The much maligned sprout - more than just a fart bomb!

Have you ever had that feeling where you're hungry but you have no idea what you want to eat?  So you wander aimlessly around the supermarket waiting for some kind of neon flashing sign to appear in front of you announcing "here, pick me, I'm what you want!"

Well, I had that today.  Nothing looked appetising at all. None of the usual trusty favourites.  Nothing healthy.  Nothing naughty.  

N O T H I N G.

Until I walked past some sprouts.  And then I knew I HAD to eat sprouts tonight.

Except I still didn't fancy anything else and I was pretty sure Alex wasn't going to be massively impressed with a bowl of plain sprouts for tea.

So I wondered home, brain whirring, hoping something would leap into my head as the sprouts were cooking.

And miracle of all miracles it did. And weirdly, it worked.

So, here's how it went:

Sprouts cooked in a bit of garlic, sage and butter (just a bit) with a few bits bacon just for the flavour and some chestnuts.  A few red chilli flakes sprinkled over.

Left over gluten free spaghetti chopped up and chucked in a saute pan with some garlic and some lovely big meaty butter beans (from a tin).

A handful of kale torn up and chucked into that pan.

An egg chucked into that and mixed up as it cooked.

Sprouts were added, pepper was ground on top and at the last minute parmesan was finely grated in.

So, it made a sort of sprouty carbonara if you like!

Well, we did like.  The veg kept it lovely and green and healthy as well as filling, the egg and the beans provided the protein, the pasta was a small component keeping it nice and light, the chilli, garlic and parmesan added a bit of a flavour kick and there was a small smidgeon of relatively healthy fats in there too.

I love messing about making things up like this.  I think sprouts are something most people only ever see on Christmas day.  Probably over cooked too, thus resulting in what Michael McIntyre describes as 'fart bombs', which is nice.  Not only does that give them a bit of a bad name but I'm willing to bet not many people bother to try them in any other way at any other time.  A few new year's eves ago I made a delicious raw brussel sprout salad.  Granted, it sounds vile, but it was one of my favourite dishes that whole Christmas...Google it and try it.  I'd tell you my recipe but I can't remember it!

So, sprouts, much maligned but give them a try.