I have a confession to make.
(Seems like I’ve had a lot of veggie confessions lately…sigh.)
Anyhoo, confession: I don’t always love brussels sprouts. Sometimes, I’ll try some that basically have no bitterness at all, and they’re just delicious. Other times, I find some that aren’t so yummy.
But for the sake of this bloggity blog, I like to expand my palate and teach myself to like new (or previously disliked) veggies. (Think mixed bean and sweet potato chili or kale anything.)
Back to the brussels sprouts…
I’ve tried this recipe now with both fresh and frozen brussels sprouts and with both chickpea tofu and soy-based tofu. I definitely like the fresh brussels sprout and soy-based tofu variety the best, although both were tasty.
Here’s what you’re going to do:
Prep your brussel babies as described below, then toss them in a little oil of your choice and sprinkle with salt.
Now roast them (along with your oiled and salted tofu on a separate sheet pan) at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 17 or 18 minutes.
They should look something like this:
Then, you’re going to mix your tofu and brussels/’shrooms on the same sheet pan and pour your sweet sauce over everything. Put your sheet pan back in the oven for about 2 to 3 minutes, remove, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. It should look something like this: dark, sticky, sweet, and delicious.
Rather than ramble on and on about the sweet tangy-ness (??!?) of the brussels babies and the chewy amazingness of the tofu, I’m just going to say that you should definitely give this recipe a try. (Oh, and RICE. Hello. Surely it isn’t my pregnancy hormones that are making me crazy for hot brown rice lately.)
Eat your brussel sprouts. With rice. You know you want to. ;)
Sweet Sesame Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts or frozen
- 4 ounces fresh white mushrooms or mushroom variety of your choice
- 2 green onions finely chopped, divided
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu drained (or about 2 cups chopped Burmese chickpea tofu)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil or oil of your choice, divided--see below
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For the Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce adjust amount to taste if you're not serving with plain rice, or if you're using low-sodium, Tamari, or Bragg's liquid aminos
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or fresh, if you have it
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tsp sriracha sauce optional, I like it better without
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Gently rinse your brussels sprouts, cut off the tough ends, then chop brussels in half lengthwise.
- With a damp cloth, wipe any dirt off of your mushrooms, and chop them into bite-sized pieces, if need be.
- Toss your brussels and mushrooms with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, arrange them (cut-side down) on a lined sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt.
- Chop your drained tofu into bite-sized pieces, toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, place on lined sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt.
- Place both sheet pans of brussels/mushrooms and tofu into your preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, give both pans a gentle stir, and place them back in the oven (on opposite racks) for another 7 or 8 minutes. Watch your brussels closely--burned brussels don't taste very good. Trust me.
- While your veggies bake, place all sauce ingredients (garlic, syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, cornstarch, and water) in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir ingredients constantly until sauce begins to bubble/boil. At this point, immediately remove from heat.
- When brussels and tofu have baked for a total of about 17 or 18 minutes, remove them from the oven. Combine veggies and tofu onto one sheet pan, and pour sauce over the top. Give the whole thing a toss (and taste, to make sure you're not too salted/unsalted, in which case you could add either water or soy sauce), and return to the oven for just 2-3 minutes. Watch 'em close!
- Sprinkle the whole thing toasted sesame seeds and serve on hot brown rice.
Nutrition
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.” Proverbs 3:13 (King James Version)
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Yum, I just made something similar – even though I had never had anything made with sesame before. Trying new foods for the blog is fun when it turns out right :)
Yay, Megan! I agree…LOL. Testing out new recipe ideas can be fun and exciting when the idea turns out. Haha…I’ve had SO many flops, though. Usually my hubby gobbles up the flops as if it’s nothing. Thankfully, there are a few people who are less picky than I am. ;)
This dish was easy to make and delicious. The sauce was so good. Even my children was asking for seconds and thirds. Definitely will make this again and again:-)
I’m so glad, Karen!
I made this recipe tonight, altering ingredients according to what I had in fridge, like sliced small sweetpeppers & mustard greens to veggie mix, plus I love garlic so added almost twice the recipe amount for the sauce.
The Sauce! It is honestly the best stir-fry sauce I’ve ever made & definitely better than bottled sauces Ive tried. The sesame oil is a definite must, but I didn’t have sriracha flavoring, so I substituted equal amount powdered hot mustard. I prefer low amounts of sugar in recipes, & this does call for 3 1/2 tblsp maple syrup. I added another tblsp of water to what is called for too. I ate & ate this veg/tofu mix & enjoyed every mouthful!