Roasted Asian Brussels Sprouts

It’s hard to believe how Brussels sprouts could have been such a hated vegetable in my family. Truth be told, my method of preparation years ago (and my mother’s before me) was to boil them into mush. It seemed to bring out the vegetables worst qualities. Fast forward a number of years and they’ve become a much loved offering at my dinner table. It’s amazing what preparing vegetables properly can do to their status!

Not only are they delicious, but Brussels sprouts are jam-packed with nutrients including plenty of fibre, potassium and iron, to name a few. Put that together with their anti-cancer weapons – after all they are a member of the Brassica family which are all chock full of cancer-fighting compounds – and you might consider them to be worthy of being a regular on your dinner table.

Roasted Asian Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Non-stick vegetable Oil cooking spray
1 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 1/2 tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with vegetable oil and a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground pepper until coated evenly. Spread onto a large baking sheet sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Roast for 25 -30 minutes until the sprouts are browned – shake pan slightly to promote even cooking after 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place in serving bowl.

While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over roasted sprouts and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per serving
• Calories: 134
• Protein: 3 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Saturated fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrate: 18 g
• Dietary fibre: 7 g
• Sodium: 285 mg