Got leftover steamed or roasted Brussel sprouts kicking around in the fridge?  This is a simple way to jazz them up so they don’t look or feel like leftovers.  Yes, an acidic marinade will turn that beautiful bright green a drabber shade of olive – but the taste makes up for it many times over!  As in many of the more recent recipes, you’ll find the ingredient list; after that it’s up to you to play with the proportions until the taste sings in your mouth and makes you want to dance around the kitchen.

Yield: however many Brussel sprouts you’ve got on-hand and ready to bathe in dressing

What you need:

• cooled (read leftover) steamed or roasted Brussel sprouts, quartered
• fresh lemon juice (lime would also work both for the juice and zest, see below)
• the zest from that lemon, or part of it if you’re not into a really strong lemon flavour (if it’s organic, if not – a drop or two of lemon oil)
• tamari or shoyu, unpasteurized preferred
• Mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking wine, you could substitute with a bit of white wine that has maple syrup mixed in – or just use straight maple syrup or rice syrup if you don’t use alcohol in cooking)
• dark (toasted) sesame oil
• ginger juice (grate some fresh ginger, squeeze it tight, and collect the juice into a small cup or saucer)
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

What you do:

1. Mix together all the ingredients except for the Brussel sprouts and sesame seeds in a Mason jar or other storage container with a tight-fitting lid.  Play with the proportions of ingredients until you like the result.  I like it heavy on the lemon juice and ginger, but most prefer it milder and a bit on the sweeter side, so start with small amounts of everything and work up once you know the rations that make you happy.
2. Once the dressing is perfect for you, add the quartered Brussel sprouts, screw on the lid and shake, shake, shake.  Put it in the fridge and shake, shake, shake every time you remember or open the fridge to take something out.  Marinate a couple of hours at least.
3. Serve, cool or at room temperature, garnished with a smattering of toasted sesame seeds.  (Any leftover marinade can be used to dress a salad or brush over tofu on the grill.)

Variations:

• Replace the Brussel sprouts with another plain steamed vegetable in bite-sized pieces;
• Replace the lemon juice with rice vinegar and/or the tamari with white miso paste – the texture of your dressing will vary, sure, but the results will be tasty nonetheless!