food writer & broadcaster

food writer & broadcaster | amanda grant http://www.amandagrant.com News for food writer & broadcaster | amanda grant en-gb Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:21:20 +0000 Copyright: (C) Amanda Grant 15 grow it, cook it with kids 3916 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:21:20 +0000 I have just been interviewed by Hannah Murray on the radio station <a title="Talk Europe" href="http://www.talkradioeurope.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=59&Itemid=83" target="_blank">Talk Europe </a>about my latest book grow it cook it for children.  Hannah loved the book and particularly liked the '5 ways with' chapters that give children quick and easy ways to prepare or cook the produce that they gave grown. http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3916 Face of Sainsbury's Little Ones Food 3912 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:54:51 +0000 As a busy mum I am always thinking of quick and easy ways to feed a family a good diet. I am delighted that I will now be able to share some of these ideas with you on the <a title="Sainsbury Little Ones " href="http://www3.sainsburys.co.uk/littleones/" target="_blank">Sainsbury's Little Ones website</a>.  The recipes will be suitable for the whole family, this includes recipes for during pregnancy, breastfeeding and for babies and toddlers. When my children were babies and toddlers (which wasn't very long ago) I cooked food for them that the rest of the family could also eat. For example, if I made vegetable soup I would puree some of the vegetables for the baby before adding more stock for the rest of the family.  This way cooking can be fun and enjoyable and you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen making different things for everyone. The recipes that I develop for the Little Ones site will be created with this same idea in mind. I hope you enjoy my page on the site and please do email with me any feedback so that I can make sure that I am providing you with the best, most useful information. http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3912 Feeding your Children 3795 Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:13:52 +0000 <h3>How to feed your pre-school child a healthy diet</h3> If you watched Panorama investigate toddler's food on Monday 25th January and you are worried about how to make sure your pre-school child is being fed the right diet and nutrients you may find my 'baby & toddler healthy eating planner' useful. It contains over 350 easy recipes, meal planners, charts and nutrition guides explaining how to include all the key nutrients in your family's diet using everyday produce. <a href="/resource/index.htm?ipg=9087">Click here for more information.</a> We all know how important it is to feed our children good food. However recent research shows that lots of parents are still putting rubbish into their children's packed lunchboxes. I have written a basic guide for good packed lunchboxes so that you can see quickly and clearly just what your children need to eat at lunchtime. Click here to take a look <a href="/news/item.htm?pid=3669">Easy Lunchbox Ideas</a>.   http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3795 Quiet time on the vegetable patch 3713 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:57:35 +0000 I have to confess to doing very little on my vegetable patch since the begining of December!  I did plant a bed with 4 rows of early onions but no sign of growth yet.  Looking forward to some warmer weather when I can get outside with the children and dig in some manure. http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3713 Easy Lunchbox Ideas 3669 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:07:57 +0000 We need to take the lead when it comes to choosing what goes into our child's packed lunch.  Schools can help by banning certain foods like crisps and chocolate, but it is a partnership, as parents we need to take control of what we feed our children.  We make the decisions about other important areas in our child's life whether it is suitable bedtimes, homework etc, so why do we let children tell us what they will or won't eat?  This is too important to compromise over, children need to eat good food! Top tips for good packed lunches Try to include a variety of fresh, unprocessed (or minimally processed) real food like fresh and dried fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, yogurt, meat etc Variety: if you are making sandwiches vary the breads and vary the fillings.  We all get bored if we eat the same food each day and we need to eat a variety of food to make sure that we are getting the right number of nutrients.  Drink: children need to drink water - if they drink enough water they are more likely to be able to concentrate at school and they are less likely to have problems like headaches.  Fruit juice, smoothies and milk are also good.    