Sesame Glazed Brussel Sprouts

In a previous Brussel sprouts post, I mentioned as far as veggies go, Brussel sprouts were last on my list of veggies I would eat. Ladies and Gentleman, these stinky leafy greens are quickly rising to the top of the veggie charts, especially if I can keep knocking out these marvelous ways to enhance my Brussel sprout eating experience.

One afternoon the family took a trip down to Nick's of Calvertto pick up some meat they had on special. Baby back ribs were on sale for $2.99 a pound and I was craving some Asian inspired ribs. They also had a huge package of Brussel sprouts that my husband really wanted to get. My brain started to work those cranks to find a way to incorporate these effervescent packages into our rib eating feast.

These sprouts had to complement the ribs. So, Sesame Glazed Brussel Sprouts were born. Since this experiment came out perfect the first try, I knew I had to rush to get this up on the blog to share with you all.

Sesame Glazed Brussel Sprouts:

15-20 Brussel sprouts, cut in half

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of honey

1 tablespoon of Sambal Oelek

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger

3-4 Thai basil leaves*

Sprinkling of toased sesame seeds

2 scallions, sliced

Handful of cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

Over medium heat, bring to a boil the soy sauce, honey, Sambal Oelek, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Thai basil. Reduce the heat slightly and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside while you cook roast the Brussel sprouts.

*I can never find fresh Thai basil in the grocery store. If you live near an Asian food market, chances are you will find it there. This year I decided to plant Thai basil in my garden. If you can not get your hands on Thai basil, add 5-6 sweet basil leaves to the sauce after it has been reduced. Thai basil has a more intense anise and licorice flavor than sweet basil and is hearty enough to withstand high or elongated cooking temperatures.

ROAST THE BRUSSEL SPROUTS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the Brussel sprouts in olive oil. No need to salt the sprouts. There is plenty of salt from the soy sauce.

Place the sprouts cut side down onto a foil lined baking sheet. Check the sprouts after 20 minutes for a nice char and desired tenderness.