Brussels sprout sliders

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large sweet or yellow onions, sliced thin
 Salt to taste
20 large brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon tamari
2 to 3 cloves garlic, pressed
 a dash of liquid smoke (if desired)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces tempeh, cut into thin slices
5 teaspoons grainy mustard


Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heat for a minute, then add the onions and a sprinkling of salt. Stir frequently, making sure to stir from the bottom of the pan up, to dislodge any sticking onions. They will begin to yellow and shrink in volume, as they darken from yellow to more of a caramel color, lower the heat. Keep cooking until they are at the desired state. This usually takes between 25 and 35 minutes. Let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the brussels sprouts in half from top to bottom, keeping the two halves close together. If you don’t , you will have to search for a pair that fits well together after they have roasted. Mix together two tablespoons olive oil, tamari, pressed garlic, cumin, cayenne and liquid smoke in a bowl to make the marinade. Taking one complete brussels sprouts pair at a time, dip both halves in the marinade. Remove and let sit cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, then turn the sprouts and bake 7 more minutes.
Prepare a second parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade into a baking pan and let the tempeh sit in it for 20 minutes, then turn all the pieces and let them marinade another 10 minutes. Remove the tempeh and set them up without touching on the baking sheet. If there is any reserved marinade, brush over the remaining pieces.
Bake at 375 for 12 minutes, gently turn, and bake for 5 minutes more. Cool onions, brussels sprouts and tempeh for assembly.
Take one half of a brussels sprout, smear with mustard, add a piece of tempeh cut to fit the size of the sprout, add some onions (I used a melon baller for this). Take the other half of the brussels sprout and position it so the two spouts are like the buns on a burger, with the cut sides facing each other, and secure with a toothpick.
Warm on a baking pan in a 325 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.