Something sweet: we all know that is nice to have something sweet after the sandwich, but try to choose a cereal bar (without too much added sugar), plain biscuits like digestives or rich tea or better still something homemade like a cookie or a fruit bun.  Ideally encourage your children to help you make something for their packed lunch at the weekend that they can then take to school the following week. Keep the cost down: You can provide good food without having to spend too much money.  A big bag of local apples can be less expensive that lots of individually wrapped fruit strings and will provide your child with more nutrients.  Involve your child: Talk to your children about what their friends take in their packed lunches and see which of those healthy options your child may like to try.  Involve children when you put the packed lunch together - they are more likely to eat it if they know what is inside.  This may mean putting some of it together before they go to bed so that it is not too stressful in the morning rush before school Prepare packed lunches at the same time as you make the evening meal - this way it is less stressful for you and keeps time spent in the kitchen to a minimum. For example cook extra pasta and then mix some cold pasta with vegetables and left over roast meat to make a pasta salad.  Fill a roll with left over roast meat or wrap up some slices of cold pizza.  Keep it cool: Freeze cartons of juice and put into the packed lunch to help keep the lunch cool and to give your child a cool drink.  It will have defrosted by lunchtime.   Cut down on junk. Avoid too many processed foods as they tend to contain few nutrients and too much salt, sugar, additives and saturated fat.  If you do have some processed food in your child's packed lunch also give them foods that are high in potassium such as bananas and dried apricots helps balance the effect of salt in the body Something warm: Include something hot in a lunchbox, particularly when the weather is cold. A wide-mouthed mini-Thermos flask would be ideal for serving up a delicious cup of homemade or good-quality bought soup that's both warming and nutritious.  Or wrap up a small pasty in foil.  It can make a change to sandwich when the weather is cold.     http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3669 The Silver Spoon for Children 3666 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:38:22 +0000 Take a look at this exciting press coverage from my latest book - The Silver Spoon for Children.   The Financial Times [11th October 2009] <a title="Financial Times " href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/e6ec1896-b461-11de-bec8-00144feab49a.html" target="_blank"><img id="" src="/lib/img_draw.php?image=/sites/238/news/3666/FT_Weekend_October_11th.jpg&width=586&height=479" alt="FT Weekend" border="" class="" usemap="" style="" width="586" height="479"/></a>     The Independent on Sunday [25th October 2009] <a title="Independent on Sunday " href="http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/stand-aside-jamie-here-come-the-junior-chefs-1808990.html" target="_blank"><img id="" src="/sites/238/news/3665/IndependentonSunday_25th_October_2009_small.jpg" alt="Independent on Sunday" border="" class="" usemap="" style=""/></a>   Australian coverage [December 2009/January 2010] Click on the link or photo to see coverage in a couple of the Australian daily broadsheets: Brisbane Times - How to get your kids to eat well   <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align: left;">True, but parents' instinct to send their children to bed full is a tough one to fight. And it's troubling when you're constantly desperate to concoct a delicious, nutrition-packed dish that will bring them around.<a title="Brisbane Times" href="http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?z2477982133&z=950246179" target="_blank">  Full article here</a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td class="body-red">Article in the Melbourne Age</td> <td>    </td> <td class="body-red" style="text-align: center;">Sydney Morning Herald</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <a title="Melbourne Age" href="/sites/238/news/3666/SSfC_The_Age_Epicure_3_Nov_2009.pdf" target="_blank"><img id="" src="/sites/238/news/3666/The_Age.png" alt="Melbourne Age" border="" class="" usemap="" style=""/></a></td> <td> </td> <td> <a title="Sydney Morning Herald" href="/sites/238/news/3666/SS_for_Children_Good_Living_19_Jan_10.pdf" target="_blank"><img id="" src="/lib/img_draw.php?image=/sites/238/news/3666/Sydney_Morning_Herald.png&width=219&height=300" alt="Sydney Morning Herald" border="" class="" usemap="" style="" width="219" height="300"/></a></td> <td> </td> <td style="text-align: left;"> </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Click on image for article</td> <td> </td> <td>Click on image for article</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>     http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3666 Silver Spoon