Nearly Guilt-Free Sausage Rolls

These sausage rolls are nearly guilt free due to the healthy fat-free meaty filling, though of course the flaky pastry is pure indulgence. Most recipes for sausage rolls will tell you to buy ready made sausages, split them open and roll in pastry. I didn't fancy this, as god only knows what's in most sausages. So I used the following recipe, which I adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe. The lemon rind really lifts the flavor - it's a great addition. You could also use orange rind if you prefer.

Ingredients:

For the filling:
450grams lean pork mince
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 green apple, finely diced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Rind of half a lemon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and pepper

For the rest:
1 packet store-bought flaky pastry*
1 egg, beaten

Method:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. In a bowl combine all the filling ingredients with your hands. Take the flaky pastry out of the fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. Cut into strips which are at least 12cm wide. Form the sausage mixture into a log in the middle of each strip, and then wrap each side over, pressing the join closed with your fingers. Flip the sausage rolls over onto the baking trays, so that the join is at the bottom. Brush each roll with the egg glaze, then cut to your desired length, prick with a fork and bake for about 30 minutes.

Makes 9 large sausage rolls or 18 bite-sized ones.

*If you want to make the flaky pastry from scratch, you could try Delia Smith's Quick and Easy Flaky Pastry.