Flower Sprouts - an alternative Sprout

As we approach Christmas day the big question is 'do you like sprouts or don't you?' 

I don't ever remember liking Brussels sprouts growing up, but sometime in my adult years I decided that I liked them after all, and now I love them! I think my daughter is heading the same way, as last year, after 11 years of eating sprouts, she declared that she now couldn't stand them. Maybe it's just not cool to like sprouts when you're a teen, or maybe our palate changes along with our bodies. Hopefully, when she's past those awkward teen years she'll once again find a love for them, but in the meantime I attempted to get her to eat some Flower Sprouts for dinner.

Flower sprouts are a relatively new vegetable, which are kind of a cross between sprouts and a mini cabbage or kale. They're not as tightly packed as a Brussels sprout, and therefore don't need to be cooked for as long, and after a quick blanch in boiling water they're tender enough to eat or add to a stir fry. It reminded me of the leaves of purple sprouting broccoli.

I made two dishes with my flower sprouts, the first of which was a warm salad for my lunch.

Flower Sprout, Bacon & Chestnut Salad - serves 1

tbsp sesame oil

3 rashers of lean dry cured bacon, chopped

handful of cooked chestnuts, chopped

3-4 handfuls of flower sprouts

tbsp honey

tbsp dark soy sauce

• heat the oil in a large frying pan
• add the bacon and fry until turning brown
• add the chestnuts and sprouts and fry for a couple of minutes
• add the honey and soy sauce and stir to coat everything and continue frying until the sprouts are heated through and tender

The second dish I made was for the rest of the family, and this time I cut the sprouts in half and blanched them quickly in boiling water to soften.

Flower Sprout & Chicken Chow Mein - serves 4

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, sliced

pinch of dried ginger

pinch of Chinese 5 spice

5-6 tbsp dark soy sauce

350g cooked chicken breast strips

150g flower sprouts

3-4 sheets of egg noodles

• heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok
• add the garlic and onion and fry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes
• add the ginger, 5 spice, 2 tbsp soy sauce and chicken breast and continue cooking for another minute or two whilst you blanch the sprouts
• bring a pan of boiling water to the boil and add the sprouts for 60 seconds before draining
• cook the noodles as per directions on the pack, and set aside
• add the sprouts to the pan and toss to coat, adding more soy sauce as and when needed
• add the noodles and stir - ensure everything is heated through before serving

The Chow Mein was a massive hit with the family. Before eating Jack declared "I don't like these green bits', but then went on to eat the lot. Hanna didn't ask what the green bits were so I didn't tell her, well not until she'd eaten the lot & said how nice it was . Later she said it tasted like broccoli.

post commissioned for flower-sprout.com

Slow Cooker Chinese Beef

For a few months I was without a slow cooker, after I overloaded my extremely small one with a joint for pulled pork and burnt all of the inside. I now have two large 6.5 litre slow cookers that I use to feed my son's football team (and opponents) sausage and bean chilli on a budget - 60 sausages + numerous cans of beans = 30 happy boys.

I now use my slow cooker as often as I can to make fuss free dinners for the family. This Chinese beef is one of those easy meals that takes very little preparation, and if you use a large joint (I used 1.6kg) it can easily stretch to two meals for a family of 4/5.

Slow Cooker Chinese Beef

Beef roasting joint (1-2kg)

200ml Hoisin sauce

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp honey

75ml dark soy sauce

bunch of spring onions, sliced

sesame seeds

• Heat a frying pan and place the beef in it to seal all sides
• Transfer the beef to the slow cooker
• Add the the Hoisin, garlic, honey and soy sauce
• Spoon the sauce over the beef and cook on high for 4-5 hours until tender, basting with the sauce every so often
• Remove the beef from the slow cooker and pull apart with two forks & set aside
• Add the sauce to a saucepan and bring to the boil and simmer until reduced in volume and thickened
• Add the beef into the sauce and toss to coat
• Serve over a bed of steamed rice and scattered with spring onions and sesame seeds

Serve any leftovers with noodles and stir fried vegetables.

How often do use your slow cooker, and what's your favourite slow cooker recipe?

I have lots more slow cooker recipes on this blog, and Aly from Bug, Bird Bee runs a Slow Cooker Sunday linky, where you can find some great recipes, such as this slow cooker vegetable lasagna.

recipe created for Tesco

Chicken Fried Rice

I don't claim to be a master of Chinese cooking but this meal is one that my family really likes. It's a great 'Fakeaway' way to use leftover roast chicken, or you can do what I do and cook one especially for making the fried rice. I used to make it years ago by adding the egg straight into the rice but a Chinese lady that I worked with told me to make an omelette with the eggs, slice it & add it to the rice at the end. She also advised to use pre-cooked and cooled rice to make sure that it doesn't stick together. Ever since then that is how I've done it - she wasn't a force to be argued with. You can add as much or as little of the vegetables that you want, and feel free to change for something that you have already in the fridge - peppers, courgettes, broccoli.

Chicken Fried Rice - Serves 4

Cooked & cooled Basmati rice - I cooked 300g of dried rice in the microwave
4 eggs, beaten
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
mushrooms, sliced
Cooked chicken
Dark soy sauce
Frozen sweetcorn & peas

• Heat a little oil in a large non stick frying pan & make an omelette with the beaten eggs (or 2 smaller ones if your pan is small).
• Set the omelette aside & slice into strips once cool
• Heat some oil in a wok and add the onions and garlic & fry for 2 minutes
• Add the mushrooms & fry for 1-2 minutes
• Add the cooked chicken & a few good dashes of soy sauce & stir whilst heating
• Add the sweetcorn & peas & a few more dashes of soy sauce
• Place a lid on & cook for approx 8-10 minutes until everything is heated through
• Stir in the rice, along with more soy sauce if needed, and heat through completely
• Stir in the egg strips before serving