Seasonal: Chili-Mint Brussels Sprouts

This time of year, I love Brussels Sprouts. They’re readily available, easy to cook, delicious, and are versatile in terms of sauces, flavors and dressings to serve them with. So, with the cold weather outside, I thought something spicy and fresh would be perfect to liven up the sprouts in my fridge.

SPOILER ALERT: As I prepared this recipe, I admit, I reached for one of my pantry staples — Sriracha Chili Sauce. I’ve been a big fan of the ‘rooster hot sauce’ for what seems like forever. So when I took a quick look at the ingredients I was dismayed to find sugar on the list. I never realized this was the case. Since the recipe doesn’t call for much (and in order to finish the dish), I used the Sriracha. But you can certainly use any other chili sauce that you prefer. And in the future, you may want to double check the ingredient lists on some of these sauces – you might be surprised where sugar lurks… I was!

Ingredients:
For the Brussels Sprouts:
1/2 lb. Brussels Sprouts, cleaned
1 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil

For the Dressing:
1 cup chopped mint leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp. water
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoon chili paste or sauce (use less if you are sensitive to spicy foods)
1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Toss Brussels Sprouts in a bowl with Grapeseed oil. Place sprouts on baking sheet. Feel free to cut them in half, and if you do place them cut side down on the pan. Roast for 10-15 minutes until the sprouts/cut side is golden brown (time may differ depending on size of sprouts). Flip Sprouts over and return to oven for 10 more minutes.
2. While sprouts are roasting, make dressing. Mix all ingredients together and stir rapidly. Taste. If too spicy, add more water or lime juice to tone it down.
3. Pour dressing over roasted sprouts and Enjoy!

*Note: You may wish to serve with a hearty whole grain like quinoa or brown rice to soak up the remaining dressing.