Sprouts - are you a lover or a hater?

Like, probably about 90% of the population, as a child, sprouts would probably have been my answer to the question 'what food do you hate the most'?  I remember mum, bless her, boiling them to the point of mush and trying to force them down whenever they appeared on a Sunday dinner and them being the absolute worse part of Christmas Dinner (but having to eat them anyway).

I can't quite remember when I made the transition from 'hater' to 'lover' but certainly over the past few years, as soon as they appear in the shops, sprouts have their place on my weekly shopping list and I use them in all sorts of dishes and cook them in different ways.  And one of the highlights of the year, is going to Asda shortly after Christmas when they are literally giving them away (one year, there was a security guard at the door handing you bags of sprouts for free as you left.  I asked if I could have two bags and his response was 'take as many as you like love!' :) 

Here's a few of my favourite recipes.

Smashed cheesy garlic sprouts

Ingredients

- Sprouts (trimmed)
- 3 garlic cloves crushed (you can add as much or as little garlic according to your preferences)
- 15g of parmesan cheese

Method

1) Parboil your sprouts until a sharp knife slides in easily (but don't over boil) - I'd say about 7 minutes
2) Drain and then place in an oven proof dish so that the sprouts are in a single layer

3) now the fun part - the smashing!  I use a flat bottom glass but you could use any utensil you have available to press down firmly on the sprouts so they 'splat' out (you still want them to keep their shape roughly)

4) sprinkle your garlic and parmesan cheese evenly over the sprouts

5) Place in a pre-heated oven on 190°C / gas mark 5 for about 20-25 minutes until the cheese has crisped up.

Serve as a tasty side dish with whatever you fancy!  This week we had them with balsamic roasted veg, new potatoes and sea bass, however they go with all sorts of dishes.

Vegetarian sauteed sprouts and 'bacon'

We are trying to eat more plant based foods and this was a really tasty dish which I'll be making often!

Ingredients

- sprouts, sliced in half
- a medium white onion, finely chopped
- Vivera plant bacon smokey sizzlers (most supermarkets sell this, I was delighted to find a pack in the yellow sticker aisle at Tesco recently!)

Method

1) Slice your sprouts in half and parboil your sprouts until a sharp knife slides in easily (but don't over boil) - I'd say about 5 -7 minutes

2) Meanwhile, add a splash of water to a large non-stick frying pan and add your chopped onion and fry gently until starting to soften.

3) Once the sprouts are boiled, drain them and add those and the Vivera bacon pieces to your frying pan.  Spray with low calorie cooking spray and fry for about 10 mins stirring often.  I add a bit more water if needed.

4) When the sprouts start to brown up a bit, its done.  Put in a serving bowl or add to your dinner and enjoy!

Other ways I like to cook with sprouts

Stir fry
Literally slice them thinly or shred and throw in your favourite stirfry

Roasted
Simple but absolutely delicious, just spray whole sprouts with low calorie spray oil and roast them in the oven for about 30 minutes

Coleslaw

Shred them finely and use as well as, or in place of, cabbage in your homemade coleslaw (I'll do a blog about my fat free homemade coleslaw soon!)

Boiled
Now I've learned to not boil them to the point of no return, I do love the simple boiled sprouts on a Sunday roast (or as a vegetable side with other dishes). I always cook loads when I make a Sunday roast as leftovers are delicious for lunch or dinner the next day too!

Sprout 'bread'

I've not made these for years but found the recipe on my phone so am going to be putting them on my meal plan for next week for sure!

Spin offs!

Just leaving these images here....  would you buy them?

Why should you eat sprouts?

Sprouts are really good for us!  They are low in calories but those little green balls pack a mighty nutrient punch!  They are high in fibre, vitamin K and vitamin C but also contain lots of other nutrients that are essential for our health.  They are also high in anti-oxidants which help lower our risk of chronic disease and help with inflammation. 

If you've been avoiding sprouts since childhood, give them a second chance!

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