Inspired by the Italian technique of tossing cooked broccoli in olive oil and garlic, I developed an Asian version, using sesame oil flavored with crushed red peppers and combined with minced garlic, soy sauce and fresh lemon juice. The spicy dressing is excellent tossed with almost any cooked vegetable, including cauliflower, zucchini and snow peas.

Using a sharp knife, peel away the tough skin near the broccoli stems and cut away the stem ends. Cut off the florets and then cut the stems on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch sections. Separate the larger florets so that they all are approximately the same size as the stem pieces.

To prepare the dressing, combine the sesame oil and corn or safflower oil in a heavy saucepan, heat until very hot but not smoking and then add the crushed red peppers or pepper flakes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes, then add the garlic, soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Heat a large pot of water until boiling, add the broccoli and bring back to a boil. Cook for about 3 minutes, or just until the broccoli is crisp-tender. Immediately drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water; drain thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl, add the spicy dressing and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Per serving: 112 calories, 4 gm protein, 9 gm carbohydrates, 8 gm fat, 1 gm saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 428 mg sodium