In Season: Kids' favorites

A salad and an omelet is not always enough to quench the family's appetite, especially on a cold winter evening. So how about cooking some all time favorites with added sausages for hearty, warming easy meals which everybody will love? These recipes were given to us courtesy of Tirat Zvi Meat Company, but they can also be prepared without the meat, with added butter and cheese.

PASTA AND SAUSAGE

Kids' favorites – mini sausages and ptitim are winners with grownups too. Add some coriander leaves and coconut milk and you can serve it to guests as well.

✔ 2 onions, chopped
✔ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
✔ 1⁄2 package (350 gr.) mini chicken sausages "Tirat Zvi"
✔ 1 can crushed tomatoes (260 gr.)
✔ 100 gr. tomato paste
✔ 1 can coconut milk (200 ml.)
✔ 1⁄2 tsp sweet paprika
✔ Salt and pepper
✔ Handful coriander leaves
✔ 1 package Ptitim (star shaped) or any other pasta

In a medium cooking pot, fry onion in a little oil about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for one more minute. Add the sausages toss for 3 minutes and add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well and ass the coconut milk. Season and add the coriander. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile cook ptitim according to manufacturer's directions.

Pour the sauce over the ptitim, toss and serve.

FRENCH TOAST

Makes 2 sandwiches

French toast is another favorite with kids.

This time make it in a meat version with pastrami or salami for a complete dinner.

✔ 1 egg
✔ 2 thick slices white bread, crust removed
✔ 10 slices tea-salami or pastrami Tirat Zvi
✔ 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
✔ 1 tomato, sliced

Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Beat egg with 1 tbsp. water, and season with salt and pepper.

Dip the slices in the egg. Place the dipped slices on a tray. Arrange the sandwich – place layers of pastrami, mayonnaise and tomato on two of the slices ending with pastrami (or salami), and cover with the two slices left.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Serve with pickles.

POLENTA LASAGNA

Polenta is an Italian dish made from corn meal. It is usually cooked with butter and cream and seasoned with parmesan cheese. But is can be cooked without dairy products and enriched with beef sausage and tomatoes for a hearty easy to make dish.

✔ 2 onions, chopped
✔ 3 garlic cloves
✔ 1 package Tirat Zvi American beef sausage
✔ 1 can crushed tomatoes
✔ 100 gr. tomato paste
✔ 1⁄4 tsp. nutmeg
✔ 1 tsp. oregano
✔ 1Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
✔ 1⁄2 tsp. sweet paprika
✔ Salt and pepper
✔ 3 Tbsp. olive oil
✔ 1 package quick-cooking corn meal (500 gr.)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees.

Fry onion in a little oil until golden. Add garlic and sausage and sauté for 5 minutes.

Pour the crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste, diluted in 1⁄2 cup water, over the sausage. Season to taste and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Prepare polenta: in a wide cooking pot bring to boil 2 liter + 1 cup water. Add olive oil and salt. As soon as the water start boiling start adding the corn meal gradually while mixing to avoid lumps. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Pour half of the cooked polenta into a glass baking dish. Pour the sausage sauce over it and cover with the remaining polenta. Place in a preheated oven and bake 20-25 minutes.

RICH MINESTRONE

Minestrone in Italian is – soup. But what became everybody's favorite Italian style soup, commonly referred to as 'Minestrone' is a rich vegetable and bean soup which is a meal in itself. Here is a version with chicken sausages and pasta, which is a meal in a pot.

✔ 2 onions, chopped
✔ 1 celery root, peeled and cubed
✔ 1 parsley root, peeled and cubed
✔ 1 turkey wing or neck for taste
✔ 1⁄2 cup soaked white beans
✔ 1⁄2 cup soaked red beans
✔ 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
✔ 5 carrots, peeled and cubed
✔ 3 zucchini cubed
✔ 3 tomatoes, cubed
✔ 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
✔ Handful basil leaves, torn
✔ 1 tsp. dry oregano
✔ Salt and pepper
✔ 1⁄2 package (500 gr.) chicken sausages, sliced
✔ 1 cup pasta (use farfalle)
✔ 2 bread slices, cubed
✔ 2 Tbsp. olive oil Fry onion in a little oil for 3 minutes.

Add the celery and parsley root.

Add the turkey neck and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Add the strained beans, the vegetables, tomato puree and season.

Add enough water until it is 5 cm.

over the vegetables. Bring soup to boil, lower heat to minimum and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile lightly fry the sausage rings in a prying pan. Add the sausage to the soup after 30 minutes and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.

Add the pasta and continue cooking 10 more minutes.

Serve with homemade croutons: place bread cubes in a bowl, pour oil over it, mix well and place in a lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 180 degrees oven for 10 minutes. 

Recipes and photos courtesy of Tirat Zvi