Snorker and Spicy Slaw Sandwiches

Snorker and spicy slaw sandwiches are made with grilled sausages topped with spicy coleslaw in bread rolls. They make a delicious, portable meal.

I had a perky, isn’t-expat-life-jolly post planned for this recipe, because it originated with my friend David, who takes grilled sausages, or snorkers as he likes to call them, in a Thermos to rugby games when he is back home in England.  He says sometimes when it’s cold, you just want something hot to eat and a normal sandwich won’t do.  We also take snorkers, just like this, when we go out sailing with him.

A couple of months back, I was in charge of catering for our Friday sail and I made this spicy coleslaw to heap upon grilled snorker sandwiches, and the combination was wonderful.  Best of all, with a little preparation ahead, like slicing your buns, you will only need some tongs and paper plates or napkins to serve.  A simple but delicious fuss-free meal that travels well.

But last night was rough and I'm asking myself this question:  When does the purported glamorousness of being an expat wear off?  I'll tell you, it’s right about now.  When it seems that all the other parents are sending their children off to universities a couple of hours away by car and we are putting ours on an airplane with almost 20 hours of travel ahead of her.  When you can only go so far in the airport and you have to say final goodbyes in front of the hordes clamoring to get through security and onto their own flights. When she says, “I don’t want to go.” And you say, “I don’t want you to go.” But you both know it has to happen. And everyone tries not to start crying because it’s only going to get ugly.  That’s when this life of overseas living loses a bit of its charm.

Deep down, I know that even if we lived in the US, we probably wouldn’t be near the girls.  But for a day or two, I'm just going to wallow in the misery of being so far away. Can anyone relate?  Meanwhile, I comfort myself with snorkers and spicy slaw on Portuguese rolls.  (And, later, there may have to be dark chocolate too.)

Ingredients
For the sandwiches:
8 good quality sausages – I use Cumberland pork ones.
8 bread rolls
Optional – Ketchup (I like the spicy one) and yellow mustard

For the coleslaw:

(These amounts are just what I used.  Feel free to substitute other vegetables that you love or eliminate ones that you don’t care for.  This is just a guide and I encourage you to use whatever’s fresh and crunchy in your vegetable drawer or back garden.)
Half small head purple cabbage (8+ oz or 250g when shredded, core cut out)
Half small head green cabbage (8+ oz or 250g when shredded, core cut out)
1 large carrot (sorry – forgot to weigh him)
Couple of handfuls snow peas (2 3/4 oz or 75g after de-stringing)
3 medium radishes (3 oz or 85g)

For the dressing:
1 large clove garlic or 2 normal ones
Half medium purple onion
1 hot red chili pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
Few grinds fresh black pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml white balsamic
1/4 cup or 60ml extra virgin olive oil

Method
Cut your chili pepper lengthwise and then mince.  Slice the onion as thinly as you can.  Mince the garlic.

Put all three in a mixing bowl and add in the salt, black pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar.  Let those hang out together for about 10 minutes.  The vinegar will temper the sharpness of the onion and garlic.

Add in the olive oil and whisk with a fork to combine.  Set aside.

Remove the chewy strings from the snow peas and slice them thinly on the diagonal.

Cut the hard core out of the cabbages and slice them thinly.  Cut the ends off the radishes, slice them thinly and then cut them into little sticks.  Peel then cut your carrots into little sticks.  If you have a handy tool like mine, this is easy.  If not, you can also grate the carrot.

Toss all of your vegetables together in a large mixing bowl.

Add in the dressing and toss again.  Put the slaw in a leak-proof container for travel.

Slice your buns in half and pack them up for travel.

About 20 minutes before you are ready to go, pour boiling water into your Thermos to heat it.

Grill your snorkers in a grill pan on the stove top or under the grill (broiler) in the oven.

When they are cooked through, pour out the hot water and stuff them into the Thermos.

Close tightly.  You will be amazed with how long these stay hot and delicious.  Make sure you pack the tongs.

To serve, use tongs to extract the snorkers from the Thermos.  Break each in half and lay on the bottom of a bun.  Folks who want to can add ketchup or mustard as well.  (Being of the more-is-more mentality, I always do.)