for Children 3665 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:33:28 +0000 The Silver Spoon For Children 'The Silver Spoon for Children' is a great book to help teach children how to cook some of their favourite Italian recipes and learn essential life skills along the way. For example, how to hold a knife properly and how to crack eggs. I have written the recipes so that they are easy for children to follow and I involved children in the recipe testing. My eldest daughter and her friends helped edit the book before I sent it back to Phaidon, making sure that 10 years olds can follow the instructions clearly. I love Italy, my father lived in Italy for some time and I was fortunate enough to visit frequently. I also have great friends with a home in Umbria and I love to visit whenever I can. Each time I am there I am always struck by Italian children's passion for good food. I do hope that The Silver Spoon for Children will excite children in many countries and encourage them to cook some of their favourite recipes. The book is also beautifully illustrated with pictures that will capture children's imagination. "Children's cookbooks need to be fun and practical and this book works on both levels. It would make a good Christmas or birthday present for a budding -or reluctant - young cook." Financial Times October 09 For press coverage <a href="/urlpre_template=content/news/item.htm?pid=3665">click here</a>   http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3665 Pumpkin Scones 3160 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:33:34 +0000 Have you ever wondered what to do with the inside of the pumpkin after you have hollowed it out to make a lantern?  Cook the flesh until soft and then use the puree to make some pumpkin scones.  They taste good with a little cheese and herbs mixed into the mixture or if you want to make them sweet add a little brown sugar and a pinch of ginger instead. Makes: about 8-10 Ingredients 200g pumpkin flesh (or butternut squash) <img id="" src="/sites/238/news/3160/pumpkin1_2.jpg" alt="" border="0" class="" usemap="" style="float: right;"/> 225 g self raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 40 g butter 3 or 4 tablespoons milk   for savoury scones add: <ul> <li>handful grated cheddar cheese </li> <li>handful fresh chopped coriander or parsley </li> </ul>   OR for sweet scones add a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of brown sugar   <ol type="1"> <li>Turn the oven on to 200C/400F/Gas mark 7.  Grease a baking sheet by rubbing it with a little butter or cut a piece of baking paper to fit.</li> <li>Cut the pumpkin flesh into small pieces and put into a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and simmer until just tender - poke a fork into the pumpkin - it should go in easily.   </li> <li>Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.  Add the butter and using just your finger TIPS rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  (If you use your whole hands you may melt the butter and end up in a sticky mess)</li> <li>Use a table knife to mix the pumpkin puree into the flour mixture. Then add enough milk to make a dough - not too much or it will be too wet </li> <li>Sprinkle a little flour on the table and onto your hands and very lightly knead the mixture for half a minute until it is smooth. </li> <li>Pat the dough or roll with a rolling pin until it is about 3 cm thick.  Dip a round cutter into a little flour and cut out scones from the dough.  Put the scones onto the baking tray, spaced a little apart. You will need to keep gathering up bits of dough and roll them out again until you have made about 8-10 scones.</li> <li>Brush the tops of the scones with a little milk and using oven gloves put the scones into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until risen and golden.  Use oven gloves to remove the tray from the oven and cool the scones on a wire rack.</li> </ol> http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3160 Blackberry muffins 3159 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:12:36 +0000 Encourage the children into the kitchen to make some blackberry and honey muffins to take to school to keep their energy levels up while they are working. They are great for their mid morning snack or packed lunch or for munching when they come in after school starving! Before you can start cooking you will need to go out looking for blackberries. Take a pot with you to put the berries in and keep an eye out for the sharp thorns on the bushes! When you get home it is a good idea to scatter the blackberries across a tray and pick out any insects or leaves. If you want to give them a rinse put them in a colander and dip the colander of berries into a basin of cold water and then take out and leave to drain. This recipe makes 12, they only keep fresh for a few days so you could put 6 into a freezer bag and freeze. Just take one out of the freezer in the morning and it will have thawed by the time you want to eat it. Makes: 12 12 paper muffin cases or butter to grease the tins Ingredients   50 g butter (or sunflower oil) 2 free range eggs  110 ml natural yogurt 110 ml milk a few drops vanilla extract 300 g self raising flour / Spelt 2 tsp baking powder 80 g golden caster sugar 2 big handfuls blackberries (or frozen berries like raspberries or blueberries if you haven't had a chance to go blackberry picking) a little honey to drizzle over the top if you like Method <ol type="1"> <li>Turn the oven on to 180C/ 350F/ gas mark 5.  