The Sprout Appreciation Thread

[razamakaz]

As a follow up to Emma's "cabbage" thread, thought I'd start this one for all us sproutees out there.

WE LOVE SPROUTS!

[earthangel]

...and on the eighth day, God made sprouts. Amen.

[razamakaz]

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[earthangel]

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Goody goody yum yum!

[razamakaz]

Recipes

Some easy suggestions for ways to cook sprouts are:

• Boil sprouts for seven to eight minutes, add salt and pepper to season and toss in garlic butter and a few herbs. Or add finely chopped sweated shallots and cooked bacon, and toss them in virgin olive oil.
• Stir-fry in groundnut oil for two to three minutes, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover and bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes or until sprouts are tender. At this stage you could try adding pine or hazelnuts.
• Fry sprouts in butter with strips of ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for five minutes. Add some orange juice and a few strips of rind, a splash of soy sauce, salt, pepper and cover for a further four minutes.

[razamakaz]

History


Sprouts are part of the cabbage or brassica family and were originally found in Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Their existence in Europe was first recorded in 1587, and they became known as the Brussels sprout due to their popularity in Belgium. In Britain we produce over £30m-worth of sprouts a year, a large proportion of which are exported to mainland Europe and Commonwealth countries.

[razamakaz]

Full of goodness

People have long known that sprouts are good for you. More than 5,000 years ago sprouts were prescribed by ancient Chinese physicians for a range of ills. In the 1700s, Captain Cook had his crew eat sprouts as well as limes and lemons to combat scurvy.

Today's move toward a healthier lifestyle has encouraged the British Sprout Growers Association to champion the humble sprout, providing information about their nutritional and health benefits.


"Just four to six sprouts contain the adult daily vitamin C requirements"

At around ten calories each, they're very low in fat and also in sodium. They're high in dietary fibre and contain high levels of vitamin C - weight for weight, sprouts have three times the level of vitamin C of an orange, and just four to six sprouts contain the adult daily vitamin C requirements.
They're also also a good source of vitamin D and folic acid during pregnancy and have specific health-promoting compounds called glucosinolates which are believed to help prevent cancer.

Sprout tops


"Sprout tops are now one of the most fashionable vegetables in the foodie world"

Once the preserve of street markets and allotment growers, sprout tops are now one of the most fashionable vegetables in the foodie world, along with other rediscovered brassicas like curly kale and purple sprouting broccoli. You'll now find them on smart menus all over London.

[emma5721]

PMSL............i see its getting near the xmas good will kt time...lol sprouts rule!!! swedes suck lol

[razamakaz]

I never used to like brussels sprouts, until one day I had them when they weren't over-cooked. Still just a little bit crunchy, they had a wonderfully nutty flavor. Who knew brussels sprouts could taste so good? Now I love them, especially with brown rice and butter.

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts
4-6 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 Tbsp Meyer lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

1 Boil in water or steam brussels sprouts for 3-4 minutes until just tender. Split one open to see if it has cooked to the middle. Strain and place in a bowl of ice water to keep the color bright green. Cut into halves.

2 Sauté onions in 2-3 Tbsp of butter in a wide sauté pan until the onions are translucent. Add the brussels sprout halves and 2-3 Tbsp more of butter and cook on medium high heat for several more minutes, until the sprouts have reached your desired level of doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste while the sprouts are cooking. Whatever you do, do not over-cook, as the sprouts will be bitter.

3 Remove from heat, toss in half of the toasted slivered almonds and the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper if needed. Put into serving dish and garnish with the rest of the toasted almonds.

Serves 6-8.

[razamakaz]

Brussels Sprouts Sauce

Measure into a one-quart suacepan:

• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• A pinch of salt

Heat to boiling and stir until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the following:

• 1 Tablespoon dry, granulated beef bouillon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Poor over cooked Brussels sprouts.

Note: The sauce can last for weeks stored in a bottle at room temperature.