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Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon

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If you love stuffing but you do not want to make a large quantity, these sausagemeat and chestnut stuffing rolls are the solutions. 

Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon

The crunchy bacon covers a soft sausage stuffing sweeten by the chestnuts contrasted by the tangy cranberries.  

Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas to serve with the turkey or the roast.

You can also serve it with a mushroom risotto or a polenta with porcini or a gratin dauphinoise and some roasted vegetables.

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I usually make a large quantity and freeze them in a pack of 4.

I defrost only what I need, the rest will come in handy another day.

christmas stuffings in rolls

As a matter of interest, I always cut my meat over a dedicated fish board as it is more hygienic.

I use a Index Chopping Board Set you can find on Amazon (affiliate link)

Here, more of my favourite kitchen tools

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon
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5 from 5 votes

Sausagemeat and Chestnut Stuffing Wrapped in Bacon

If you love stuffing but you do not want to make a large quantity, this is an easy way to prepare it. I usually make a large quantity and freeze them in a pack of 4. I defrost only what I need, the rest will come in handy another day.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time12 hrs 55 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 474kcal

Ingredients

  • 350 gr freshly minced lean beef
  • 350 gr minced pork
  • 1 carrot diced
  • 1 celery stalk diced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 100 gr bread
  • 1 cup milk
  • 100 gr cooked and peeled chestnuts
  • 70 gr cranberries
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup cognac
  • 2 tsp salt
  • pepper
  • 600 gr sliced bacon (about 21 slices to use for wrapping)

Instructions

  • Steep the bread into milk for 30 minutes until the milk is absorbed.
  • Mix the ingredients for the filling with the bread
  • Wrap a ball of filling in each bacon strip
    christmas stuffings in rolls
  • Either wrap in parcels to freeze, or let them rest overnight so the flavours have time to amalgamate. B
  • Lay the rolls over a baking tin 
    Stuffed Rolls Wrapped in Bacon
  • bake at 180 C for 30 minutes.
    Stuffed Rolls Wrapped in Bacon bake for 30mn
  • Serve with your roast or a risotto

Notes

Calories 474 calories per serving
Fat 20 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 19 gr per serving
Cholesterol 72 mg
Proteins 26 gr per serving
Sugar 6 gr per serving
Sodium 844 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
 
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Stuffed Rolls with Chestnuts and Cranberry Wrapped in Bacon

Traditional Cassoulet Recipe

by 3 Comments

The Cassoulet is a complete meal rich in proteins, carbs, fibres and vegetables and for the price you pay for the meat, a very successful homemade feast which will serve/feed a crowd, so here is the Cassoulet recipe

fig 21 CassouletSo here is the recipe:

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Cooking a Traditional Cassoulet is a long process, and with so many versions it has not been easy. and you can read more in the article How to cook a traditional French Cassoulet

I tried to simplify it and asked my English friend and photographer Paul Oatway, a “Local” from Cannes, to illustrate each step.

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For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Traditional French Cassoulet recipe
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5 from 3 votes

Traditional Cassoulet Recipe

The Cassoulet is a complete meal rich in proteins, carbs, fibres and vegetables and for the price you pay for the meat, a very successful homemade feast which will serve/feed a crowd.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs 3 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 340kcal

Ingredients

Meat

  • 600 gr pork shoulder roast on the bone in French: palette de porc
  • 600 gr pork belly in French: poitrine de porc
  • 4 Toulouse sausages equivalent of 600 gr
  • 1 tin preserved duck legs in French: confit de canard
  • 2 cuts lamb shoulder with bone (my personal inspiration)

Vegetables and Herbs

  • 750 gr Haricot Tarbais (any other type of white bean is not “traditional”)
  • 2 onions
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 garlic head
  • 1 bunch of parsley
  • 200 gr bread crumbs
  • 1 leek
  • 1 small tin concentrated tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch of thyme
  • duck fat or olive oil
  • salt and pepper grains

Instructions

The day before

  • To cook a Cassoulet you need to plan a day ahead of time, as the beans need to soak in water overnight.
    Cassoulet Toulousain beans Haricot Tarbais

The meat

  • First, all meats should be cooked separately. Start by searing the pork shoulder with olive oil, salt and pepper and cook it in a hot oven (200 C) for 30 minutes (you will use this pan to make gravy). At the same time, but in a separate pan, cook the Toulouse sausages.
    Traditional French Cassoulet pork shoulder
  • Open the tin of confit de canard and pour it with its fat into a frying pan.
    Traditional French Cassoulet confit de canard duck legs
  • Fry it at medium heat for 15 minutes, turning it half way during its cooking time.
    Traditional French Cassoulet duck confit de canard
  • Once the duck is ready, place it over layers of kitchen paper to dry out the fat. As it cools down to room temperature, separate the meat discharging skin and bones.

