taste Awards and The Guardian. The company started life providing top quality meat for restaurants. Westin Gourmet now offer this wholesale selling to the general public through their website. By selling in trade quantities Westin say they are able to provide high quality meat at reasonable prices.

From their page:

"Each of our specialist cuts are chosen to give you the juiciest, most flavoursome meat available. Our gourmet meat is unrivalled and so are our prices. You can buy your gourmet meat from us at prices that are lower than the standard meat you get from your local supermarket...

We know from experience that grass fed animals which enjoy a happy life produce the juiciest, tastiest cuts. 

That is why we strive to source our meats from only the best suppliers in the industry - farmers who genuinely care about the welfare of their animals – to give you the diversity, the flavour and more importantly the quality you deserve."




A box arrived from them on my doorstep last Thursday afternoon.  Everything was packed properly and perfectly chilled when it arrived.  Another plus was the use by dates on each package, which were of a reasonable time length.  Too often things like this arrive and you feel like beating your head against the wall because all of the use by dates are within a few days and there is no way on earth you are going to be able eat all that meat in just a few days and really . . . you want to be able to cook it fresh from fresh . . . not frozen.  So this was a big plus with me.

My package contained quite a variety of things so look for my review of these products over the next week as I don't want to do it all at once.   That would be overkill.



Today I'm going to tell you about their burgers as that was the first thing we decided to try.    They were pretty decently sized burgers as you can tell.

 
 

It was very obvious from the packaging that  Westin Gourmet take their sourcing very responsably.   They can tell you via their labeling where the meat was slaughtered, which batch it came from, where it was minced, cut, etc.  I cannot recall seeing that kind of information on any supermarket packet.  I do know that when I go to the Butcher there is a sign on the wall saying which farm has supplied his meat for that week.

The burgers looked like a good mix of fat to lean.  A juicy burger should always have a fair quantity of fat in it in order for it to be moist and succulent.   Note . . . that doesn't mean gristle . . .   these burgers were a nice mix, and nicely sized and cooked up beautifully.



I decided to make a special mushroom and onion topping for them . . . which I layered on both the buns and the burgers themselves along with some fine strong British cheddar . . .



Some of this went on the bottom toasted bun half . . . and then was topped with my own special burger sauce and some shredded lettuce . . .

 

Before being topped with the burgers, which I had also topped with some of the mushroom and onion mixture and some  more cheddar . . . then grilled just so that the cheese melted down the burger . . .



in the most delicious way as  you can see . . . doesn't that look good???

But would they live up to what they looked like???

 

I have to say, no word of a lie . . . these were the tastiest burgers I have ever eaten.  There was no gristle at all . . . they were just moist and delicious . . . no fillers, nothing in there that shouldn't have been in there.  We both gave them 10 our of 10 for being the tastiest burgers we have ever had the pleasure to eat.  Now that's a tasty mouthful!



 *Special Sauced Mushroom Cheese Burgers*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe

The best burgers you could ever want to eat.  Lovely sauce.  Flavourful toppings.   Delicious altogether!

Special Sauce:
4 TBS no fat mayonnaise
2 TBS Heinz tomato ketchup with roasted garlic, thyme and honey
(alternately you can use 2 TBS regular ketchup and 1 tsp sweet chili sauce)

For the mushroom onion topping:
1 TBS butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 pound of white button mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped
125 ml white wine (1/2 cup)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

4 quality beef burgers
salt, pepper and garlic powder if desired
strong white cheddar cut into 8 (1/4-inch thick) slices large enough to cover a bun
and a burger
4 burger buns, split and toasted
shredded lettuce (optional)

First make the mushroom and onion topping.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the onions.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes or until they soften.  Tip in the mushrooms.  Cook for a few minutes, then add the white wine and Worcestershire sauce.  Bring to the boil, then cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, stirring often.  Remove from the heat and scrape into a bowl.  Set aside while you cook the burgers.

Wipe the pan out and spray lightly with a low fat cooking spray.  Add the beef burgers and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through, seasoning with some salt and pepper and garlic powder if desired.  Set aside and keep warm.  Heat the grill to high.

