What’s missing?

The year was 2007. The month, December. It was summer in New Zealand and a light drizzle had just started to fall as Tim’s dad fired up the grill. His spatula was on the steak, but my mind was on the kebabs. Something was missing.

Mushrooms? No. Peppers? No. Onions? I never forget an onion.

In the end, no amount of salt and pepper could raise these sad skewers to their full potential. Only later in a fit of spontaneous tempeh sloppy joe making did it hit me: barbecue sauce!

It was way too late for the kebabs, but I wouldn’t let the tempeh down. I looked in the fridge and wasn’t at all surprised that we were out of bbq sauce. The Brits don’t really get bbq sauce. If you said the words “Open Pit” to a Londoner, they would probably assume you were taking about an unfortunately-placed flesh wound rather than something you’d want to slather on a steak.

But one thing the Brits do get is tomato ketchup, and like model citizens of London’s renowned food culture, we had a full bottle in our fridge (and like slaves to Whole Paycheck, the bottle’s contents were entirely organic). The ketchup, added to a bit of mustard, garlic, chili powder, sugar, and Liquid Smoke, made for a surprisingly tasty impromptu vegan bbq sauce that was perfect with the tempeh, and would have worked wonders for those blasted kebabs.

Vegan BBQ Sauce

Adapted from this 5-star “Bobbie-Q Sauce” recipe on Recipaar.

• 1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
• 1/8 cup water (more or less for desired thickness)
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or more ( I mean, why not?)
• 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 cup sugar or honey
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

Combine ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

This post was inspired by Veggie Chic’s latest post on Liquid Smoke. Mmmmmmm… smoky.