Vegetable and beans

  • Chop all the vegetables and prepared 2 bouquet garni, using a leek leaf wrapped around a laurel leaf and some thyme.
  • In one pot sear the two pieces of lamb and stir fry some of the vegetables with olive oil. Then add 2 lt of water, 1 bouquet grani, 1 tbsp of salt and 4 pepper grains to make a stock. Let it boil for 1 hour.
    lamb stock
  • In a casserole sear the pork belly, stir fry the rest of the vegetables and deglaze with the tomato paste. Cover with water and add 4 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp of salt, 4 pepper grains and the second bouquet grani. Cook it for 45 minutes.

Assembly

  • Most of the ingredients are now ready, the beans should be half cooked and any extra water should be discharged.
  • Cut all the pre-cooked meat into chunks.
    Traditional French Cassoulet cooked meat
  • Grate the bread crumbs with 3 garlic cloves and plenty of parsley.
  • Deglaze the roasting pan where you cooked the pork with some water to make the gravy.
    Traditional French Cassoulet gravy
  • Removed the bouquet grani from the lamb stock and add the vegetables to the beans.
    lamb stock
  • Heat the oven at 180 C.
  • Rub the casserole base with a clove of garlic, and laid the first level of beans.
  • Alternated the meat with the beans finishing with beans on the top. Pour the gravy and lamb stock into the pot until the liquid reaches the top level, but do not cover it completely.
  • Completed the topping with the flavoured breadcrumbs and sprinkled with olive oil.
  • The Cassoulet needs to cook in the oven for 3 hours, but every hour it requires some attention. After the first hour of cooking, take it out of the oven and push the breaded crust with a wooden spoon down into the beans. Take this opportunity to check if the beans are too dry, and if they are, add some of the stock. Do the same after 2 hours ....
  • ....and after the 3rd hour the Traditional Cassoulet is finally ready to enjoy.

Notes

Calories 570 calories per serving
Fat 21 gr per serving
Carbohydrates 27 gr per serving
Proteins 41 gr per serving
Sugar 4 gr per serving
Sodium 1706 mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.
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Traditional French Cassoulet made with beans pork, duck and saussages #yourguardianchef #frenchfood #onepot
 

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Easy Bolognese Pasta

by 10 Comments

To make an easy "whatever" Bolognese pasta I make my sauce in the pressure cooker for speed and deeper flavour.

Tagliatelle alla bolognese 3_1_1

A proper Bolognese sauce should cook for hours, while it only takes 30 minutes with a pressure pan.

For more information on pressure cooker you can see my post: Pressure Cooker.

If you don t have a pressure cooker, you can use an instant pan or cook it for 2 hours.

Make a large batch and freeze it.

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The ingredients you need are:

500 gr of "Whatever" pasta, my favourite fresh homemade tagliatelle

For the Bolognese sauce:

30 ml of olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 large carrot diced
1 stalk of celery diced
1 cube of beef stock
500 gr of lean minced beef
500 gr of regular tomato sauce
Pepper

 ½ cup of Marsala wine, optional but highly recommended 

Carrot Onion Celery Called Mirepoix

Stir fry the onion, carrot and celery

Stir fry the onion, carrot and celery to make a soffritto and once cooked add the meat.

 

Stir the meat until it is all brown, then add a 1/2 cup of Marsala and let it evaporate.

Stir the meat until it is all brown

Ragu 2_6_1

Marsala is an old sweet wine often used in Italian cooking.

Even if you are cooking for children it is not dangerous as the alcohol evaporates completely.

It leaves a sweet taste to contrast the acidity of the tomatoes sauce.

It is an optional ingredient, but I highly recommend it

Add the tomato sauce and the beef stock, stir and close the pressure pan.

Once the pressure is built, the sauce has to cook only 30 minutes, and in this meantime you can boil the pasta so they are ready at the same time.

Once the pasta and the Bolognese sauce are ready, combine them and serve.

30 minutes to cook the sauce and 5 to prepare this delicious "Whatever" Bolognese pasta

Total 35 minutes!

Bolognese sauce


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To make this recipe I use my WMF Perfect Pressure Cooker.

