Toad-in-the-hole using homemade sausages

Method
Prep:30min  ›  Cook:45min  ›  Ready in:1hr15min 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F, gas mark 7). To make the sausages, combine the pork, breadcrumbs, leek and sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and season to taste. Mix well, then shape into 8 sausages, each about 10 x 2.5cm (4 x 1 in). Place on a plate and chill.
2. For the batter, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and half the milk. Whisk, gradually incorporating the flour to make a thick lump-free batter. Slowly whisk in the remaining milk to make a smooth thin batter, then whisk in the parsley.
3. Put the oil in a 30 x 25 cm (12 x 10 in) non-stick roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the sausages and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven. Stir the batter, then pour it over the sausages. Return the tin to the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the batter is crisp and golden brown.
4. Meanwhile put the carrots, parsnips and swede in a saucepan and pour over boiling water to cover them by 5 cm (2 in). Bring back to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.
5. Combine all the ingredients for the baked beans in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for about10 minutes or until thickened. Keep hot. At the same time, steam the French beans for about 3 minutes or until they are just tender.
6. Drain the root vegetables well. Return them to the pan and mash until they are completely smooth, then stir in the French beans and seasoning.
7. Serve the toad-in-the-hole hot, with the mashed root vegetables and baked beans alongside.

Some more ideas

For extra iron, replace the pork with lean minced venison, and substitute ready-to-eat dried apricots for the sun-dried tomatoes. * If you can't get mi-cuit tomatoes, use sun-dried tomatoes in oil and drain them well. * Instead of the root vegetable mash and baked beans, serve the toad-in-the-hole with baked potatoes and crisp stir-fried vegetables. Use 200 g (7 oz) sugarsnap peas, and 2 courgettes and 3 carrots, all sliced on the diagonal. Heat a wok until hot, then add 1 tbsp sunflower oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the vegetables and stir-fry over a high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 3 tbsp vegetable stock and 1 tbsp soy sauce, reduce the heat to moderate and stir-fry for 3–5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but still slightly crunchy.

Plus points

This is an excellent meal for growing children and teenagers because it contains such a variety of nutrients. The pork provides protein and zinc. The eggs provide protein, iron, zinc, selenium and vitamins A, B and E, while the milk provides protein, calcium, phosphorus and many of the B vitamins. Between them, the vegetables supply vitamins A, B, C and E. * In these days of refrigerated transport and all-year-round variety, it is easy to forget the importance of root vegetables, such as parsnips and swede, as a source of vitamin C. At one time, these vegetables were very important in preventing scurvy in Britain during the winter months.

Each serving provides

A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, E, niacin, calcium, iron, zinc * selenium