Sausage Puffballs

Ingredients:

2 pounds bulk pork breakfast sausage (half mild and half seasoned, such as sage)
1 cup pork-flavored stuffing mix (measure first, then grind into coarse crumbs in a food processor if necessary or use a
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the canned variety)
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1/4 cup chunky salsa
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup small capers, minced
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

Optional Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup prepared salsa

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Combine pork sausage, stuffing crumbs, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, sweet onion,salsa, raspberry jam, capers, parsley, egg, salt, and chipotle chile pepper in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed but avoid over-handling.

Cut puff pastry into 1-1/2-inch squares. Roll sausage mixture into 1-inch balls and wrap in puff pastry squares, stretching to cover. Place seam-side down on prepared pan. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For optional dipping sauce, combine raspberry jam and salsa. Serve with sausage puffballs.

Yield: about 80 pieces

Baked Pork and Apple Meatballs

1¼ hours | 20 min prep
SERVES 4

2 lbs ground lean pork (I used 1/3 sausage, 2/3 pork)
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sage
2 apples, peeled and cored
1 egg, beaten
150 ml white wine
300 ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
cornflour, for thickening (cornstarch) (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut apples into 1/2” pieces and set aside.
3. Melt butter in frying pan and cook onions gently for a few minutes until transparent.
4. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to the onions and cook for a minute or so.
5. Remove from heat and add sage; set aside to cool.
6. Add the apple pieces, egg and ground pork to the onion mixture once it has cooled; season with salt and pepper and mix well.
7. Roll mixture into 12 meatballs.
8. In a clean frying pan, brown the meatballs in 1 tablespoon of butter making sure to turn carefully so they do not break apart.
9. Put the browned meatballs into an ovenproof casserole dish.
10. Pour the white wine into a saucepan and boil until it reduces down to about 1/2.
11. Stir in the chicken stock; pour liquid over meatballs.
12. Place in the oven uncovered for 45 minutes.
13. Remove meatballs carefully from casserole dish and keep warm.
14. Skim any fat off of the juices left in the pan.
15. Optional: Use the cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with a bit of cold water and whisk into the juices for a thicker sauce.
16. Serve meatballs with the sauce drizzled over top.