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I’ve been entertaining fantasies, but it’s not what you think. There have been flashbacks to Thailand; riding a moto through the city at night. There’s the allure of the shopping mall and the dream of shopping without having to stop at every mechanical car to let the toddler play. There’s  jealousy at a single friend’s freedom to sleep-in and wishing I could just pop out for a coffee without having to structure the outing around naps. It all leads to one conclusion; it’s time for a break.

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Or perhaps time for skipping on meal prep. You’ve seen the meme that reads, “Why do they want dinner every night”? Yep. That’s me. Don’t get me wrong. I really, really like to cook. That is, I really, really like to cook cakes. But every so often (err… perhaps a little more often than that), I am absolutely and completely not inspired to cook dinner. In my dreams, there would be peanut butter sandwiches and ice cream on the menu more than once a month. But alas, hubby does not agree!

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So, when there are no leftovers and no freezer meals, for those days when it’s 5pm and the kids are screaming, I have the answer; Giovanni’s sausages with potatoes and rosemary. Just about the simplest dish you could think of. Adjusted slightly from a Bill Granger recipe, this is one of my all-time faves when you need to throw something together but have neither the time nor the energy! It may not be the break you (or I) dream of, but it’s as close as we’re going to get to it on a weekday!

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Giovanni’s sausages with potatoes and rosemary
As simple and tasty as it gets, this Italian-style sausage roast is a one-pan dream!

Serves 4

Ingredients
6 Italian-style sausages
800g (1 lb 12 oz) potatoes, scrubbed and sliced (kipfler/fingerling work well here)
1 x 250g punnet cherry tomatoes
1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
2 rosemary stalks
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ loaf ciabatta, crust removed
50ml (1 ¾ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

To serve
Handful fresh basil leaves

Method
Preheat oven to 200degC (400F/Gas 6). Slice the sausages thickly and place in a large roasting pan (I needed two). Add the potatoes, tomatoes, paprika, rosemary, salt and pepper. Tear the ciabatta into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle with the oil and toss gently.

Cover pan with aluminium foil and roast for 20 minutes. Stir to turn ingredients and roast uncovered for a further 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and sausages and bread are golden brown.

Sprinkle with the basil and serve with a green salad.

Adapted slightly from Best of Bill

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