Roasted Brussels Sprouts + Crispy Baked Tofu + Honey-Sesame Glaze

Brown Rice:

• 2 cups uncooked brown rice

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

• 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed & cut into quarters
• 1 ½ tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt

Extra Crispy Baked Tofu:

• 1 block (15 ounces) organic extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2″ bite-size pieces
• 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tbs arrowroot starch or cornstarch

Spicy Honey-Sesame Glaze:

• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 tbs Gochujang (Korean chili paste) or chili sauce
• 2 tbs low sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbs honey

Garnish:

• 2 tbs sesame seeds
• Big handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

Brown Rice:

1. Cook the brown rice.

Brussels Sprouts & Tofu:

1. Position your oven racks in the lower half and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup (and to prevent the tofu from sticking).
2. Toss the brussels sprouts with the olive oil and arrange on one of the baking sheets, in an even layer, flat sides down, and sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Transfer the pressed, cubed tofu to the other baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil and tamari. Toss to combine. Sprinkle the arrowroot starch or cornstarch over the tofu, and toss the tofu until the starch is evenly coated, so there are no powdery spots remaining. Arrange the tofu in an even layer across the pan.
4. Transfer the pan of Brussels sprouts to the middle oven rack, and the pan of tofu to the top rack. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing the contents of each pan halfway through cooking, until the sprouts and tofu are deeply golden on the edges.

Spicy Honey-Sesame Glaze:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
2. Bring the glaze to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring often and reducing heat as necessary. Simmer until the glaze is reduced by about half (about 5 to 10 minutes; it’s about done when it starts bubbling up substantially). Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.

Bringing It All Together:

1. Divide the rice onto four plates. Top each plate with sprouts and tofu and drizzle with glaze.
2. Finish each plate with a very generous sprinkling of sesame seeds and a small handful of chopped cilantro.