Easy Garlic Stir-Fry Sauce

I forgot to take a picture.

When I was in high school, and I was regularly preparing myself tofu stir-fries because I didn't want to eat whatever meat dish that my family was having, I used to just throw every Asian-themed sauce from the fridge into a pan and it would taste pretty good. My tastes have become a little bit more refined, so I've been searching for an actual recipe for a brown stir-fry sauce that doesn't require broth (which I don't usually have on hand in small quantities).

I found this one, toned down the spice, and upped the garlic, and it's good! I generally have all of the ingredients on hand, and it only takes a minute to throw it together. I can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge until I'm ready to stir-fry. And right now, over an hour after dinner, I still have garlic breath. It's a keeper.

The Recipe (makes the right amount for 1 block of tofu and a corresponding amount of vegetables):
2 tb soy sauce
2 tb water
1 tb mirin
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2+ cloves garlic, minced
sriracha and/or chili/garlic sauce, to taste
1 tb brown sugar
1/4 tsp grated ginger root
3/4 tb cornstarch
1/2 tsp canola oil

Mix all ingredients.
After stir-frying the protein and vegetables, add the sauce to the hot wok. Stir for 1 minute until the cornstarch thickens.
Recommendation: toss fresh thai basil into the stir-fry after adding the sauce.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: B+
Overall reason: Not mind-blowing, but it's good and easy
Time to prepare: 2 minutes
Toddler quote (in response to tofu and vegetables): "WHERE'S THE MEAT?"

Comments

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from Tea for Turmeric and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...

Curry Fried Rice

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my new jar of curry powder was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at Korea House and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...

Adventures of a healthy-ish pseudo-foodie

Search This Blog