Recipe Connection: Sausage Casserole with red wine & Puy Lentils
Sausage Casserole with Red Wine & Puy Lentils
Serves 4 (Heart Healthy)
Prep and cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Freezing: Recommended
Using a quality low fat or veg sausage and the soluble fibre from the lentils makes this a much healthier option to the traditional sausage casserole. Serve with mashed potatoes and lightly steamed Savoy cabbage. I substituted yellow split peas in for lentils but it needed to simmer for AGES as a result. I recommend cooking them on the side and them bunk them in when you put in the sausages back in.
1 tablespoon olive oil
454 g pack of good quality, low-fat sausages
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 x 400 g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
200 ml (7 fl oz.) red wine
100 g (3 1/2 oz.) puy lentils
1
Heat the oil in a large flame proof casserole dish and cook the sausages for 5-8 minutes until nicely browned all over. Remove and set aside.
2
Add onion and garlic to the pan and cool gently until onion is softened. Stir in the allspice and the nutmeg and mix well.
3
Pour in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes to thicken slightly then add the rosemary, bay leaves red wine and lentils. Stir in 200 ml cold water. Return the sausages to the pan and bring back to a boil.
4
Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 35-40 minutes until the lentils are tender. If you substitute the split peas in, cook them separately and put them in when you return the sausages. If you don't they will require a longer cooking time, the rosemary sprigs will disintegrate and you'll have long rosemary tendrils to pick out of your food as you eat. Stir several times during the cooking to prevent the lentils sticking to the base of the pan, and add a little more water if the sauce is becoming too thick. Remove rosemary sprigs and the bay leaves before serving.
Serves 4 (Heart Healthy)
Prep and cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Freezing: Recommended
Using a quality low fat or veg sausage and the soluble fibre from the lentils makes this a much healthier option to the traditional sausage casserole. Serve with mashed potatoes and lightly steamed Savoy cabbage. I substituted yellow split peas in for lentils but it needed to simmer for AGES as a result. I recommend cooking them on the side and them bunk them in when you put in the sausages back in.
1 tablespoon olive oil
454 g pack of good quality, low-fat sausages
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 x 400 g cans of chopped tomatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
200 ml (7 fl oz.) red wine
100 g (3 1/2 oz.) puy lentils
1
Heat the oil in a large flame proof casserole dish and cook the sausages for 5-8 minutes until nicely browned all over. Remove and set aside.
2
Add onion and garlic to the pan and cool gently until onion is softened. Stir in the allspice and the nutmeg and mix well.
3
Pour in the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes to thicken slightly then add the rosemary, bay leaves red wine and lentils. Stir in 200 ml cold water. Return the sausages to the pan and bring back to a boil.
4
Cover the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 35-40 minutes until the lentils are tender. If you substitute the split peas in, cook them separately and put them in when you return the sausages. If you don't they will require a longer cooking time, the rosemary sprigs will disintegrate and you'll have long rosemary tendrils to pick out of your food as you eat. Stir several times during the cooking to prevent the lentils sticking to the base of the pan, and add a little more water if the sauce is becoming too thick. Remove rosemary sprigs and the bay leaves before serving.