Heap on the spicy coleslaw and pop on the top of the bun.

And, yes, I did assemble these in the back of my Pathfinder, so you can see how easy it is!

Snorker and spicy slaw sandwiches go great with a cold beer!  Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts #Bundtamonth

Deep chocolate mini Bundt cakes covered in semi-sweet and white chocolate then sprinkled with silver dragees are pretty, but not too pretty to eat!

How does one celebrate the one-year birthday of the Bundt-a-Month challenge?  Well, by baking more Bundts, of course.  My daughter and I were discussing this month’s “fancy” theme for this first anniversary, and she suggested that I didn’t need a fancy Bundt at all, just stick a flowering plant in it!
  After all, that was good enough for an engagement celebration on My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 

Anybody else LOVE that movie?  I could watch it over and over.  Just as funny each time.

While I acknowledged the truth in that, I wanted to make something pretty, something special.  So it had to be chocolate.  Dark chocolate.  And white chocolate.  And with silver balls.  Because those have always said PARTY to me, even if they do want to break your teeth.  They are like sprinkles for grownups.

When it came time for decorating, I couldn’t decide on a pattern so I just went a little crazy, drizzling on both chocolates and having a wild time.  I don't know when to stop, but more is more, right?  No two little Bundts are alike, but they sure looked pretty all together.  Like I imagine a dessert table set out with all the BundtaMonth Bundts would look, if we could ever get them all in one place.  Maybe for the second anniversary?   Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom to see what my fellow bloggers have baked for you, along with our hosts, Anuradha from Baker Street and Lora from Cake Duchess.

The batter for these little cakes is slightly adapted from Molly Wizenburg’s recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes in her fabulous book, A Homemade Life.

Ingredients
For the cakes:
2 oz or 55g dark chocolate
1/2 cup or 120ml hot brewed coffee
1 cup or 225g sugar
3/4 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon for preparing pan
1/2 cup or about 40g unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 1 tablespoon for preparing pan
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup or 60ml canola oil
1/2 cup or 125g well stirred plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For decoration:
8 oz or 230g semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz or 115g white chocolate
1 tablespoon (or more!) dragees or little silver balls

Method
Preheat oven to 325°F or °C.  Prepare your mini Bundt pan by spraying it liberally with non-stick spray or generously buttering it.  Put one tablespoon each of flour and cocoa powder in a sieve or sifter and sprinkle all over the pan, tipping it this way and that to make sure that all the insides of the little cups are covered.  Bang the pan gently on the cabinet and dump the excess out into your sink.  Set aside.

Chop the chocolate for the cake into small pieces and put it into the measuring cup with hot coffee.  Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted.

Into a medium bowl, sift the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Whisk in the sugar and flour.   Set aside.

For the best batter, electric beaters or a stand mixer with the K-beater in place is essential here.  In a large bowl, beat your egg on medium for a minute or two or until it becomes pale yellow.  Add in the oil, yogurt and vanilla, once again, beating well.

Gradually pour in the melted chocolate/coffee mixture and beat to thoroughly combine.

Add the dry ingredients all at once.  Beat on low speed until the batter is just combined.

Scrape down the sides and bottom to make sure all the flour is incorporated.

Divide your batter between the cups of your prepared mini Bundt pan, but don’t fill them more than two-thirds full.  If you have a little batter left over, it’s better to make a couple of extra cupcakes instead.  Your tasters will be happy.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Meanwhile, let your helper clean out the yogurt pot before recycling.

Cool your mini Bundts in the pan for about 10 minutes, then place a wire rack on top of the pan and carefully invert the pan and rack so that the little cakes can fall out.  If any don’t fall out, loosen them gently with a knife or toothpick and remove them one by one.

Allow the little cakes to cool completely before topping with melted chocolate.

For the decoration, break up your dark and white chocolate into smaller blocks (or chop if you need to) and put each kind in a separate microwave-proof bowl.  Zap them one at a time on high for 10-15 seconds, then stir and repeat until both of the chocolates are pourable.

You can drizzle these over the mini Bundts with a small spoon but I prefer to put the melted chocolate into cake decorating bags with small tips (Wilton no. 3, 4 or 5) for better control.

