Roasted Sausages, Savory Onion Pie, BLT Salad

Tonight we are having roasted parmesan-basil chicken sausages, savory onion pie with gruyere crust and a bacon-spinach and tomato salad (with avocado dressing).

Roasted Sausages: I buy the Trader Joe's chicken sausages and roast in 400 oven for 25 minutes.

Savory Onion Pie with Gruyere Crust:

Onion Topping:
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon butter
2 large onions, (or 3-4 small onions) cut into wedges
1 teaspoon salt
Shake pepper
½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
¾ cup grated gruyere cheese

Crust:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup gruyere cheese
¾ stick butter, cut into pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 25 minutes until onion is browned. Remove from heat, add salt pepper and sage. Cool. Add cheese. Spray bottom and sides of 9 ½ inch deep­-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Add onion mixture.

To make crust, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in food processor. Add cheese and pulse. Add butter and pulse until flour mixture becomes a coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a bowl and drizzle into food processor. Pulse until flour mixture almost forms a ball. Dump onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead to form a ball. Wrap up sides of plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. Unwrap and put another piece of plastic wrap on top. Roll with rolling pin to make a 10” round. Remove wrap and place dough on top of pie plate, tucking edges under.
Bake in preheated 400 oven for 25 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes then invert on a serving dish. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Awesome!

BLT salad
Baby spinach or lettuces with crumbled bacon, ripe tomatoes tossed with a dressing of:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
Juice of 1 lime
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried basil
3/4 cup olive oil.

Combine all dressing ingredients except oil in food processor. Drizzle in oil while machine is running--stop before it becomes over-emulsified. Taste and correct seasonings.