On the Spring Menu – Lamb & Thyme Sausage Rolls with Tomato and Apple Relish
Spring has sprung and we all have a little spring in our step! We love that our menu has a strong focus on seasonal eating as it is a core part of our nutritional menu plan where we incorporate a variety of delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables.
With the change of season and a little more sunshine comes a natural tendency to move outdoors. We thought we would share a recipe from the Niño ELA Spring menu that is perfect for eating outside or sharing at a picnic.
A long standing favourite, this recipe is packed with veggies and tons of flavour. These lamb and thyme sausage rolls can be enjoyed fresh out of the oven, served cold at a picnic, or if they last long enough.. can be frozen to be eaten at a later date.
The relish is best made ahead and only gets better over time. It’s incredibly versatile and can be served with cheeses, spanakopita or in sandwiches or a Ploughman’s lunch.
Note: this recipe is slightly altered from the one served within the Centre’s as it contains egg. You can use egg replacer or ½ cup cooked quinoa to bind if you are not using egg, and brush pastry with a little milk.
Sausage Rolls
Makes 12
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g lamb mince (or Nutmeat (x1 400g tin), if making a vegetarian version)
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, grated
- ½ zucchini, grated
- 2 sticks celery, finely diced
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme, stick removed
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon stock
- 2 eggs (one for egg wash on pastry)
- Butter puff pastry
Method
In a fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat, add onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes then add carrot, zucchini and celery. Sautee on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more oil if ingredients start to stick. Add remaining ingredients (except egg and puff pastry) and sauté until vegetables are nice and soft. This slow sautéing releases a lovely sweetness in the carrots that really makes this dish. Add lamb mince and stir to combine. Let cool and add 1 egg. Mix well to combine.
While the mixture is cooling, remove the puff pastry sheets from the freezer to thaw.
Prepare a large baking tray by lining with baking paper and pre-heat the oven to 180oC (fan forced)
Lay the first puff pastry sheet and with a sharp knife cut a line horizontally across the sheet to separate into two halves.
Place mixture lengthwise across the middle of each segment, in an even tube approximately 2 inches wide and running right to the edges. Fold over horizontal lengths to cross over the middle section of the mixture tube. To place on tray, flip so seam side is lying flat on baking paper. With a sharp knife, cut to size depending how big you want them to be. Approximately 4-5 per pastry roll. Whisk egg and brush over pastry. Place in oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with relish, enjoy!
Apple and Tomato Relish
Ingredients
- 200g cooking apple (Granny Smith work well), diced
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 2 allspice berries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 500g tomatoes, diced
- 2 brown onions, diced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- ½ cup currants or sultanas
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 2 ½ cups malt vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
Method
In a heavy bottomed pot, place apples and water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low and cook until apples are soft, approximately 25mins, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed.
Make a spice pack by placing mustard seeds, cloves, allspice berries and black peppercorns in a little cheesecloth and tying with string so they don’t leak into the mixture. Add to apple mix, along with tomatoes, sugar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon stick, ground ginger, salt and vinegar. Cook on medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick relish consistency. Remove and discard spice pack and cinnamon stick.
Bottle relish while hot in sterilised jars before serving.
Dr Lauren Burns (PhD) is Niño ELA’s Nutritional Ambassador, an Olympic gold medallist and a leading nutritionist who shares our passion for building healthy eating habits for life.
Learn more about Niño ELA’s nutrition program »
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