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| Recipe of the week... ... Brussel Sprout Hash |
Ingredients: a glug of cooking oil, 1 large parsnip (or 2
small ones), half a dozen shallots, half a dozen Brussel sprouts, 2 eggs, a
shake of Herbes de Provence.
Time taken: 45 mins (quarter of an hour veg prep and then
half an hour cheffing).
Serves: One mighty portion.
Hi readers,
How are you today? Hope you’re well and feeling upbeat about
the return to work, after our long four-day weekend. Did you have a proper
relax and a decent catch up on sleep? And did you have lots of fun, too?? And
lots of chocolate! Hope you managed to strike a balance, readers, between
Easter antics and a recharge of your batteries.
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| Work got me an egg and wrote my name on it! All is forgiven. |
I’ve had a hoot this weekend, readers. Made it out on a night out (a
rare occurrence these days!) and, despite the numerous hangovers around the
table, we managed a harmonious family gathering. Had a big Easter lunch and
toasted Sheff United (the family’s no.1 footy team) who have won an unusual
number of games this season. They’re going to play better teams next season and
– no doubt – lose an alarming number of games. But for now, at least, it’s good
news.
This weekend, I also took the train to Scarbs for some salty
fresh air, and had a catch up with the wonderfully wise CoolyColey. We slurped
milkshakes together by the sea. And I ventured to Wakefield, too, to spend a
day with Suzeroo. Baked an Easter cake-pancake together! Do you find, readers,
that spending time with your best of friends – once you make it to them,
wherever it is they may be living – is the easiest thing in the world?
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| Our pancake-cake (entirely 2D) |
I think – you go weeks or months or what feels like years
(maybe it is!) without seeing your best friends. Then, suddenly, they’re there
again. You have a big hug and there’s some remark about the
journey/weather/occasion. And you fall back into step. You shoot through gossip
central, on into comfortable silences.
Did you have the chance to see your friends or family this
weekend, readers? Or, like me, have you had the pleasure of both friends and
family for company, filling your bank holiday with fun? I hope you did,
readers. Later in life, you won’t look back on the sad times and you might not
recall those you lost touch with, but you’ll definitely remember having fun
with the fools that lasted. Who knows… maybe you’ll remember spending this
weekend with them?
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| Never a dull moment when they're around |
CoolyColey shared with me an article, this weekend, which is
definitely worth a read. The article is called ‘Single Minded: The Difference
Between Being Single And Being Alone’ by Bella Mackie (which you can read
here), and it highlights the positives tied with being single minded. And the
opportunities, and the acceptance, that enable single minded people to live
happy lives today. As no one need feel alone – whether single or in a
relationship. A good read.
My weekend has also been brightened, readers, by a little
new music. I’ve been listening to some tracks by a band I’ve hit upon, called
Blaenavon, who will be playing at my city’s summer music festival, Tramlines,
in July (try the track… Take Care). Also, I loaded my music library with the Hungry
Yogis’ March playlist – which you can find here – containing a big range of
new-to-me songs. Good stuff to listen to while out jogging, I think, or while
watching the world go by out of a train window (try the track… Sorry Hills).
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| Loving their taste in music! @hungry.yogis |
Readers, I’ll stop now and get on with my recipe. BUT I hope
that you had a fabulous long weekend and that you’ve made it back to work
today feeling happy and energised. Starting as we wish to go on – let’s make
this a fantastic week. And why not kick it off with a wonderful new recipe?
Like my recipe of the week, readers, for Brussel Sprout Hash??
This recipe is a killer way to use up any leftover veg you
may have lingering in your fridge, from the Easter roast this weekend. I was
inspired to give this recipe a try after seeing an Instagram post from @cleaneating_paleo
who had given something similar a go… with a delicious looking tea resulting.
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| Hash a la @cleaneating_paleo |
So, I googled “sprout hash” and found a recipe for ‘Sweet
Potato and Brussels Sprout Hash’ by Angela Simpson, on a website called
Greatist (which you can read here). I followed this recipe but subbed the sweet
potato for parsnip instead – as parsnips were on sale at the supermarket for
only 6p (!!!) – and set about throwing together a hash for my tea last night.
It went well, readers. I’m not going gush but – dear lord –
this hash was a fine way to end my long weekend. Eaten while watching the
finale of Broadchurch on TV (what did you think of the ending??) and while
savouring my final few hours of freedom. It tasted how your leftover veg should
taste, readers, like they’ve been used for the power of good! Fancy trying your
hand at this recipe? Well, here’s how to cook up a Brussel Sprout Hash in just
ten simple steps…
Recipe: Brussel Sprout Hash
1.
Set some soothing tunes playing and pour
yourself a tasty beverage.
2.
Time for veg prep! Peel your shallots and cut
these into quarters, chop the ends off your parsnip and cut it into bite-sized
chunks, then lop the bottoms off your sprouts and cut these in half.
3.
Heat your oven to 200C and boil the kettle.
4.
Pop your parsnips into a small saucepan and set
these boiling for 5 minutes.
5.
In the meanwhile, heat a little cooking oil in a
skillet or a small frying pan.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: If, like me, you would have to google ‘skillet’ to know what one of those
is… a frying pan works fine. Just turn the heat to medium/low and make sure to
keep everything moving around the pan, so you don’t singe your sprouts.
6.
Set your Brussel sprouts and shallots frying,
and then take your saucepan off the heat and drain the parsnips.
7.
Add the parsnips to your frying pan, along with
a good shake of Herbes de Provence.
ChefBeHere Top
Tip: If, like me, you totally forget the herbs for a good five minutes… just
style it out. Get shaking and add them as soon as you remember. It’ll be
alright.
8.
Keep everything moving around the pan for five
more minutes until all your veg are browned and coated in herbs, then make 2 small indentations in mixture and crack an egg into each one.
9.
Turn the heat off under your frying pan and
carefully transport it into the oven, to bake for ten minutes. Use this time
wisely… set the table and wash some dishes!
10. Once
your eggs reached desired doneness and your veg has turned slightly golden,
then turn off the oven and safely lift your pan out onto the counter. Plate up
– so you don’t burn yourself on the edge of the pan while eating – and tuck in!
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| To a delicious plateful of Brussel Sprout Hash |
And that, readers, is that. You chuck it all in a pan. And
then you chuck the pan in the oven. And then something wonderful happens, and
you tuck into a steaming plateful of hash. Which is actually, when you look at
the ingredients list, quite healthy I’m going to say! 3 of your 5-a-day on that
there plate. And not a carb in sight.
What do you think, readers? Are you tempted to give this a
go? Do you have some veg you could do with using up? Be creative! Whatever’s
lingering in your fridge… get it out of there! I wouldn’t recommend adding
trifle to the pan, but I do think you have quite a deal of scope here for
adding and subtracting ingredients. Making it up on the spot. Seems like my
shallots expired five months ago without me noticing! And into the pan they
went.
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| The 8th November?! |
Readers, if you give this recipe a go… let me know how you
get on. What did you put in the pan and did it work? If it didn’t work, what
should we never ever put in the pan? This would be good to know. Do share any
tales of hash-related kitchen adventures, whether highly successful or to warn
future generations. And do have a brilliant week back at work. Take it by
storm.
And sprout safely,
Hayley
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