Sunday, April 28, 2024

Homemade Cocktail Sausage Rolls...

 
Good ol' oven-baked sausage rolls without any sausage. Homemade meat filling with ground chicken, minced onions and celery, garlic, salt and pepper, Kashmiri chili spice and a few dollops of my favourite Polish hot mustard by Babci (I get it at Freshco near me). So savoury flavourful and gives more than a spicy kick added to the filling and as the dip! This is the secret to a lot of my marinades and sauces 🤗. I made it super easy by using ready prepared puff pastry and brushing the tops with beaten egg, sprinkling sesame seeds and dried parsley before baking.


Homemade Cocktail Sausage Rolls 
Makes 24 bites

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk , finely chopped
1 lb ground chicken, or ground pork (medium)
2 Tbsp. Dijon or other mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne or kashmiri chili
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten and divided
2 sheets puff pastry , thawed then each cut into half
Sesame seeds or chopped parsley for sprinkling

Super flavourful and gives a good kick!

Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic, onion & celery for two minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add pork and remaining ingredients; mix well.

Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge. Take 1/4 of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.

Brush edge of pastry with egg. Then roll up, finishing with the seam side down.


Preheat oven to 350F. 

Cut each log into 6 or 4 equal lengths, depending if you want cocktail or regular size. Brush with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds or finely chopped parsley.

Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper (or sprayed with oil). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. 

Cool slightly on trays. Serve hot or warm.


Just the perfect little flaky tender snack anytime!
We served it with more Babci mustard as a dip.

Crispy flaky exterior, tender flavourful interior


Homemade Cocktail Sausage Rolls (full recipe)
Makes 24 bites

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk , finely chopped
1 lb ground chicken, or ground pork (medium)
2 Tbsp. Dijon or other mustard
1/2 tsp salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne or kashmiri chili
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten and divided
2 sheets puff pastry , thawed then each cut into half
Sesame seeds or chopped parsley for sprinkling

Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over medium high heat. Sauté garlic, onion & celery for two minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Add pork and remaining ingredients; mix well.

Lay out a rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge. Take 1/4 of the filling and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps.

Brush edge of pastry with egg. Then roll up, finishing with the seam side down.

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Cut each log into 6 or 4 equal lengths, depending if you want cocktail or regular size. Brush with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds or finely chopped parsley.

Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper (or sprayed with oil). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the pastry is deep golden brown. 

Cool slightly on trays. Serve hot or warm.

TIP: add chopped bacon to cook with the onion, garlic and celery mixture, for smokiness and extra flavour.


Friday, April 19, 2024

Newcomer Kitchen and The Depanneur Connection...

 
Beautiful Open House event with The Depanneur on March 27th inaugurating Len Senater's new office/event space @csitoronto Spadina down the hall from us at Newcomer Kitchen and to celebrate the launch of his new cookbook! #neighbours 


"In one small, beautiful place, The Depanneur captured the soul of Toronto. Diversity. Surprise. Openness. Randomness. Deliciousness. And fun."-- David Sax


Ditto!! Three years in the making and the cookbook is finally published (100 recipes, 100 cooks) and getting into the hot hands of foodies, chefs and the like as one of most anticipated cookbooks this year! Congrats Len @thedepanneur and cofounder of @newcomerkitchen, it is evident you poured your heart and soul into it 💞. Partly because he didn't want to miss out on anyone's contribution in creating the lifelong memories at the little corner store that could- The Dep. 


Flashback to 2016: Len Senater heard that many Syrian refugees who came to Canada were living in hotels and had no kitchens to make their own food. He did have a kitchen and wanted to provide a space where Syrian refugee women could cook. Read about Newcomer Kitchen's humble beginnings here.


Accolades to everyone involved including the lovelies in this contribution gallery @maryfreij @chefdorisfin @mamashack @queenkeisha_luke @chefsangkim @manningcanning @newcomerkitchen @cheferikaaraujo 🙌🙌🙌! Stunning photography, captivating storytelling and mouthwatering recipes! Can't wait to dig into it all 💞 Buy @indigo @amazonca


I got my copy personally autographed at Len's cookbook launch reception I catered for with the women in my daytime program @newcomerkitchen Cuisine Connections. It was an E.P.I.C interesting learning experience for the group 🥳🎊🎉🍻

The contents in this book is "a powerful reminder that food is our common ground" 👊🥄💥


A gorgeous menu of mixed cultural appetizers welcomed the crowd who also came to celebrate and pick up Len's newly launched cookbook "The Depanneur" with a lovely Moroccan and Nigerian sit down dinner menu to follow. The women from our W2W daytime food business program collaborated with a few from the XP program to cater a wonderful experience that night ⭐!



Nigerian chicken sausage rolls, kala chana chaat on endive leaves
and Moroccan roasted red pepper dip with toasted pita chips




The deliciousness of the sit down dinner catered by the XP Program women were Moroccan roasted chicken with preserved lemons and olives, beet salad, Indian corn chaat salad with Moroccan orange cake and Nigerian upside down pineapple cake (not shown) for serve yourself desserts.






Yayyyy! Another term under our belts, another sense of accomplishment! My last teaching group for now as I pursue other challenges within our organization. Congrats Cuisine Connections and Seven Senses Kitchen @newcomerkitchen #winterterm for 14 weeks of fun, learning and achievement together 💫! 



I wish you each all the best in your endeavours as I will work with some of you again while continuing your entrepreneurship journey with us in our next XP Program! Cheers 🙌!!