Place the toasted bun bottoms on a baking tray.  Divide the mushroom mixture in half and spread the bun bottoms with half of the mixture, dividing it equally amongst the four bottoms.   Top each with a slice of cheddar.   Take the remainder of the mushroom mixture and divide it equally over the top of each cooked burger,  mounding it in the middle.  Top them with a slice of cheese as well.  Slice the  baking tray and the pan with the burgers in it under the grill.  Grill until the cheese is bubbling and melted.

Remove each bun bottom to four heated plates.  Top each with some shredded lettuce if using, then a portion of the special sauce.  Place a cheese and mushroom topped burger on top of each and then place the toasted bun tops over all.  Serve immediately.

Westin Gourmet Steak Burgers are made from highest qualith, grass fed 100% British Beef and can be purchased in 4, 6 and 8 ounce sized burgers, in packs ranging from four in a pack for the  4 ounce ones to 10 in a pack for the others, and ranging in price from £2.27 per serving to £3.37 per serving.   That's not bad for an award winning burger.  You really do get what you pay for people, and I love knowing that what I am eating is what I think it is . . . you cannot put a price on honesty, integrity and full disclosure.   It is what it is, and I like that.

Their Ethos is that the whole Westin Team works super hard to ensure their produce is bred responsibly and tastes great.  You can't get much better than that.

Up next . . . a tasty roast beef.

 

I saw these chocolate chip cookies on my friend Laurie's page the other day.  Her blog is called I Love A Cloudy Day, and she's Canadian.   She's also a brilliant artist and she used to work as a chef, just like me.  I love her to bits!  She's a real sweetie pie.

 

The other day she had posted this recipe for Chatelaine Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Chatelaine is a very popular Women's magazine back home in Canada.   It's been around for yonks.  It's kind of like the Canadian Good Housekeeping magazine I suppose.   They are known for having great recipes too.   I have an old Chatelaine Complete Cookery Book that I received for subscribing probably 35 years ago now and it is a treasure.

 

So, anyways, I saw these cookies on Laurie's page and immediately I thought to myself, those would be just perfect for us!  With there only being two of us, it would make just the right amount and I wouldn't have to be tempted by dozens of cooking sitting in the cookie jar waiting to be eaten!

 

The recipe said that it made two cookies . . . but I added some of my favourite things like sultanas and toasted walnuts along with the chocolate chips, and so I got four cookies!  Perhaps they are smaller than the original ones, I don't know.

 

I only know they are quite, quite delicious and they are gone.  And that's a good thing because I would not have been able to stop myself from being a pig with them . . . coz . . . that's how I roll.





*Four Chocolate Chip Cookies*
makes four
Printable Recipe

Makes only four of the most deliciously moreish chocolate chip cookies.   This removes the temptation of over indulging.

1 TBS unsalted butter, softened
2 TBS packed soft light brown sugar
1 free range egg, beaten lightly
(You will only need 1 1/2 tsp of the beaten egg)
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 TBS plain flour
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 TBS semi sweet chocolate chips
1 TBS milk chocolate chips
1 TBS sultana raisins
1 TBS chopped toasted walnuts

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F/ gas mark 4.   Line a small baking sheet with baking paper.  Set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.   Measure in 1 1/2 tsp egg.  (This is the hardest part as it does not want to measure easily.  It can be done though if you persevere!)  Stir in the vanilla and egg to thoroughly combine.  Whisk together the soda and flour.  Stir this in completely.  Stir in the nuts, raisins and chocolate chips.   Spoon the batter into 4 equal sized mounds on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown around the edges.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

When I take the extra effort to make a pudding like this for afters . . . the Toddster is one very happy man.  There is nothing he loves more than stodge . . . and he especially loves steamed puddings . . . served up with lashings of custard of course!

 

This one today is  particular favourite of both of us.  We love jam.  We love coconut.  We love steamed puddings, so this is a triple win situation for us.  Don't be put off by it's name.  No real toenails have been used in the production of this pudding.



This is a dense sweet steamed pudding . . . crowned with sticky raspberry jam . . . and sprinkled with dessicated coconut.  The name comes from the dessicated coconut which, in a mischievous school boy's mind, is said to resemble cut toenails.

 

School boys are awfully good at giving nasty names to whatever is dished up for the school dinner, regardless to whether it tastes good or not . . . it's just what they do.   It's a boy thing . . .