Line 12 muffin tins with paper cases - if you don't have any muffin cases use a little piece of greaseproof paper and rub some butter all over the tins.  </li> <li>Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan.  Leave to cool slightly.  </li> <li>Crack the eggs into a small bowl - have you ever cracked an egg before? The easiest way to crack the egg is to hold the egg in one hand almost cupping the egg - hold it over a small bowl and hit the middle of the egg with a table knife to crack it.  Put the knife down and then put your thumbs into the slit and pull the shell apart and let the egg drop into the bowl.  Do the same with the other egg. Using a fork beat the eggs together to mix the yolk and the white together.  </li> <li>Measure the yogurt in a measuring jug, add the milk, vanilla extract and melted butter.  Add the eggs and mix everything together with a fork.  </li> <li>Sieve the flour and baking powder in a large bowl.  Add the sugar to the flour.  </li> <li>Pour the yogurt mixture over the flour and quickly and gently mix everything together - this should not take long, don't over mix or your muffins will not be light.  Add the berries and quickly mix together.</li> <li>Using two spoons dollop the mixture into the cases</li> <li>Using oven gloves put the tray into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden brown.  Take the cases out of the tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack. Using a teaspoon drizzle a little runny honey over the top and leave to cool.   </li> </ol>   http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3159 The Silver Spoon for Children 3085 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:08:53 +0000 I am proud to tell you about my latest project which is a great cookery book for children - The Silver Spoon For Children.  It really is a lovely book with an inspiring collection of recipes that will help to teach children the basics of cooking and Italian cuisine.  I have included some essential life skills like how to hold a knife properly and how to crack eggs.  The recipes come from the renowned The Silver Spoon, a cookery book found in alomost every Italian home.  I have adapted, re-written and tested (with the help of many children) a selection of recipes from The Silver Spoon to make them suitable for children to cook.  These recipes are accompanied by brief, lively text providing young cooks with fascinating facts about the dish and its' ingredients. The book features popular favourites such as Margherita pizza, lasagna and ice cream.  Each recipe has simple step-by-step instructions, and is illustrated with specially commissioned drawings by Harriet Russell.  Based on an abundance of simple ingredients, such as meat, fish, pasta, cheese, vegetables, and of course olive oil, the Italian diet offers a cost effective, easy way of preparing healthy dishes as part of a balanced diet. It is therefore extremely relevant to today's children and parents.  The launch of The Silver Spoon for Children also coincides with the cooking in schools campaign spearheaded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. With practical cookery lessons in schools to become compulsory from 2011, The Silver Spoon for Children will give many youngsters a head start. <table style="width: 744px; height: 34px;" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td> Publication Information The Silver Spoon for Children Published by Phaidon Press Publication Date: October 2009 ISBN 9780714857466 £12.95 Hardcover 40+ Recipes 100 Colour Photographs For press enquiries please contact: Hannah Kent at Sauce Communications Tel: 020 8600 3617 E-mail: <a href="mailto:hannahk@saucecommunications.com">hannahk@saucecommunications.com</a>   </td> <td><img id="" src="/lib/img_draw.php?image=/sites/238/news/3085/Silver_Spoon_for_Children-1web.jpg&width=222&height=254" alt="Silver Spoon cookbook for Children by Amanda Grant" border="0" class="" usemap="" style="" width="222" height="254"/></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>                   http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3085 Glynde Food Festival 2009 3082 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:42:30 +0000 Come and see me at the Glynde Food Festival on September 19th and 20th, a lovely spot not far from Brighton.  I love running cookery workshops for children at this festival, it is a great chance for children to meet and listen to some of the best food producers in the area.   