Side Dishing (and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Garlic Sauce)

This may just be the newlywed talking in me, but getting married was pretty much the best thing ever.  Every time I think I’ve decided on the BEST part (like getting to spend my life with the Husband, for example), I remember another reason for which to be grateful.  Like the incredible outpouring of love from the amazing circle of women in my life – my mom, sister, mom-in-law, sister-in-law, longtime family friends that feel more like family, and the new group of family friends into which I already feel adopted.

At my bridal shower, I was presented with a book of (handwritten) recipes from all of these incredible women – from one of my mom’s best friend’s homemade chicken soup to my dad’s secret salad dressing to Mimi’s (that’s the Husband’s grandmother, and now mine, too) recipe for her own husband’s heart (as she also carefully notes – “date night? you have to be kidding!”)  The following recipe is from my sister (more details on her coming soon…).  We served them alongside a (store-bought) chicken pot pie (cleaning out that fridge in anticipation of another BEST part, our honeymoon!).

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Thai Garlic Sauce

• 1 lb brussels sprouts, outer leaves peeled, chopped in half
• 8-10 cloves garlic (whole, though I actually minced them up – can’t resist the garlic press!)
• olive oil
• For the sauce:
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 red Thai chili, thinly sliced, with seeds (didn’t have on hand, and used 1 big spoonful Sambal Oelek (Thai chili paste) instead!)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss the halved brussels sprouts in a bowl with the garlic and enough olive oil to lightly coat all the pieces.  Mix it through and then spread out on a jelly roll pan.
3. Bake until the outer leaves are crispy, about 25-35 minutes.  If the sprouts are small or you minced the garlic, like I did, make sure to check in on these bad boys on the early side – roasted garlic is delish, burnt garlic, not so much.
4. While the sprouts are roasting, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking through until the sugar dissolves.  Taste before serving – I added some fresh ground black pepper to balance out some of the saltiness.
5. Toss the brussels sprouts with as much dressing as you like and serve immediately.

The Verdict:

These are delicious, though I’ll admit to tossing them with too much dressing, which made them a little “pungent” in the Husband’s words (to be fair, he’s also not a huge fan of fish sauce).  Once tossed with the dressing, these don’t reheat all that well (heated up the next day, these were a little mushy), so drizzle accordingly.  The combination of a little heat, salt, garlic and cilantro, though? Right up my alley.