Sausage, celery & tomato bake

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 1 hour 5 minutes; Serves: 4

Celery, thickly sliced diagonally, about 1-inch in length	5 stalks
Onion, red, quartered	1 large
Garlic, peeled	5 cloves
Salt, sea	½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Oil, olive	1 tablespoon
Tomatoes, Roma, quartered.	4 large
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Sausages, good quality	10 thick

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper with the olive oil. 
2. Place the vegetable on a rimmed sheet pan, arranging the tomatoes on the outer edges of the pan. 
3. Sprinkle with the fennel seeds, then place the sausages on top of the vegetables (excluding tomatoes). 
4. Bake for 55 minutes, turning the sausages once midway through baking. 

Recipe mildly modified from Sheet Pan Dinners by Jenny Tschiesche & Liz Franklin.

Cape Malay chicken curry

Active: 40 minutes; Total: 1 hour; Serves: 6

Cinnamon sticks	2 sticks
Fennel seeds	2 teaspoons
Chicken, whole, cut into 10 bone-in pieces	3 ½ to 4 ½ pounds
Salt, kosher	1 tablespoons + ½ teaspoon +
Oil, grapeseed	2 tablespoons
Onions, yellow, cut into ½-inch-thick slices	2 medium
Jalapeños, halved lengthwise, seeded, thinly sliced	2 medium
Ginger, peeled, grated	2 tablespoons
Curry powder	2 tablespoons
Garlic, finely chopped	3 cloves
Tomatoes, diced, undrained	15 ounces
Water	1 cup
Mango chutney	¼ cup
Bay leaves, fresh or dried	2 leaves
Lime juice, fresh	1 ½ tablespoons
Mielie pap
Cilantro	Garnish

1. Heat the cinnamon sticks and fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Transfer to a spice grinder; process until very finely ground, about 45 seconds; set aside. 
3. Sprinkle chicken pieces all over with 1-tablespoon salt. 
4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. 
5. Working in two batches, cooking the chicken until browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. 
6. Reduce heat to medium. 
7. Add onions and ½-teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to loosen any browned bits, until onions are softened, 10 to 12 minutes. 
8. Stir in the jalapeños, ginger, curry powder, garlic, and ground cinnamon mixture. 
9. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
10. Stir undrained tomatoes into curry mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces and forms a thick paste, 3 to 4 minutes. 
11. Stir in water, chutney, bay leaves, and 2-teaspoons salt. 
12. Nestle chicken pieces into the mixture. 
13. Bring to a boil over medium heat. 
14. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken thighs registered 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. 
15. Stir the lime juice into the curry mixture; season with salt to taste. 
16. Ladle curry over mielie pap; garnish with cilantro. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, October 2020

Boneless leg of lamb with tomato-olive relish

Lamb, boneless leg with a thin layer of fat	2 ½ to 3 pounds
Wine, dry red	½ cup
Oil, olive	¼ cup
Garlic, smashed	5 cloves
Fennel seeds, crushed	1 teaspoon
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Tomatoes, grape-sized, halved lengthwise, cut into thin slivers, but not seeded	1 cup
Olives, kalamata, cut lengthwise into thin slivers	½ cup
Basil, fresh, minced	3 tablespoons
Rosemary, fresh, minced	2 teaspoons
Fennel seeds, crushed	1 ½ teaspoons
Pepper, red flakes	¼ teaspoon

1. Place the lamb in a resealable plastic bag. 
2. In a small bowl, stir together the wine, oil, garlic, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper; pour over the lamb, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 3 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, basil, rosemary, fennel seeds, and pepper flakes; side aside at room temperature for up to 3 hours. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F; arrange a rack in the center of the oven. 
5. Remove the lamb from the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. 
6. Over medium-high heat, warm enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of a large, heavy, ovenproof roasting pan. 
7. Add the lamb, and brown on all sides, for 6 to 8 minutes. 
8. Place the lamb in the oven, and roast until a thermometer registers 130°F when inserted into the thickest part of the meat, for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the roast. 
9. Remove the lamb to a carving board and tent loosely with foil; let rest for 15 minutes. 
10. Slice the meat ½-inch thick, and arrange the slices overlapping on a platter; serve with the tomato-olive relish. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom.

Paneer marsala

World’s best lasagna

Sausage, sweet Italian, casting removed, crumbed	1 pound
Beef, lean, ground	¾ pound
Shallots, minced	½ cup
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Tomatoes, crushed	28 ounces
Tomato paste	12 ounces
Tomato sauce	13 ounces
Water	½ cup
Sugar	2 tablespoons
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Italian seasonings	1 teaspoon
Salt	½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	½ teaspoon
Parsley, freshly chopped	¼ cup + ¼ cup
Lasagna noodles, cooked	12
Cheese, ricotta	16 ounces
Egg	1 large
Cheese, mozzarella, fresh, sliced	¾ pound
Cheese, Parmesan, grated	¾ cup

1. In a large stockpot, cook the sausage, beef, shallot, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 
2. Stir in the tomatoes and water. 
3. Season with the sugar, basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, ½-teaspoon salt, pepper, and ¼-cup parsley. 
4. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. 
5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, ¼-cup parsley, and ½-teaspoon salt. 
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 
7. To assemble, spread 1 ½-cups meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. 
8. Arrange six noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce, and spread with half of the ricotta mixture. 
9. Top with a third of the mozzarella slices. 
10. Spoon 1 ½-cups meat sauce over the mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼-cup Parmesan. 
11. Repeat layers, and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. 
12. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, spray the foil with cooking spray. 
13. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. 
14. Cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Recipe mildly adapted from allrecipes.com.