Being trapped in allows the flavour of each ingredient really incorporates into the water steam.

And, it only takes 30 minutes!

Otherwise, it should simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

To find out more about the pressure cooker I use and all the recipes I make with it, you can read my review here

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

Healthy dinners for kids Tagliatelle alla bolognese
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5 from 5 votes

Easy Bolognese Pasta

To make an easy "whatever" Bolognese pasta I make my sauce in the pressure cooker for speed and deeper flavour. Before adding the stock deglaze with Marsala
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 408kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 gr Fresh Tagliatelle
  • 30 ml Olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 large carrot diced
  • 1 stalk of celery diced
  • 1 cube of beef stock
  • 500 gr lean minced beef
  • 500 gr regular tomato sauce
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine optional

Instructions

  • Stir fry the diced onion, carrot and celery to make a soffritto and once cooked add the meat.
    Stir fry the onion, carrot and celery
  • Stir the meat until it is all brown, then add a glass of Marsala and let it evaporate.
    Stir the meat until it is all brown
  • Add the tomato sauce and the beef stock, stir and close the pressure pan.
  • Once the pressure is built, the sauce has to cook only 30 minutes, and in this meantime you can boil the tagliatelle so they are ready at the same time.
    Bolognese sauce
  • Once the tagliatelle and the Bolognese sauce are ready, combine them and serve.

Notes

Calories 408 calories per serving Fat 7 gr per serving Carbohydrates 64 gr per serving Cholesterol 0 mg Proteins 24 gr per serving Sugar 1 gr per serving Sodium 50 mg per serving Storage Recommendations Sauce only suitable for the freezer. Keep for 3 days max

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel

by 5 Comments

This traditional lasagna bolognese sauce and bechamel is easy to make as I use different shortcuts.

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel

I made the Bolognese sauce with a pressure cooker or made a large batch and freeze it. 

You can find ready-made Béchamel sauce in all supermarkets in Italy and France, and the lasagne pasta sheets from De Cecco or Barilla or fresh from Rana.

They don’t need to be pre-cooked.

They can be cooked directly in the oven in only 20 minutes.

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You can find here the Bolognese Sauce and the Homemade Béchamel: white roux sauce recipes.

The ingredients you need are:

500 gr Lasagna pasta sheets - I normally use De Cecco
700 gr of homemade Bolognese sauce
100 gr of parmesan cheese grated
33 cl of fresh Béchamel sauce
30 ml of olive oil
400 gr of Mozzarella
Fresh basil if you like

I begin by oiling a baking tray and spread the first layer of lasagne sheets.

Carrot Onion Celery Called Mirepoix

Bolognese sauce

Add the Béchamel sauce and the parmesan cheese to the Bolognese sauce.

Cut the mozzarella into thin slices.

To make the Bolognese sauce I use the pressure cooker and you can find my product review here

Pour the sauce and lay the mozzarella over the sheets and start making the lasagne layers.

Continue until the last sheets are used.

making the lasagne layers

Cook the lasagna for 20 minutes

In the last layer just add the mozzarella and sprinkle with olive oil.

Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes at 180 C and presto, the lasagna is ready!

I usually make the lasagna when I know I will be home late.

I always prepare it beforehand:

  1. I either leave it in the fridge and cook it when I return home, or;
  2. I cook it for 15 minutes only, and cook the remaining 5 minutes when we are all ready to eat.

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel

For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel
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5 from 2 votes

Traditional Lasagna Bolognese Sauce and Bechamel

I usually make the lasagna when I know I will be home late. I always prepare it beforehand: 1. I either leave it in the fridge and cook it when I return home, or; 2. I cook it for 15 minutes only, and cook the remaining 5 minutes when we are all ready to eat.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: dinner, easy, one pot
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 604kcal

Ingredients

  • 700 gr bolognese sauce see recipes for Bolognese
  • 500 gr lasagna sheets De Cecco
  • 100 gr parmesan cheese grated
  • 33 dl fresh Bechamel Sauce
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 400 gr mozzarella cucina
  • 20 gr fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Oil a baking tray and spread the first layer of lasagna sheets.
  • Add the Béchamel sauce, the basil leaves and the parmesan cheese to the Bolognese sauce. Cut the mozzarella into thin slices.
    Bolognese sauce
  • Pour the sauce and lay the mozzarella over the sheets and start making the lasagna layers. Continue until the last sheets are used.
    making the lasagne layers
  • In the last layer just add the mozzarella and sprinkle with olive oil.
  • Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes at 180 C and presto, the lasagna is ready!

