Grilled Sausage Sandwiches with Fennel and Onion and Beet Salad Side

Grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches with Fennel and Onion
2 Italian sausage (hot or sweet depending on your preference)

1/2 fennel bulb,thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoons chili oil (divided)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 hot dog rolls
Toss together fennel, onion, salt, and pepper in a bowl and set aside. Preheat the grill. Cook sausages over high heat until cooked through about 12 minutes. 

Meanwhile coat a saute pan with cooking spray cook (on the grill or the stove-top) the vegetables in the remaining 1 tsp of oil until softened and charred about 8-10 minutes. Serve sausages in buns, topped with fennel and onion.

Beet, Cucumber and Onion Salad with Dijon Honey Dressing

2 medium beets, trimmed

1/3 large English cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

1/6 onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

3/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast beets until tender, about 90 minutes. Cool then peel beets, and cut each into 6 slices. Arrange beets,slightly overlapping, on half of the platter. Arrange cucumber slices on other half. Scatter onion in center.

Whisk honey, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle over vegetables.

Dinner was served with a 2006 Santa Margarita Chianti Classico readily available at Kappy's.