Sausage Rolls - Perfect for winter evenings

I love winter afternoons. They are perfect to do some baking..perfect to dole out some goodies from my kitchen...perfect to show my loved ones that I love them! The aroma of baking fresh bread at home just adds to the pleasure. So today I made this very easy Sausage Rolls just perfect to go with your evening cuppa.

Ingredients:

Flour / Maida - 1 1/2 cup + a little more to adjust the dough

Instant yeast - 1 pack - approx. 7 gms

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Milk - half cup

Olive oil - 2 tsp

For the filling:

Chicken sausages - 12 nos

Readymade pasta sauce - few tbsps.

Grated parmesan cheese - approx. 2 tbsp.

Method:

Making the dough.

In a bowl add the flour ,instant yeast , salt and sugar. Add the milk gently and bind into a dough. Add the olive oil and knead the dough on a floured surface for atleast 10-12 mins till its soft, smooth and springy.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and keep in a warm place. I usually place it inside the microwave.

Let the dough rise for an hour. It will become double the size. take it out on a floured surface and knock down the dough gently.

Now make 12 small sized balls from the dough. Roll out each into small rounds - like puris but not very thin.

Apply some pasta sauce, place a cocktail sausage and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese. Fold the two sides into the centre in the shape of a roll.
Follow the same process to make all the rolls.

Place each of the rolls in an oiled baking tray. You could also line the tray with some foil paper. Cover with a cling and let them rise again for 20 mins. Brush the rolls with some lightly beaten eggs.

Bake in a preheated oven for 20 mins at 180 degree centigrade.

Serve hot staright out of the oven . It even stores well for upto 2 days.

I had made a few dozens of these sausage rolls for KFB's maiden Bake sale and they were my bestsellers! Extremely easy to make and lovely to eat..what more does one want from life.

 

 

 

 

Happiness on a plate - Grilled Aubergine on Garlic Toast with a Tomato Salsa

Brinjal/Aubergine is a very versatile vegetable..well I could be biased when I say that because I simply love it. Begun Bhaja and Baingan Bharta are my absolute favourite.But sadly the boys in my house are not fond of the vegetable at all.I am however always on the lookout for new and innovative way to try out the brinjal.On my last trip to Delhi , one of my fave aunts took me to a quaint little cafe somewhere in GK( sorry I don't remember the name ) for some coffee but the hungry (or greedy maybe) wanted to eat something. A dish on the menu appealed to me instantly - an open sub sandwich with grilled aubergines.The dish was innovative but it lacked flavour and was not seasoned right. I had thought of recreating the dish but forgot about it for a long time and remembered it again now.So today I made it at home my way - Grilled Aubergine on Garlic Toast with a Tomato Salsa. If brinjal appeals to you , you are surely gonna love this dish.

 Ingredients:

Brinjal/ Aubergine - 1 medium round - cut into thin round slices

Tomato - 1 large - finely chopped

Yellow/red bell pepper - 1 small - finely chopped

Garlic - 3-4 pods- crushed

Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped

Tomato puree - 2 tbsp - I used Dabur Homemade

Basil leaves - 4-5 - finely chopped + few for garnish

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Feta cheese - 2 tbsp - crumbled

Oregano - 1 tsp

Chilli flakes - 1 tsp or more if you like it that way

Black pepper - 1 tsp  - crushed

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 pinch

Garlic bread - few slices

Method:

For the salsa:

In a pan heat the olive oil , add the crushed garlic and the chopped onions. Saute till translucent.Tip in the chopped tomatoes and the bell pepper. Add the tomato puree , oregano and the red chilli flakes. Cook till the mix gets mushy , remove from heat and keep aside. Let there be a crunch in the salsa.

  Now getting on with grilling the  aubergines and the toast. Just season the sliced aubergines with salt and pepper and grill them on a very hot pan. Also slightly toast the garlic bread slices along with it. This takes about 2 mins on each side.

 Take the grilled aubergines off the pan and assemble on top of the garlic toast. Put a spoonful of salsa on the top and garnish with a generous crumble of the feta cheese.

Serve hot with a side of some extra salsa.