Bangers & Mash

When the skies are misty and the air is chilly, New York could almost be London. When I went to London five years ago, one of my favorite meals was at Sausage and Mash in Knotting Hill. Simple, fattening, and oh so yummy. Since then, sausage and mashed potatoes has been a staple meal for me.
It's really easy to make, cheap and you'll have leftovers that you can reheat or turn into something else. All you have to do is buy some fat sausages, onions, potatoes and some kind of vegetable for health. Trader Joe's and Fairway have pre cooked sausages that are good if you're short on time. I also like the fat sausage you can get at the the farmer's market. They are pricier than the fresh sausage at the Whole Foods, but they're often a little bigger and the vendors often give out samples, so you can taste before you buy. So throw the bangers in a pan with some sliced onions. I like to get one side browned for looks before I dump water in to speed up the cooking and prevent burning. Cover the pan and put potatoes in a pot of water for mashed potatoes. If you have green beans for a green, you can steam them while the potatoes boil. Push on the sausage, if it feels like the cartilage on your nose, then it's done. If the onions are the color you like, and the pan's bottom is browning, and you're drinking a beer, pour some of the beer in the pan for a nice pan dripping sauce. Add butter if you want it to be richer. Mash potatoes, add butter, milk and salt and you should be good to go.
Tonight, I made sweet potato mash and then braised some red cabbage with onions and apples for the healthy part.