Sausage and Bean Casserole

I had 4 sausages left from earlier in the week, which were used for tonight's casserole. I thought that this turned out really well and was really filling. It's something that will definitely be made again.

The tomato base with the taste of the herbs coming through was nice. The beans, carrots and potatoes helped to bulk it out and gave some different flavours and textures. You then had the bacon helping to add some extra flavour to the dish. I thought the dish was pretty inexpensive too, it would be less so if you don't need to use gluten free sausages. If you want to bulk it out some more, you can add whatever vegetables you have left over.

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:

• 4 gluten free sausages ( I used Asda Butchers selection GF sausages)
• 100 g cooking bacon, chopped
• 2 medium sized potatoes (Mine weight approx 300 g), chopped into cubes
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 can of mixed beans in tomato sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes
• 300 ml of vegetable stock ( I used Knorr)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of mixed herbs
• 30 g of chopped dried pork sausage in herbs (this is just something that we had in)
• A dash of Henderson's relish
• Salt and Pepper
• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Brown the sausages in a frying pan with a little oil, for approximately 10 minutes or until all the sides are browned. Take out of the pan and leave to one side.
2. Fry the bacon until it has crisped up, take out and leave to 1 side with the sausages.
3. Put of a casserole dish on a medium heat, add a little oil and fry the onions until they start to soften a little.
4. Add the carrots and potatoes to the pan, then add the tomato purée and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and stir round. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and put the lid on the pan. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, then take the lid off. Cook until the liquid has reduced down and all of the vegetables are cooked through.

Chickpea and Spinach Madras

We both really like curry and spice in our house, the other half more so than me! I think it's also a great way to eat less meat, as you can make them taste good even without it due to the strong flavours. This was also still really filling with using the chickpeas and plenty of iron with the spinach.

The good thing about this is that you can use as much curry paste as you like in this recipe, in case you don't like as much spice.

Ingredients:

• 2 x 400 g cans of chickpeas
• 1/4 jar Pataks madras curry paste
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tin of water
• 1 mug of rice
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 handfuls of frozen spinach

Method:

1. Heat up a large pan, add the olive oil and fry the onions on a medium heat until they start to soften.
2. Add the curry paste and fry for a few minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for another minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and the water, bring to the boil, turn down the heat and put the lid on. Cook through for 30 minutes. Add the spinach and cook through for another 5 minutes.
4. 15 minutes before the, boil a kettle and put a mug of rice and 2 mugs of boiling water in a pan, start to boil the water and then turn the heat down. Put the lid on and cook until the water has evaporated.

Note: You can get away with cooking the chickpeas for 15 minutes, before adding the spinach but I like to cook out the curry a little more.

Sausage and Kidney Bean Burgers with Spicy Tomato Rice

I got the inspiration for these burgers from this website and decided that I quite fancied making my own version of these.  

I was actually pretty pleased with how these burgers turned out, I think they had a nice taste to them. They went well in a pitta bread with the spicy tomato rice on the side. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Sausage & Kidney Bean Burger

• 4 gluten free sausages ( I used the Butcher's selection sausages from Asda)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can of kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 teaspoon of gluten free plain flour and a little extra
• Olive oil

Spicy Tomato Rice

• 1 mug of basmati rice
• 1/2 tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of hot chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of garlic granules
• Salt and Pepper

4 Pitta Bread to Serve

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion on a medium heat, until they start to soften. Add the paprika, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper and stir through.
2. Whilst the onions are cooking through, boil a kettle and cook the kidney beans through for about 10 minutes. Drain and then tip into a bowl and mash them with a fork or a potato masher. 
3. Skin the sausages and add the meat to the bowl with the mashed beans. Tip in the cooked onion mixture, the flour and stir through with a fork.
4. Use a little extra flour and divide the mixture into 8 small patties.
5. Tip the rice into a pan with 2 mugs of water, add a little salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and put the lid on. Leave to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
6. While you are cooking the rice, you can start cooking the sausage patties on a medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes on each side or until they are fully cooked through.
7. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, paprika, garlic granules and salt and pepper. Cook through for another few minutes. You can add more or less chilli powder, depending on how hot you want the rice.
8. Toast the pitta bread, add the burgers and serve alongside the tomato rice.

I would definitely have these again and they made for a substantial evening meal. It was also pretty low cost, so another good reason to make these again!

Menu 09/06/13 - 15/06/13

So the last week has been a bit hectic, first to France for a holiday and then to Glasgow for a hen weekend. Both of which were fantastic, but now I'm a little tired. Luckily I have another week off to recover and get some rest before returning back to work and to catch up with some friends.

On Sunday this week I didn't plan anything as I was travelling, we did end up having fajitas though (using Warburton's Newburn wraps). Next weekend were heading to Whitby on the Saturday for the night, so I will not be planning a meal then either. 

Meal Plan 09/06/13 - 15/06/13

Chickpea and Spinach Madras *

Sausage and Kidney Bean Burgers with Spicy Tomato Rice and Mixed Vegetables

Lamb Kofta's with Rice and Beans (with cardamom pods)

Sausage, Bacon, Mixed Beans and Potato Casserole

Shepherds Pie with Vegetables

Shopping List

Olivio oil (1l) £2.00

Kidney Beans x 2 £0.54

Madras Paste £1.50 - updated 11/06 *

Chick Peas x 2 £1.24

Smart Price Tomatoes £0.62

Mixed Beans in Tomato Sauce £0.62

Hendersons Relish £1.57

Smart Price Frozen Mixed Veg £0.75

Raita £1.20

Bovril Stock Cubes £0.92

Frozen Spinach £1.00

Bananas (1.325 kg) £0.90

White Potatoes (2.5 kg) £2.00

Pink Lady Apples (0.72 kg) £2.27

Satsumas £1.25

Green Cabbage £0.80

Carrots (4 - 0.29 kg) £0.23

Round Lettuce £0.57

Onions £1.00

Cooked Meats 2 for £3 £3.00

Lamb Mince 600 g £4.20

Gluten Free Sausages £2.00

Cooking Bacon £0.81

Garlic £0.30

Pitta Bread x 2 £1.00

Gluten Free Warburton Bread £2.00

Free From Pitta £2.00

Reduced Price Cherry Tomatoes £0.66

Smart Price Eggs - 15 £1.34

Total  £38.29

* Edited 11/06 - Madras was bought and used instead of Balti Paste

These were all bought from Asda on 10/06/13

Breakfast: Cereal, Bacon, Eggs

Lunches: Sandwiches, Leftovers, Omelette 

Store Cupboard and Freezer leftovers: Basmati Rice, Peas, Cereal

Snacks: Apples, Bananas, Satsumas