Have fun drizzling on the dark chocolate, followed by swirls of the white chocolate.  Sprinkle a few silver dragees in the middle to complete the festive party look.

Enjoy!

                                         

Check out everyone else’s Bundt cakes if you are looking for fancy inspiration:

• Banana-Caramel Bundt Cake by Felice at All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Caramel Latte Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Chocolate and Wine Bundt from Holly at A Baker’s House
• Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
• Devil’s Food Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Lora at Cake Duchess
• Hong Kong Chiffon Mini Cakes by Kim at Ninja Baking
• Lemon Frangipane Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Little Bundt Pound Cakes by Renee at Magnolia Days
• Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
• Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
• Rose Mini Bundt Cakes by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
• Simple Orange Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
• Streusel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
• Triple Chocolate Mini Bundts by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• White Chocolate Bundt with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting by Sandra at Sweet Sensations

Since these are fancy little triple chocolate Bundt cakes, I am also submitting them to this month's We Should Cocoa anniversary challenge to create a show stopper, hosted by Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog. 

Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls are a British classic: well-seasoned ground pork, rolled in puff pastry then cut into lengths and baked till golden brown.

Meeting my soon-to-be in-laws
We had been friends for more than two years, dating for a year and a half and were engaged for a few months when I finally had the opportunity to meet my husband’s father and stepmom, Alan and Fiona.  This was back in 1985 so I was still in school in Austin, Texas, they lived in Freeport on Grand Bahama and their son was working on a drilling rig somewhere offshore in Asia.  So, logistically, it just hadn’t happened.  The long weekend for US Thanksgiving was our first chance.

Simon and I flew out to Fort Lauderdale and they met us at the airport. The details are blurry now but we set off for Publix supermarket for a shopping run and before I knew it, we were stowing a turkey and all the fixings for a Thanksgiving feast in the back of the tiniest plane I’d ever flown in.

While Simon, Fiona and I loaded up, Alan walked around the Cessna 337, Super Skymaster, doing his preflight check. And then, suddenly, we were up in the air, high over the gorgeous deep blue Atlantic Ocean and on our way to the Bahamas.  Just as casually as I would have driven my car home to Mom’s.

I had never known anyone personally who could fly, not to mention own his own airplane!  I thought my father-in-law was a dashing gentleman and the weekend (and the years that followed) confirmed that first impression.

This one's from a flight simulator website but I hope to scan and upload one of the actual plane soon.
One more summer project that didn't get done. 

The English CAN cook
No less of a revelation was the good, simple, tasty cooking that was the hallmark of Fiona’s repertoire.  Don’t let folks tell you that the English can’t cook.  Her roast potatoes were crispy spuds of legend.  Her superlative gravy was a worthy beverage.  Both breakfast and lunch always included fresh, homemade whole wheat loaves that Fiona turned out with regular, delicious consistency, setting them first to proof on top of the hot water heater in their comfortable, homey apartment.  And her sausage rolls, nicknamed the Bishop’s sausage rolls because he requested them specially whenever he visited from Nassau, were a must at every party.

I made these a while back for the party where we celebrated the wonderful life of my other father-in-law, Simon’s stepdad. This isn’t Fiona’s recipe because I thought it was lost to me forever when she passed away in 2001, but it’s my closest approximation of how I remember them, except, perhaps Fiona made a short crust pastry.  My sister-in-law says she has the real recipe so someday soon, I might visit these again.  Meanwhile, since my sausage rolls use store-bought puff pastry, you can get these in and out of the oven in time to take them to a Labor Day party.  Or any party, especially if a bishop has been invited.  Or you have someone or something to celebrate.  They go spectacularly well with Champagne, wine or an ice cold beer.

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon Herbs of Provence
Olive oil
16 oz or 490g ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1/2 cup or 25g fresh bread crumbs
1 package 16 oz or 490g puff pastry
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Mince your onion and sauté it in pan with the herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.   When the onion is soft and translucent, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Mix the pork with the bread crumbs and the cooled onions, salt and cayenne, if using, and set aside.  It’s messy but I’ve found the best way is first with a wooden spoon and then with your clean hands.

Whisk your eggs together with the milk in a small bowl and set aside.

