Sausage Rolls

Katie here!  Here is a great recipe that I've used for finger food at parties.  The best part is that you can make this in advance and freeze it for later.  This recipe is pretty easy and packs some great flavors.  I found the recipe on Epicurious.com.  If you want to make this in advance freeze the rolls prior to cooking.  Thaw 24 hours prior to cooking in the fridge and then follow portion of recipe below to cook.

1 1/2 lbs pork sausage
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 (17oz) package frozen puff pastry thawed
2 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl mix together the sausage, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper (to taste) until all the seasoning are well mixed.

Roll out all the pastry into one large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick.  Put the wide side of the rectangle to your left.  Form the sausage meat into a log, about 1 inch thick and long enough to fit the width of the pastry.  Lay this log along the whole edge.  Roll the pastry around the sausage, brush the beaten eggs at the join and cut so that the pastry has just enough room to slightly overlap.  Repeat the process with the remaining sausage meat and pastry.  Line up all the sausage rolls making sure the seam on each is at the bottom and not showing.  Brush the tops with the eggs and cut the sausage rolls into either 1 1/2 or 3 inch logs.

Spread about on inch apart on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until meat is fully cooked and pastry is golden brown.

Fennel Crusted Pork Roast with Pears and Potatoes

Katie here!  It's fall time and this recipe from Real Simple Magazine is one of my favorites.  It is super easy and bursting with flavor.  I used a small mortar and pestle to crush the fennel seeds, but if you don't have one handy try using the bottom of a small pan or even grinding them in your coffee grinder (just remember to clean it well after you are done).

1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 cloves of garlic minced
4 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper
2lbs of boneless pork loin
2 red onions quartered
1 lb small white potatoes quartered
3 Bartlett pears cored and quartered

Heat oven to 400. Mix together the fennel, garlic 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1tsp salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.  Rub on pork and put into roasting pan.  Mix together the onion, potatoes, pears, 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper with remaining oil.  Scatter around the pork and roast until 160 degrees, approx 70 minutes.  Let pork rest for 5 minutes.