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Brussels Sprouts

Just in time for Christmas, every young veggie’s favourite - the Brussels Sprout!

A member of the same crucifrae family as cabbage, so named because of their four-part flowers in the shape of a cross, Brussels sprouts (or tiny cabbages) are thought to have been cultivated in Italy when the Romans were calling the tunes. The modern Brussels sprout that we are familiar with was first cultivated in large quantities in Belgium in the late sixteenth century. So you can blame them!

Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C, a useful source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin B6 and folate and also contain a whole host of other nutrients including iron, calcium, zinc and B12. But despite these amazing credentials we do not recommend making smoothies with them.

Before eating they should be washed thoroughly in cold water and have any damaged leaves and the stem trimmed off. For larger sprouts it might be necessary to cut a cross in the base of each sprout to ensure that the thick stemmy bit cooks at the same rate as the leaves. Sprouts are usually boiled or steamed for approximately 10-15 minutes or until tender but can also be used raw in many recipes.

Try Sesame Shredded Brussels Sprouts. Go on, you know you want to...