Pimp my sprouts

Hmmm, think I might be overdoing it on the sprout front. Such is my love of the little green guys that they appear in some form in most of my meals from about October.
Our house is a fragrant palace from about then until Feb!

My sister didn't dissapoint over Xmas and as well as the usual plain sprouts she also made this recipe by Jamie Oliver for Xmas day (Double sproutage - woop!) :
http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/jamie-oliver/brussels-with-hustle-recipe

Now let me say, they were delicious

But I can let you know from experience that shredded sprouts travel faster than the green guys in their whole form....... you get my drift?!

The house was a veritable cloud of delightful green smells come 4pm on Xmas day. Holy moley, better out than in I suppose ;)

 Now the other day at work we were discussing what we'd eaten for Xmas dinner and I picked up a vague recipe for a sprout and leek gratin which one of the ladies had cooked up in her Aga.
Lo and behold my lovely dad gave me some of his fabulous home-grown leeks today at lunchtime and I knew where they were headed.... 

Well, be rude not to try a new sprout dish wouldn't it. Plus I need to find ways of disguising them so the husband does not groan every time he gets his tea.

So I set to with the vague recipe in my head as it was relayed.
Basically you cook the whole sprouts in a pan of boiling water until just tender - add in the leeks just before the sprouts are done as they won't take as long.

Meanwhile, whip up a white sauce (however you usually do it is fine) I added a little Dijon mustard , thyme and a small minced garlic clove to mine.

Lay the just-cooked leeks and sprouts in a single layer in a baking dish.
Pour over the sauce and then crumble over a cheese of your choice. It being Xmas  (well, kind of) I opted for some crumbled stilton but cheddar or parmesan would be just as good.

(You can add breadcrumbs over the top of the white sauce and then add the cheese but I am taking it easy on the bread front at present!)

Put the dish into a medium over for 20-30 minutes or so until its bubbling.

 

You could eat this as it is - I know I would. But with the husband in mind I cooked up a couple of lamb chops and some roasted potatoes done in the actifry.

Delicious.

I really am gonna miss the green guys once they have finished :(

Breakfast this morning was a hot buckwheat and chia seed bowl. Served with banana and some of Martin's honey.

The camp is out on buckwheat for me. I'd rather have oats as I find the consistency of buckwheat a little thin and tasteless - or perhaps I'm not cooking it right?
Any woo, I'll finish the bag off but I don't think I'll order another.

Suffering with a cold (again) so am signing off to drink the hot toddy the kind husband has just made me.... he's a keeper :)

Nite x