Take a look at this article by Emma Chaplin for Viva Lewes to learn more about the event and my children's workshops......    Glynde Place is hosting its annual food and drink festival again mid-September. It is a most conducive environment for lounging about nibbling delicious bits of this and that, and sipping some excellent English wine. Foodies can expect to derive a great deal of gastronomic pleasure from the event, because the organisers, including Eleanor and David of Say Cheese (still going strong, though no longer in the Riverside), have such a passionate commitment to making sure that the best local produce and food producers are represented. A popular feature of the festival is the cookery demonstrations, so I've been talking to two people involved in them about what they have planned: local cookery writer and journalist, Amanda Grant, and 2006 Masterchef winner, Peter Bayless, who lives in Chalvington.  <img id="" src="/lib/img_draw.php?image=/sites/238/news/3082/Amanda_in_Kids_Kitchen.jpg&width=241&height=366" alt="" border="" class="image-left" usemap="" style="" width="241" height="366"/>Lewes dweller Amanda Grant's involvement with the Festival began with hands-on cooking demonstrations for children in the café, "teaching how to cook and encouraging enjoyment of eating". They proved so successful that her Children's Kitchen now takes place in a large marquee. "I believe it's really important for children to enjoy going to food festivals and not see it as a chore. If they become interested in cooking and where food comes from, that passion stays with them as they grow." Last year, she brought in local producers, like Louise from Barcombe Nurseries, and local shepherd Tom, with his sheep. Louise talked to the young people about how fruit and vegetables are grown, and Tom discussed how sheep are looked after to produce the lamb we eat. "I realise this is controversial for some people, but I think it's helpful for children to understand where food comes from, and make a connection between what's on their plate and the sheep they see grazing on the Downs." Whole legs of lamb were marinated, chopped up and threaded onto five-foot willow sticks with courgettes and peppers, then cooked by the children over an open fire. All ages enjoy it, and Amanda encourages the teenagers to help the little ones. She hopes to do something similar this year. "It's a fantastic place to learn about good quality local produce."  Emma Chaplin, VIVA LEWES Glynde Food Festival, Glynde Place, 19th and 20th September, 10.30-5pm. www.glyndefoodfestival.co. Pre-book the demonstrations when you arrive. http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=3082 Fruit Rocks 2791 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:43:11 +0000 <img id="" src="/lib/img_draw.php?image=/sites/238/news/2791/Fruit_Rocks.jpg&width=157&height=235" alt="" border="" class="image-right" usemap="" style="" width="157" height="235"/>The really exciting thing about these fruit rocks is that once you have asked an adult if you can make them you can do everything else yourself until you need to ask for help to put them into the oven. You will be practicing some great skills along the way - weighing ingredients, rubbing butter into flour (great for crumbles, pastry & scones too!), cracking eggs and chopping with scissors. These fruit rocks are ideal for packed lunches or as a snack - have a look at my book ‘Healthy lunchboxes for Kids' for more ideas. Makes about 8-12 (depending on how big you make them!) Ingredients 125 g wholemeal self-raising flour & 125 g white self-raising flour OR 250 g white self-raising flour 90 g light soft brown sugar 90 g unsalted butter 125 g of any dried fruit you choose - for example raisins, dried mango, cranberries, sultanas, papaya etc 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice 1 free range egg Method <ol> <li> Turn the oven on to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 5. Weigh the flour in a bowl. Cut baking paper to fit on two baking trays or lightly grease them by rubbing a little butter over the trays.</li> <li> Put the butter onto a chopping board and using a table knife (a knife you eat with - not a sharp knife) cut the butter into small pieces. Try not to touch the butter too much as you don't want it to go soft. You may find it easier to put the butter into the flour and cut the butter once it is in the bowl.</li> <li> Using your finger tips (if you use your whole fingers you will melt the butter) gently rub the pieces of butter between the tips of your thumbs and fingers so they flatten and mix into the flour. As you are doing this lift your fingertips above the bowl as this will let air get to the flour and help keep the mixture cool. Keep rubbing until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.</li> <li> Using scissors cut any big pieces of dried fruit into small pieces and add to the flour with the sugar and mixed spice.