Lilypad in the hole

Getting back to work means that baking has been on the back burner, and quick teas have been the order of the day. The post Christmas austerity also means that I'm trying to cook lighter options too. For last night's tea I recreated a favourite in the Beard household - Lilypad in the hole. "What's that?" I hear you ask? It's toad in the hole with vegetarian sausages.When I tell anyone this, they say "but you're not vegetarian". But the great thing about vegetarian food is that meat eaters can eat it too, and it's lower fat and often cheaper, so great in January when 2 types of belt tightening are the order of the day.
The real reason I make this, however, is that we prefer it to toad in the hole. The problem with the carnivore friendly version is how greasy it is, the fat comes out of the sausages and makes the batter soggy and greasy. This doesn't happen with the veggie version, and it's quicker to make too, as you just preheat the oil in the dish while the oven heats up, then tip in the batter, pop the sausages in, put it back in the oven, and when the Yorkshire pudding is cooked the sausages are too. Yum! Delicious with a bit of microwaved swede and some sprouts!