If you fancy a change from the normal bangers and mash try this sweet n sour dish.  The sauce is really versatile and can be used to marinate sausages for barbequing or for any other pork dish.  We’ve used pork sausage in this recipe but Cumberland sausages or even beef sausage taste equally as good.  It takes about half an hour to prepare but then it’s straight in the oven and then to the table.  To keep the washing up to a minimum use an oven to table earthenware casserole dish. 

Sweet n sour Sausages
Cooking time 1-1½ hours
Serves 6

Ingredients
500g Sausages (Pork, Cumberland or beef)
1 large onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 Tblsp olive oil or vegetable oil
200ml stock
1 tspn cornflour

For the sauce
3 Tblesp vinegar
3 Tblesps sugar (substitute half the sugar for your favourite sweetener to keep the sugar content down)
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tablesp soya sauce
½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

Method
Put a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan and sauté the green pepper, red pepper and onion.  Drain and place in an ovenproof casserole dish.
Put the remaining oil into the saucepan and cook the sausage until just turning brown.  Drain and transfer to the casserole dish.
Place the vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, soya sauce and five spice into a separate bowl and mix together until the ingredients are well blended.  We love this part because the smell is so delicious!
Pour the mixed sauce ingredients over the sausages in the casserole dish.
Cover and cook in the oven on a medium heat for 1-1½ hours.
When the sausages are thoroughly cooked remove the casserole from the oven and thicken with cornflour.

Serving suggestions:
Rice
This casserole tastes great served on a bed of fluffy rice.

Chips
Home made thick cut chips and sweet frozen peas are a great accompaniment to this dish.

Fresh Bread
Serve with a warmed crusty French stick and real butter.