5 ways to use beetroot leaves

1. Larger beetroot leaves can be cooked, as you would spinach. A simple side dish I often make is to saute beetroot leaves with garlic and capers and then serving with a drizzle of olive oil, some black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
    
2. The smaller, younger leaves can be eaten raw and are perfect added to salads and lettuce mixes, adding both flavour and colour. If you want to try something special make this delicious grilled haloumi and beetroot leaf salad from Nigel Slater.
    
3. If you're making a spinach pie, add in some beetroot leaves, although be warned that it may well turn your filling slightly pink. There's a lovely looking beetroot leaf and ricotta tart by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
    
4. You can also beetroot leaves in Indian cooking, for example in this dal recipe. I've made this a few times and it's quite delicious, plus it freezes really well.
    
5. Martha Rose Shulman had the excellent idea of using both the beet-root and the greens, together with herbs, spices and feta, in vegetable fritters. It's a quite delicious and very pink, looking recipe.

 

• I always look for small, tightly closed sprouts that are heavy for their size, as these little nuggets have a sweeter, milder flavour.
   
• Brussels love cold weather, so I would never, never, never buy them in summer. While you can get them in Autumn, they're at their best in the depths of winter.
   
• Before cooking trim a small amount off the base of the sprout. Remove a couple of outer leaves, until you reach the slightly lighter coloured leaves underneath.
   
• The most important thing to remember with Brussels is don't over cook them. Over cooking brings out all the sulfur compounds, leading to a smelly, bitter tasting meal. They are much better slightly under-cooked.
   
• While sprouts are lovely when lightly steamed, don't boil them.
   
• My favourite ways of cooking Brussels is to cut them in half and then pan fry them with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt, until they are browned and crispy on the outside. A pinch of chilli flakes is a good addition, as is a squeeze of lemon juice.
   
• My second favourite way of using Brussels is to add them to curries, where the spicy, liquid sauce infiltrates and softens the sprout, creating a wonderful flavour.

What do you think about Brussels sprouts?