Saturday 24 December 2011

The great sprout debate

Love 'em?  or hate 'em?
Sprouts seem to be a bit like Marmite, you either really like them or you really don't.  And I fall into the 'really don't' category.  Over the years I've tried to disguise them in many ways, cooked with pancetta, cooked with chestnuts, stir fried or boiled.  Still don't like them.  Husband and daughter love them, can't understand why I don't.  So when I charged the husband with the job of picking the sprouts off their stalks, he asked how many I needed.  He figured most people would want at least six.  SIX?  I don't think so.  One is more than enough for me!  When you buy them on the stalk it is very deceiving how many there are, I had bought two stalks.  Turns out you get about 50 sprouts on each stalk.  I think we have more than enough.
Do you have a favourite vegetable that Christmas dinner HAS to have?  For me it's parsnips, parboiled, dipped in flour and coated in parmesan cheese.  Back in the oven for the cheese to crisp up.  Yum.  But it's also the roast potatoes.  Crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle.  Mind you, I'm quite partial to carrots cooked in the microwave with a few cubes of butter and some demerara sugar to make a glaze.  And peas.  Can't have roast turkey without peas.  But I think I'll pass on the sprouts.

6 comments:

scrappyjacky said...

I love sprouts!! But the christmas favourite is honey roast parsnips.

Ginger said...

LOVE' em!! I made them last weekend for our Christmas dinner with hubby's family! I always roast them with bacon and apples. I do have to say though that your parsnips sound divine :)Merry Christmas to you and your family Deb!

Maria Ontiveros said...

I love sprouts - prepared properly of course! You other vegetables also sound yummy. We're a mashed potatoes kind of family for Christmas (don't have them very often otherwise). Parsnips are not nearly as popular here as in the UK, I think.
Rinda

Denise said...

Can't bear them - they smell! Happy Christmas and lots of love from us x x xx

Anonymous said...

I consider sprouts to be something concocted by the Devil! I cannot believe that anyone would like the taste or smell of them. If people come to me for Christmas Dinner - sprouts is something they do not get as just the smell of them cooking makes me feel sick.

humel said...

Sprouts are absolutely disgusting and vile!! (As is Marmite...) The Boy loves them and it's a Christmas treat for him (strange child!) I actually put some in his stocking one year and he was pleased about it....

We usually have carrots and butternut squash, roasted, with peas and broccoli - but it's the roast potatoes that are the big priority in our meal, yum :)

Hope you had a lovely Christmas! xx