A quick, easy, delicious and nutritious meal - what more could you ask? The frozen cauliflower (no prep needed) took the longest to cook, and prepping the brussel sprouts was a wee bit fiddly, but not difficult. Here's how to make this lovely meal (or choose the dishes you like and team them with something else).
Cauliflower Mash
This is an excellent alternative to mashed potatoes. And simple as! Bring a pot of water to the boil, empty one bag of frozen cauliflower into a steamer, place over the pot with lid on, and steam until hot and tender, stirring occasionally (about 20 mins). Alternatively, prepare fresh cauliflower by cutting into even sized florets. Reduce cooking time accordingly. Meanwhile, prepare other dishes below. If your cauli is ready before the other things, turn it off and leave it to sit above the hot water, which will keep it warm. When you are ready to serve your meal, tip the cooked cauli into a food processor, add a spoonful of sour cream or butter or similar (to help it blend smoothly), salt if desired, and whiz until a fluffy mash. Serve. A 1kg bag of frozen cauli will make enough mash for 3-4 people. |
Brussel Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Ingredients for 4 (I used half this amount and it was probably enough for 2-3 people): 600g Brussel Sprouts, trimmed 50g butter 1/4 cup water 1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skins rubbed off, coarsely chopped To toast hazelnuts: heat oven to 180C/350F, place raw hazelnuts in a single layer on a tray. Bake 10 mins until lightly browned. Wrap in a tea towel and leave to steam for 1m, then use towel to rub off skins. Don't worry about any that don't come off. Coarsely chop nuts. To prepare dish: Halve sprouts, remove cores, and slice thinly. Melt 1/2 the butter in a large pan, add the sliced sprouts, stir to coat. Add water and 1/2 of the juice, combine and cook 1 min. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add rest of juice, butter and nuts. Combine well. Place in warm dish to serve. | Because the sprouts are cooked so quickly, they retain a lot of flavour and maximum nutrition. I picked mine up from the market garden where they are grown, and there were on the plate just over an hour later. Fresh is best! Out of my own garden would have been even better. |
Cooking Steak and Serving Meal
At the same time as you are beginning to cook the sprout dish, sear steak in a hot frying pan in which you have heated a little olive oil. Sear by cooking quickly on both sides, then continue to cook, flipping halfway through, until desired level of browning is achieved. Steak is best cooked quickly, with the middle remaining at least a little pink.
To serve: Place steak, and portions of mash and brussel sprout dish on each plate. Use a spoon to drizzle drippings from steak pan over mash and steak. Serve.
To serve: Place steak, and portions of mash and brussel sprout dish on each plate. Use a spoon to drizzle drippings from steak pan over mash and steak. Serve.