A rose by any other name . . . no matter what it is called, one fact stands out.  It's delicious.   Of course you could leave off the dessicated coconut if it's not something which you like . . . but if you're not bothered, do use it, if only for the cringe factor and the pleasure your children will have in eating something called toenail pudding.



I suppose that is something like squashed fly biscuits (Garibaldi biscuits) . . . horrible name, tasty biscuit.  The name has never put me off of wanting to eat them . . . and the name of this pudding doesn't put me off either.  You can use whatever jam you want on it, but really . . . raspberry jam is the best.  My opinion of course.  You can make up your own mind.  In this house lashings of warm custard are a must.

  

*Toenail Pudding*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

How can you resist a pudding with such an interesting name.   In truth, a jam sponge pudding sprinkled with dessicated coconut.  You have to love old school  dinner humor.  A rose by any other name.

50g butter softened, plus more for buttering the pudding basin (3 1/2 TBS)
100g caster sugar (generous half cup)
pinch salt
4 TBS whole milk
2 large free range eggs
100g self raising flour (1 cup)
the juice of half a lemon
3 TBS raspberry jam
Dessicated coconut to finish
(as little or as much as you like)
Pouring cream, ice cream or warm custard to serve

 

Butter a medium sized pudding basin well.  Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.   Stir in the flour alternately with the milk to give you a smooth pourable thick batter.

Whisk the lemon juice into the jam to loosen it.   Spoon it into the bottom of the pudding basin.   Cover with the pudding batter.   Take a large piece of grease proof paper.  Fold a pleat in the middle.  Butter the paper.  Place on top of the pudding basin and secure with a thick rubber band.   Place the pudding basin in the top of a steamer and place over simmering water.  Cover tightly.  Steam for about 2 hours.  Check periodically to make sure the water doesn't boil dry, topping it up every so often with more boiling water.  The pudding will be ready when it is well risen and set on top. 

Carefully remove the pudding basin from the pan.  Uncover and allow it to rest for a few minutes.  Run a palette knife around the edge of the basin to loosen and carefully tip out onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with as much or as little dessicated coconut as you desire.  Serve, warm and cut into thick wedges with either pouring cream, ice cream or warm custard.

 

In today's economy I am always looking for ways to make my food budget stretch as far as I can so I can get as much bang out of my pound as possible.  It only makes sense, as Del Boy would say.   The further I can make my food pounds go the more money I have for other things.



If I can stretch my pounds and still turn out delicious meals that's even better.   This means being inventive with the ingredients I have and no waste, at all, which means using leftovers in an imaginative and tasty way.



Casseroles are a really great way of stretching ingredients and using up leftovers.   Casseroles such as this tasty hot pot which uses both leftover cooked potatoes, and cooked sausage meat or ham.  With the simple additions of some lightly sauteed onions, a tin of baked beans, some barbeque sauce and cheese, you end up with something which is mighty tasty indeed!



Of course with there only being two of us, we get two hearty and delicious meals out of this casserole and if anything it tastes even better for having sat overnight.  The flavour seems to broaden and it just gets tastier.  This is a casserole I have been making for years and it's always been popular with my family and now the Toddster.   I hope you'll give it a try.  I don't think you'll be sorry that you did.  It's sure to be a dish the whole family will love.

 

*Bean and Sausage Hot Pot*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A little tasty something I made up to help use up leftover cooked sausage or ham and potatoes.  Delicious.

2 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound of leftover spicy cooked sausage, smoked or otherwise and crumbled or sliced
(Can also use an equivalent amount of leftover cooked smoked ham, cubed)
1 tin of baked beans, undrained (2 cups)
100g soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)
3 heaped dessert spoons of barbeque sauce (1/4 cup)
120g of grated strong cheddar (1 cup)

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.  

Heat half of the oil in a medium skillet.  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook and stir until the onions begin to wilt.  Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper.   Toss in the potatoes and mix well together.  Remove from heat.

Use the remaining oil to butter an 8 inch square baking dish.   Spread the potato mixture over top.   Sprinkle with the cooked sausage or ham.   Stir together the beans, brown sugar and barbeque sauce.  Pour this mixture evenly over top of the sausage.  Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil.   Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Uncover.  Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer.  Serve hot.