I’ll probably never know what made me grab the bottle of smoked barbecue sauce (Kraft Hickory Smoke Barbecue Sauce, to be exact) out of the fridge, but it was one of those last minute moves that has turned into an end-of-summer house special.
On the stove was a pan of sauteed green beans, nicely browned and tender, but crying out for seasoning. There was no time for chopping herbs, toasting nuts or stirring sauce. The barbecue sauce was the first thing I saw when I opened the refrigerator door; I gave it a shake, drizzled a little over the beans and gave them a toss. In a split second I turned the beans into smoked veggies — no grill marks, but no grill to heat or scrape clean either, and a great smoky taste.
Since then I’ve worked the same magic with mushrooms and onions, and last night it was broccoli. As I ease my way into fall, the culinary part of my brain is buzzing with other possibilities — asparagus, potatoes, Brussels sprouts. The important thing is not to overdo the sauce. Once you see how little it takes to give the taste you’re after, you can pour it straight out of the bottle.
For smoky broccoli: heat a tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Add about a pound of bite-size broccoli florets with short stems. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, mixing occasionally, until broccoli is tender, about 7 minutes. Drizzle a scant tablespoon of smoke barbecue sauce over the top (not all the veggies will be covered) and mix with a large spoon. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
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