Chinese Barbecue Sauce

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup ginger ale
• 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. five-spice powder
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Makes 12 Servings (2 tablespoons per serving)

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until simmering.
2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, or longer for desired thickness. Cool 10 minutes before using (or cool and store in a plastic or glass container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks).

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts. 

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com.  This easy version of Chinese BBQ sauce can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes and it is great on shrimp, scallops or lobster tails, as well as lean pork tenderloin and pork chops. Once prepared, the sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up two weeks so plan to keep it handy so you can pull together a variety of quick meals on time-pressed evenings. The sauce gets its Asian flavors primarily from hoisin sauce and five spice powder, which is made from a combination of star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves and Szechuan peppercorns. Look for it on the international food aisle at your supermarket.