Tana Ramsay’s Family Kitchen: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Family

25g/1oz onion, finely chopped

1 tsp dried sage

salt and pepper

½ x 500g/1lb pack puff pastry

1 tbsp flour for dusting

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 egg, beaten

Makes: 12

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20–25 minutes

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.

2 Combine the sausage meat, onion, sage, salt and pepper.

3 Roll out the pastry into a rectangle that is about 3mm thick. Cut in half lengthwise. Lightly dust the inside of the pastry with flour, adding the mustard powder for a little kick! Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.

4 Using wet hands, divide the sausage meat into two equal portions. Take each portion and roll into two long sausages. Place one down the centre of each pastry strip.

5 Dampen one long edge of each pastry length and bring the pastry over the sausage mixture, pressing the edges together and then carefully rolling the entire sausage until the join is underneath the roll.

6 Brush with the beaten egg and cut into 3cm lengths.

7 Place on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and carefully stab each sausage roll a couple of times with the point of a sharp knife.

8 Bake for about 20–25 minutes or until golden.

9 Allow to cool before wrapping individually and freezing in a plastic box.

omelette (#ulink_bd312d1f-e679-543c-926a-71d90d9acb94)

This chive omelette served with a tangy tomato salad is a perfect lunch bite for one! The tomato salad is very simple – the acidic vinaigrette cuts beautifully through the richness of the omelette.

2–3 very fresh eggs (depending on hunger level!)

2 tbsp freshly chopped chives

salt and pepper

4 ripe tomatoes

½ tsp grapeseed oil and a similar quantity of butter

For the vinaigrette

4 tbsp light olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Serves: 1

Prep time: ½ hour to infuse

Cooking time: 10 minutes 7

1 Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the chives, salt and pepper and gently mix together with a fork. Leave for about half an hour, if you can, to allow the flavours to infuse.

2 While the egg and chives are doing their thing, slice the tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and pour over. Let the flavours develop while you make the omelette.

3 Heat the pan over a medium heat for about a minute before adding the oil and then the butter (this will stop the butter burning). Swirl the oil and butter around the pan, making sure the surface is evenly coated.

4 Turn up the heat to the highest setting and, as soon as the butter starts to foam, pour in the eggs. Gently rotate the pan to make sure the eggs evenly coat the surface of the pan.

5 After about 5 seconds, tilt the pan to an angle of about 45 degrees. Using a flat spatula, pull it up from the edge of the pan to the centre, allowing the liquid egg to fill the empty space. Keep doing this until there is only a small amount of liquid left on the surface.

6 With the help of the spatula, flip one side of the omelette over to the centre. Take the pan to a warm plate and tip the omelette onto it, folding it over as you do so.

7 Serve immediately with the tomato salad.

chocolate chip cookies (#ulink_b8f01bc5-18e7-55c2-b81b-4bd0ddcb1391)

An old favourite! These are great in a lunch box – often I slip these in for a Friday treat. If the children smell these cooking at home they always hang around – no doubt about it, these are at their best when they are cooling and the chocolate is all gooey!

300g/12oz good-quality milk chocolate

200g/8oz softened unsalted butter

100g/4oz caster sugar

150g/6oz soft light brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

300g/12oz plain flour

1 tsp vanilla essence