</li> <li> Crack the egg - have you ever cracked an egg before? Hold the egg in your left hand over a small bowl. Hold a table knife with your other hand and use the knife to crack the egg in the middle. Put the knife down, holding the egg over a bowl, put your thumbs into the crack and pull the egg shell apart, let your egg fall into a bowl. Whisk the egg with a fork and then pour into the flour mixture.</li> <li> Now for the messy bit - put your hands into the bowl and bring everything together with your fingers.</li> <li> Using the table knife that you used for your butter cut the mixture in half and then cut each half into 6 even pieces so that you make 12 fruit rocks (or cut in half and then cut each half into four to make 8 bigger rocks)</li> <li> Mould them into rock shapes and put them onto the tray. Put your oven gloves on and ask an adult to help you put them into the oven and bake them for 12-15 minutes. They will be light golden in colour and they should have risen slightly. Leave to cool.</li> </ol> http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=2791 Childrens' Food Festival 2756 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:42:15 +0000 The <a href="http://www.childrensfoodfestival.co.uk/">Children's Food Festival</a> 2009 was a huge success with 14,000 families flocking to the site over June 27th and 28th. Once again I was running the Kids' Kitchen marquee where children were able to work with Chefs, Food Writers and Cookery Schools to prepare and cook a wide range of different foods. "When I walked into your marquee it hit me just how good it was - lots of happy children with hands in bowls making good food - it was marvellous. I also loved watching you teach children how to make sausage rolls, it was great, every day talking, you stuck to the basics which is what we need to be teaching. Well done". <a>Nora Sands</a>, from Jamie's School Dinners  We were so over subscribed that we could have run 10 times as many workshops. I also ran a session in the Celebrity Theatre talking to children and parents about quick, easy food for the family on the move using a number of recipes from my book <a href="/resource/item.htm?pid=367">Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids</a>. I was joined on stage by one of my Delicious ‘Junior Food Heroes' Billy Wyatt and another of my Junior Food heroes <a href="http://www.emmaspigs.co.uk">Emma</a> was also there talking about life as the youngest pig farmer in Britain.  http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=2756 Sausage and Apple Rolls 2737 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:54:51 +0000 This is just one of the recipes that I cooked at the <a href="http://www.childrensfoodfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank">Children’s Food Festival</a> in June, taken from my latest book <a href="/resource/item.htm?pid=367">Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids</a>. If you try these sausage rolls please let me know what you think of them and come back and have a look at this recipe page again - I will keep updating new and interesting things to try. <img id="" src="/sites/238/news/2737/SausageRolls.jpg" alt="" border="0" class="image-right" usemap="" style=""/>Red peppers contain fantastic vitamins like beta-carotene and vitamin C – both essential for helping boost immature immune systems. Try as often as possible to add vegetables to children's favourite foods. Makes about 10 Ingredients plain flour, for dusting 375 g pack puff pastry 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 apple, cored and finely chopped 450 g good quality pork sausagemeat (or sausages) 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped 1 egg, beaten Alternative filling – chicken mince, honey, wholegrain mustard Method <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 200C/ 400F/ gas mark 6. Lightly grease 2 large baking trays. Dust a work-surface with a little flour and roll the pastry (even if you have bought a ready rolled sheet of pastry you will need to roll it thinner) until it is approx 30cm x 28 cm and then cut in half lengthways.</li> <li>Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and pepper and sauté for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the chopped apple and cook for 1 minute. Leave to cool.</li> <li>Put the sausagemeat (if using sausages snip the skins and peel) into a bowl, add the onion mixture and parsley (if using) and season with a little freshly ground black pepper. </li> <li>Divide the sausagemeat mixture into two and shape each into a long sausage shape on top of the pastry. Brush one edge with beaten egg and then roll up. Seal and turn the rolls over so that the seam is underneath. </li> <li>Cut each roll into 2.5 cm lengths. Cut a small slit in the top of each roll, brush with beaten egg and pop onto the baking tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool. </li> </ol> http://www.amandagrant.com/news/item.htm?pid=2737