Brussels sprouts are iconic around Christmas time and, love them or loath them, are a staple of winter kitchen gardens. If you have grown Brussels sprouts in your polytunnel or elsewhere in your garden such as a fruit cage this year, here are five of the many ways to make the most of them in your kitchen:
Of course the easiest way to serve Brussels sprouts is simply to serve then boiled as a side dish alongside other festive recipes. This allows the sprouts to speak for themselves and stand out with their simple, sprouty flavour. If you do not particularly enjoy the flavour, however, there are a wide range of other ways to cook sprouts which could allow even those who are not that keen to enjoy them.
Stir fried sprouts allow you to add all sorts of other ingredients to enliven this brassica. How about a simple stir fry with tahini and nuts, a warming ginger and miso stir fry, or a salty stir fry with soy sauce? The options for stir frying sprouts and other winter vegetables are almost endless.
To further 'camouflage' your sprouts and make them appeal to a wider range of people, how about including some sprouts in a Christmas pie? You could have a pie with turkey for meat eaters, keep things veggie with cranberries and crumbly cheeses, or go for a fully vegan option with fruits, nuts and caramelized onions.
A Christmas loaf offers yet more options for non-meat eaters this Christmas. Combine sprouts or other green vegetables with nuts, seeds, berries and oats for a wholesome and delicious bake that even stalwart meat eaters will enjoy, or concoct a whole range of other Christmas loaves with lentils, beans or other pulses.
Finally, don't let those leftover Brussels sprouts from Christmas day go to waste. Take a leaf out of the history books and enjoy a traditional bubble and squeak made of the leftover green vegetables and potatoes. You can make your bubble and squeak more interesting by adding some of your herbs or spices to taste, or hot things up with a little warming mustard.
Of course these are just some of the many ways to make use of the Brussels sprouts you have grown in your garden. Make sure you give this vegetable its due and cook it well this Christmas. Find the right recipe and every sprout-hater could be converted.
