This is Part 4 of Christmas Feast 2010 – Departure Style Brussels Sprouts and Sesame Soy Christmas Slaw
To see Part 1 Appetizers, Part 2 Turkey, or Part 3 Sourdough Stuffing and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Hazelnut Butter go to –
www.stevenshomler.com/2011/01/10/christmas-feast-2010-part-1-intro-menu-appetizers
www.stevenshomler.com/2011/01/16/christmas-feast-2010-part-2-turkey
Departure Style Brussels Sprouts.
Departure is an amazing bar and restaurant that is here in Portland. Departure is located at the top of The Nines Hotel in downtown Portland OR. www.departureportland.com www.thenines.com
I went to Departure this past December (2010) and one of the dishes I had was Wok Fried Brussels Sprouts. They were soooo good.
When putting together my menu for our Christmas Feast (see the end of this post for the whole menu), I remembered those Brussel Sprouts and I decided to make them myself.
Now, I did not have a recipe from Departure, so I just put togther my own recipe. Here is what I did.
You will need –
Brussels Sprouts, Soy Sauce, Sesame Seeds, and Slivered Almonds.
I took the Brussels Sprouts, cut off the stem end, cut them in half and kind of peeled them. When I got to the “core” I stopped peeling. I only used the bright green leaves. Once leaves got a pale green, I stopped peeling and moved onto the next one. My 10 yr. old daughter helped me with the “peeling,” and we had a blast!
Next – I toasted some sesame seeds I got from the bulk bin at the local super market (Winco) in a dry pan (no butter, no olive oil), a good size handful.
Then – I dry toasted some almond slivers (two handfuls) – also from the bulk bin.
I briefly sautéed the Brussels Sprouts in a pan with a little Olive oil, and once they were hot, I added a little soy sauce and the sesame seeds, I tossed the dish quickly and put it into my serving dish. I then sprinkled the toasted almond slivers on top.
The second time I made this dish was Christmas Eve Day. The first time I made this dish was Wednesday, December 22. The first time I made it, I cooked the Brussels Sprouts too long and I used too much soy sauce. It is really easy to overcook the Brussels Sprouts and really easy to use too much soy sauce. Make sure you barely cook the Brussels Sprouts. The dish comes out much better that way.
I encourage you to be prepared to make it twice before you get it right.
This dish is very easy, inexpensive and delicious!
Sesame Soy Christmas Slaw
As I was thinking abut the Brussels Sprouts and thinking about what other dishes might complement them and work with our overall menu, I thought of this wonderful salad my wife Gayla makes.
While preparing to write this post, I asked Gayla where she got the recipe for this wonderful salad. She told me that she got it from the her recipe box in the kitchen. I laughed and said, “No, i mean where did you get it initially- a magazine, a friend…?”
I was told that she got back when we lived in MN (2004-2007) from a friend of ours – Sally. Sally – thanks for sharing! Sally calls her recipe “Chinese Salad.” I have modified Sally’s recipe slightly and renamed it, however, at its core it is still very much Sally’s dish!
Before I tell you how to make it, please understand that you can only make this slaw at Christmas time…however you can make Sesame Soy Summer Slaw in the summer, and in the Spring time you can make Sesame Soy Spring Slaw.
To make Sesame Soy Christmas Slaw you will need –
1 head of Cabbage (chopped), 5 green Onions (also chopped), 2 packages of Top Ramen noodles (discard flavor pack), 1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds, 1/3 cup slivered almonds, 1/2 cup butter. For the sauce: 1 cup virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar, 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1/2-1 cup sugar
Put the chopped cabbage and the chopped green onions into a large bowl.
In a fry pan, melt the butter. Add the Top Ramen Noodles, the sesame seeds, and the slivered almonds. Once everything is browned, drain on a paper towel.
Make up the sauce. Mix the oil, the rice vinegar and the soy sauce together.
When you are within 20 minutes of serving, add the browned crunchy ingredients and the sauce to the cabbage and onions. Toss and serve.
That’s it. This is a very, very tasty salad, great to take to a potluck. To do that you would take your bowl with he cabbage and onions and two closed containers with the crunchy bits in one, and the sauce in another, and mix all three together just before serving.
That’s it for now!
Steven Shomler
This was our menu for Christmas Feast 2010 –
Appetizers
Turkey
Turkey Gravy
Sourdough Stuffing
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Hazelnut Butter
Departure Style Brussels Sprouts
Sesame Soy Christmas Slaw
Sweet & Tangy Cranberry Almond Yams with Lemon Zested Marshmallow Crust
Orange Spike Cranberry Sauce
Hand Torn Rustic Sourdough Bread
Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Zest Whipped Cream