Roll out the puff pastry into a very large rectangle until it is about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm thick.

Cut the rectangle evenly into three long pieces.

Lay a third of the meat mixture all along each of the strips of puff pastry lengthwise, making sure to go all the way to the very ends.  You don’t want the end bits to be short on sausage.

Brush the inside of the pastry with the egg/milk mixture.

Roll it up to enclose the filling.  Make sure to leave the seam side down.

Using a serrated knife and a slight sawing motion, cut the long tubes into short rolls.  Since I was serving them as finger food, I cut them pretty small to make 35 bite-sized sausage rolls.

Arrange them in a baking pan, allowing room for the puff pastry to puff and brush the tops with more of the egg wash.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked and the pastry is lovely and golden.

Remove to paper towels to allow any grease to be absorbed and then serve hot.  Or, frankly, room temperature.  I’d eat these either way.

Enjoy!

This week Sunday Supper is celebrating Labor Day in the United States by preparing weekend party foods for picnics and tailgating and just hanging out with friends and family. Have a look at all the delicious drinks and dishes we’ve prepared for you, along with our host, DB of Crazy Foodie Stunts.

Refreshing Drinks

• Cherry Bourbon Lemonade from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Hibiscus Flower Margaritas from La Cocina de Leslie
• Mint Sweet Tea from Supper for a Steal
• Pineapple Soda Floats from Healthy. Delicious.

Amazing Appetizers and Sides

• Caprese Tortellini Salad from Webicurean
• Caramelized Onion Relish from What Smells So Good?
• Chorizo and Cheese Jalapeno Poppers from I Run For Wine
• Cucumber Cups from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Deviled Eggs Stuffed With Garlic Guacamole from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Grilled Corn Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing from girlichef
• Grilled Peach Salad from Curious Cuisiniere
• Hatch, Chive & Chevre Figs from Shockingly Delicious
• Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob from The Urban Mrs
• Peach Salsa Nachos from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Sausage Rolls from Food Lust People Love
• Spiced Honey Peach Muffins from Mess Makes Food
• Spicy Bacon Popcorn from Nik Snacks
• Strawberry and Chicken Pasta Salad from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Stuffed Baby Sweet Pepper from Country Girl In The Village

Enviously Good Entreés

• Beer Brined BBQ Chicken from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Deluxe Pizza Burgers from Foxes Love Lemons
• Grilled Herb Shrimp With Chimichurri Sauce from Magnolia Days
• Grilled Italian Turkey Burgers from Table for Seven
• Grilled Swordfish Kabobs with Sun-Dried Tomato & Olive Salsa from La Bella Vita Cucina
• Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Skewers with Homemade Teriyaki from Juanita’s Cocina
• Kansas City Barbecued Spare Ribs from The Texan New Yorker
• Proscuitto & Spinach Macaroni and Cheese from Family Foodie
• Red Wine Burgers with Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese from Neighborfood
• Red, White & Blue Spicy Burgers from Daily Dish Recipes
• Spicy Sea Scallop Skewers with Mint Yoghurt Sauce from Soni’s Food
• Stir-Fry Rice with Turkey Bacon and Eggs from Basic N Delicious
• Tropical Shrimp Kabobs from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
  

Delicious Desserts

• Caramel Brownies from Pies and Plots
• Egg Free Chocolate Mousse from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Fresh Raspberry Bran Muffins from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Ice Cream Granola Truffles from Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Old-Fashioned Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cake from The Foodie Army Wife
• Peach Cheesecake Crumb Bars from Chocolate Moosey
• Peach Kuchen {#Dairyfree} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Peanut Butter Cream Pie with a Pretzel Crust from Cookin’ Mimi
• Peanut Butter Vegan Dreams from Ninja Baking
• Raspberry Lime Cupcakes from Treats & Trinkets
• Red, White & Blue Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Dip Trio from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Red, White & Blue Jello Parfaits from In The Kitchen With KP
• Richest Ever Chocolate Pound Cake with an Orange Ganache from Eat, Move, Shine
• S’mores Brownies from Alida’s Kitchen
• Strawberries with Red Wine Reduction and Whipped Cream from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Summer Berry Chocolate Cake from Happy Baking Days