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Jazzing up the sprouts

A type of cabbage, Brussels sprouts originated in Brussels in the 1500s. They are tasty and good for us but get little airtime outside of Christmas Day.

Maybe it’s because too many of us have memories of soggy sprouts boiled to an inch of their life but the world is a different place now and we treat our vegetables with more respect.

They also are inexpensive and are hanging around the supermarkets right now. And Sprouts are a sort of super food. Rich in calcium and vitamin C.

This recipe goes down well with vegans and carnivores alike : Roast them in the oven with cauliflower and lots of olive oil and some salt and pepper. 

Throw in chopped parsley, roasted pine nuts, cooked quinoa and pomegranate seeds at the last minute for a seriously attractive and tasty dish.

And the Nigela recipe below is also a clear winner. There is nothing too tricky involved in creating this dish. It did call for preserved lemons (which you will see in the method just in case you do have them hanging around at home), but we had none so tried it without and it was still delicious).

Nigella Lawson’s Brussels sprouts with pomegranate

SERVES 4-6

2 tbsp regular olive oil

25g unsalted butter (or just increase olive oil if a vegan is being served)

1 leek (125g-150g trimmed weight), thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp ground cinnamon

750g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved from root to tip

2 tsp sea salt flakes

125ml water from a freshly boiled kettle

Leaves from a small (approx 25g) bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

4 tbsp pomegranate seeds

  1. Heat the oil and butter in a casserole or heavy-based pan that has a lid, and fry the sliced leek, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes over a medium-high heat until softened but not browned.
  2. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped preserved lemon and stir again, before adding the ground cinnamon.
  3. Now add the halved sprouts and turn them in the pan to get them really well coated before sprinkling with the salt and pouring the water into the pan.
  4. Stir again, then clamp on the lid and cook them over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until they are tender, but not soft.
  5. Once they are ready, stir through about three quarters of the chopped parsley and 2 tbsp of the pomegranate seeds then turn out into a bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and pomegranate seeds then serve.

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