December Veggie-in-the-Spotlight: Brussels Sprouts - of course!

Love ‘em or hate ‘em (perhaps sprouts are the marmite of seasonal food?), they are here for a while.

In honour of these much-maligned little greenies, we used to run an annual VBR “sprout peddling” competition to find the most sought-after of all seasonal cooking treasures … The Best Brussels Sprout Recipe. This recipe is recognizable by its magical power to convert entrenched sprout-loathers across the Northern hemisphere to “devout-sprout-touters” in time for Christmas.

As a result of this competition, we have accumulated a veritable cornusproutia of recipes to earn you rounds of approving nods and queues for seconds on Christmas Day whilst staying strictly seasonal.

Here they are:

Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts Fried with Apple
Brussels Sprouts Salad
Garlic and Almond Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts with Nutmeg
Simple Brussels Sprouts

Plus here's something extra special from Ooffoo member D. Lanz:

Brussels Sprouts Latino Recipe

And here are a few interesting Sprout Facts:

1. They were cultivated in Belgium from cabbages. Hence the name.
2. They’re an excellent source of Vitamin C, with just 6 lightly cooked sprouts containing an adult’s recommended daily allowance. They’re also packed with Vitamin D and folic acid, which are both common deficiencies in our modern diet.
3. If cooked right, they should have a pleasant, nutty flavour.
4. Like cauliflower, it’s the sulphur released during cooking that gives Brussels Sprouts their infamous smell. So the less time you cook them for, the less they’ll stink!
5. They’re migratory*.

*OK, no they’re not. But it’s a funny thought.

Time to Vote

This year, although we're not touting for any new recipes (which of course are always welcome), we'd love to know which of these most takes your fancy - a kind of winner of winners, if you like. So check out each of the recipes above and use the "I [HEART] THIS" option for the one which holds the most taste-bud tickling promise. We'll take a tally of the votes the week before Christmas and publish the results in an article called "The Sprout Recipe Most Likely To Succeed" so you can try it out on your Christmas Dinner guests.