Notes

Calories 604 calories per serving Fat 30 gr per serving Carbohydrates 52 gr per serving Cholesterol 11 mg Proteins 35 gr per serving Sugar 7 gr per serving Sodium 979 mg per serving
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Easy lasagna recipe for busy days #yourguardianchef #italianfood #dinner #pasta

#Traditional #authentic #Lasagna #Bolognese #Sauce and #Bechamel

The Perfect Hamburger

by 1 Comment

The perfect hamburger for an outdoor dinner.

Hamburger with homemade buns 2_3_1

Having a pool, we enjoy going for a swim just before dinner at the end of a hot summers day. The water is nice and warm, the sun is not intense and it is refreshing to cool down playing with the children and doing some exercise before retiring for the day.

But once I am out of the pool, chilled and relaxed, the last thing I want to do is to cook dinner in a hot kitchen. So hamburgers are an optimal solution, they can be cooked in the outdoor gas grill and accompanied by a salad and chips from McCain.

If you have the Perfect Hamburger, it doesn’t matter if the chips come from the freezer and cooked in the oven. As I still haven’t bought the Perfect Fryer, this is the next best option.

 

So what is my Perfect Hamburger?

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Hamburger 12_1_1

1. The meat: I tried several options: different percentage of fat, mixing the meat with seasonings for flavour, mixing the meat with breadcrumbs for tenderness.

Finally I realized that the best hamburger is the one prepared by my favourite butcher in MarcheU La Colle-sur-Loup. Just lean cuts of meat grinded fresh with a machine that shapes the meat in different hamburger sizes depending on your requirement, Small, Medium and Large.

I always choose the medium size that comes to 120 gr per hamburger, perfect for a hungry teenager! It is best just to season the outside and not to mix the meat again. The machine presses the meat at the right consistency, maintaining a tender but still firm texture.

If your favourite butcher has the same machine, try them.

2. The Bun: I sometimes buy the readymade buns at the supermarket.

Though with the Bread Machine it really doesn’t take too much time to make them myself. I pour the ingredients into the machine in the morning while I wait for my coffee, and the dough is done in 1.5 hours.

Once the dough is done, I cut it into 6 buns portion and put them in a baking pan over a baking sheet waiting for them to rise again for another 30 minutes. They then just need to cook for 30 minutes at 180C.

See the recipe Homemade Panini Buns for cooking direction.

3. Grill them: We usually cook the hamburger on the griddle with our Weber Grill.

Did I write “we”? In reality my husband is the meat chef. He seasons the hamburgers with olive oil, salt and pepper and cooks the hamburgers on one side for a few minutes before turning them over and repeating the process.

He adds cheese about 1 minute before they are ready, and closes the Grill top to accelerate the melting process.

We like our meet medium rare i.e. still slightly red inside.

This way they remain soft and we can still taste the flavour of the fresh meat.

4. Filling: This last step is open to everyone’s taste preferences, and I like to use something different from the usual lettuce and tomato.

When I have time, I make a red onion relish.

Its sweetness complements the buns and the sourness contrast the strong flavour of the grilled meat.

This for me is the Perfect Hamburger!

Red Onion Relish

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The red onion relish is a soft sweet sour&sauce, the perfect complement to Burgers, Barbecued Beef, Matured Cheese.

I like to use red onion as they have a soft sweet flavour that nicely balance the white vinegar.

It gently breaks the strong taste of a grilled meat or matured cheese like Pecorino, Gruyère or Comte.

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For instructions on recipes template see post: Food Madness: Digital & Apps

For measurement conversions see post: How much is a Cup in grams and the most useful cooking conversions

Red Onion Relish
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Red onion relish

The red onion relish is the perfect complement with Burgers, Barbecued Beef, Matured Cheese.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: French
Servings: 1 jar
Calories: 103kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 Red Onions
  • 20 gr Melted butter
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar Best if from Modena
  • 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

  • Cut the onions into vertical slices, and fry them at medium heat with butter and olive oil
    Red onion relish
  • Once they become translucent lower the heat, add the salt, sugar and balsamic vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
    Red onion relish
  • You can serve it immediately with a warm meal, or at room temperature in a sandwich.

Notes

Calories 103 calories per serving Fat 5 gr per serving Carbohydrates 15gr per serving Proteins 1gr per serving Sugar 10 gr per serving Sodium 243mg per serving
Nutritional information is provided for general purpose only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely.