Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a pot with a steamer basket. Place trimmed and halved pound of Brussels sprouts in the steamer basket, and set over the boiling water. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam sprouts until just tender and still bright green, 5-8 minutes, depending on size. Drain thoroughly, and transfer to a large bowl.
How to blanch Brussel sprouts
Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl (cold water with ice cubes). Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sprouts and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes for small and 5 minutes for large sprouts.
Drain the sprouts in a colander and immediately drop the colander into the bowl of ice water to stop sprouts from further cooking. Remove, drain thoroughly, and transfer sprouts to a large bowl.
Marinade
Whisk together the ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, minced garlic clove, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a sprinkle of ground cloves, cayenne to taste, and a teaspoon of salt. Add the dressing to still warm sprouts and toss to coat. Cover and store them in the refrigerator overnight or at least for 30 minutes.
Serve at room temperature sprinkled with toasted almonds as an appetizer, over arugula as a salad or a side dish.
Notes
Add a handful of cherry tomatoes to the sprouts for color contrast.
You can use toasted walnuts instead of almonds.
Use different seasonings, such as swapping Worcestershire sauce with a sprinkle of balsamic or garlic vinegar.
Reserve the extra marinade and use later as a dressing for a tossed salad.
Marinated sprouts will last for up to a week when stored in the fridge.
Toast almond slices by heating them on the stove top in a dry, heavy skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until they're golden brown.