Australian Sausage Rolls

Boy are you in for a treat! These sausage rolls taste even better than they look.  The recipe was given to me by James, who was an Australian chef I worked with at the Hyatt Regency Princeton.

Once a month, all of the managers would get together for a meeting to go over the upcoming business at the hotel and the kitchen would prepare some fun foods for us to snack on.    If you want to make sure everyone will come to a meeting, serve them food.  Brilliant, right? You know how 18 year-olds gain the Freshman 15?  Well the joke with us was that you would gain the Hyatt 15 because there was always amazing food everywhere.

So one day, I showed up to the meeting and saw these sausage rolls on the spread for the day.  Heaven in your mouth... no joke.  I pestered James for a few days until he forked over this recipe. And I'm so glad he did because now I get to share it with all of you!

I made these for brunch at my mother's house and they proved to be the perfect finger food because each piece was gone by the afternoon.

G'Day mates!  

Mix the sausage, onions, garlic, basil, chives and spices together

Prepare your counter to roll out the puffed pastry

Roll it out into a 12x15 rectangle.  The secret to the dough not sticking is to keep lightly flouring and moving/flipping the dough around.

Slice across the middle to make two rectangles

Brush each edge with a beaten egg

Form a long log of sausage along the length of the dough

Roll it up and press the edge to seal. Brush the entire roll with the egg wash and over the top, sprinkle with paprika, white and black sesame seeds.

Australian Sausage Rolls

1 pound pork sausage

3/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon snipped chives

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked paprika)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup flour, reserved for rolling out pastry

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, mix together the sausage, onion, basil, chives, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. 

Lightly dust clean surface with flour. Roll out the sheet of pastry until you form a 12x15 inch rectangle. Slice it across the middle so you have two 6x15 inch rectangles. Brush each longer edge with the egg wash.  

Using your hands, divide the sausage mixture in half. On each sheet, form a long log of sausage along the edge of the dough. Roll it up and press the edge to seal. No need to seal the ends because you want the grease to cook out.  

Place each roll on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or a Silpat.  Brush the entire roll with the egg wash and then sprinkle the tops with paprika, white and black sesame seeds.  

Place in oven and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  When the 20 minutes is up, remove from oven and tip pan to drain grease.  Increase heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes.  Slice into 2 inch pieces and serve.  

  

Sunday Brunch

Howdy!  I have some big news... I finally took the plunge and got a DSLR camera!  My trusted Cannon Powershot has done me well so far but from here on out, I will be using a Cannon T3i with a 50mm f/1.4 lens.  To say I'm excited would be quite the understatement.  

I've been reading up on how to use one of these bad boys for a while and an happy to report back that I have been shooting on manual all weekend.  No automatic for this girl! There is still so much to learn but, I feel like I'm catching on the more I practice.  

And what better way to practice then Sunday Brunch and my mother's house.  We normally go over there most Sundays for dinner but this weekend, we decided to have our meal a bit earlier.  Boy did we have a massive spread. As you can see by the pictures, my family loves to cook... and eat!  There were no empty bellies by the time we left.  Later this week, I will be sharing the recipes for my Crispy Smashed Potatoes and Australian Sausage Rolls that I made for the brunch.   

There was a time when we all didn't live nearby each other so we seem to be making up for lost time.  Our youngest brother, CJ, lives out in LA so we miss him dearly during these weekly gatherings.  But that's what Skype is for.  I hope you all enjoy this glimpse into a more personal side of me and those who are nearest and dearest.   

These are my nephews.  How cute are they?  Never a dull moment with these two and I wish I had even 1/4 of the energy they do!

My sister Kristina and her husband Nick... they make cute kids :)

This is my beautiful mother.

And my brother Kevan and his wife Lauren.

Finally, one of my favorite people in the world, my Grandmother.  She lives with my mom now and I am so lucky to get to see here all the time.  She is quick, witty, caring and has the best laugh in the world!   

Kevan made monkey bread!  This was Matt's first time eating it and he was smitten.

There's nothing better than family.

Apple Cinnamon Oats

Welcome to March!  So sorry for my extended absence but I have been so busy lately.  Last week, I was in New Orleans for a training and I loved every minute.  I went there last year for work as well and upon my return, the city was filled with the same energy and charisma that I remember. Although I didn't have as much time to explore, we were there on the heels of the NBA All-Star game and the soft beginning of Mardi Gras so the city was just buzzing!  

On the recommendation of my friend Jaeda, we made it to Luke one night for dinner and it was AH-mazing.  Chef John Besh opened this French-German inspired restaurant in 2007 and everything we ate was delightful.  We all split the Flamenkuche, which was a thin crust tart with caramelized onions, Emmenthaler cheese and cubes of delicious bacon.  It was heavenly.  Follow that with a cup of the crab bisque and for dinner, I ordered the Jageschnitzel. If you find yourself in NOLA, this place is a must!

I found out a few weeks ago that my hotel was one of the top performers in our company last year so Matt and I will be going on an all-expense-paid 7 day cruise out of San Juan through the Caribbean in May!  Knowing that I will have to be in a bathing suit in front of my peers in less than 2 months has whipped my butt into gear so we have been eating very clean for the past few weeks. 

With that being said, these oats have been on heavy rotation in our house lately. They are filled with whole ingredients and good fiber.  And they keep you full for a long time which is so important when you are trying to eat healthy!  

Well we are off to experience Kurentovanje, a Slovenian carnival/street parade today.  I've never been but we are excited to spend some time with our friends Nikki, Ryan and Allison!  

Au revoir! 

Apple Cinnamon Oats
1 apple, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 cup oats
1 3/4 cups almond milk
1/4 teaspoon stevia
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons flax seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon raw honey (or maple syrup)
for garnish:  apples, almonds and unsweetened shredded coconut

Cut the cheeks off the apples and then into thin slices.  Stack those slices and chop into small cubes.  In a small saucepan, heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add apples and saute for 2 minutes, just until soft.

Add oats and almond milk and stir to combine.  Next, add stevia, salt, flax seed, cinnamon and honey.  Continue to cook over medium heat until oats thicken.  Remove from heat and serve with a garnish of apples, almonds and coconut.