Grilled French Sausages

You might be thinking these French Grilled Sausages are simply fancy hot dogs. I assure you, mes amies, they are so much more. And they will become your go-to item on the grill this summer.

Right around this time last year, we were honeymooning in Paris. One of the best meals we had – and this is going to sound insane – was a grilled sausage picnic that we ordered from a deli near our hotel. We carried our packed lunch to a nearby park and sat in the sun, enjoying our lunch next to others taking mid-day breaks in the sunshine. The sausages were delicious, but what really made this special was that the sausages were served in slices of baguette. Because, apparently when you're a Parisian, you can eat french bread all day and still look like a model. Would this be a good time to point out that I gained 7 pounds on our honeymoon? But anyway.

I've brought this idea back to Portland, and now we always use baguettes in lieu of boring hot dog buns. And although our French 'dogs didn't include it, I always top it all of with caramelized veggies. And spicy brown mustard. And voila, Grilled Sausages, French-style for your summer grilling pleasure.

French Grilled Sausages

Serves approximately 4
1 package smoked andouille sausages (4-5 links)
1 baguette
1 green pepper, cut into julienne-style strips
1 red onion, cut into julienne-style strips
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
Optional: mustard

For veggie topping: Heat butter and oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Add onions and pepper slices, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. During this time, feel free to add more oil and butter if needed. Next, turn down the heat slightly and cook for another 15 minutes, until veggies and sticky and super soft.

Set veggies aside and cook the sausage links on a grill (or on stovetop on medium heat) until cooked through.

Slice the baguette "buns" to (roughly) match size of sausages. Slice each baguette open (stopping before cutting all the way through), and fill with a sausage, grilled veggies, and a spicy brown mustard.

Baked Strawberry Donuts with Honey Bourbon Glaze

Remember that rant from last week? About baked donuts? Well guys and girls, the quest continues. And I have to tell you about another rockstar baked donut recipe that totally classifies as a good baked donut (however hypocritical it might sound): Baked Strawberry Donuts with Honey Bourbon Glaze.

Although I'm not normally a huge fan of whisky, I recently discovered honey bourbon. And, I am a changed woman. It's so yummy and smooth that apparently I thought it was a good idea to add to breakfast food. Oh wait, this has happened before, hasn't it? Please don't judge me.

Readers often ask me who my taste testers are. For this recipe, I delivered donuts to several of my neighbors. I also sent Sam to work with a large pan. And let's just say that both parties reported back very ecstatically. And also with some questions about the amount of bourbon in each donut – which I PROBABLY should have thought about since Sam works in a school. Umm.... oops? 

It's definitely strawberry season, so go ahead and try this recipe for yourself while the berries are fresh and flavorful.  

Baked Strawberry Donuts with Honey Bourbon Glaze

Makes 14-16 donuts

Donut Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour, sifted
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
¾ cup reduced fat buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 T butter, melted 

1/2 cup strawberries

Glaze Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar

4 T Honey Bourbon

4 tsp vanilla extract

Strawberries and brown sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Add buttermilk, eggs and butter. Beat until just combined. Pulse strawberries in food processor, leaving slightly chunky, and mix into dough until combined. Fill each doughnut cup approximately 2/3 full.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the top of the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool in pan for 4-5 minutes before removing. 

For glaze, whisk together the bourbon and vanilla, and slowly add to powdered sugar, stirring to make a smooth glaze. Spread onto each donut and top with a strawberry and a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Summer Picnic Upgrades

Picnics are one of my ALL TIME favorite summer activities. Our little neighborhood is surrounded by four parks in walking distance, and believe me when I say that I spend every possible second bouncing between them when the sun is out. Each one has their perk; one allows dogs so I can bring Lola, another is closer to the local ice cream shop, and so on. You can see where my priorities are, clearly.

Anyway. Last month I wrote an article for Plum Deluxe about all things Pineapple, and I'm excited to share my next article with you: 10 Easy Upgrades to Classic Picnic Foods. Check it out – and then share your favorite picnic recipe below.