My husband LOVES stir-fry’s, and inevitably when I ask him what he wants for dinner, he always says stir-fry’s. To me, they are good, but I can’t eat them as much as he wants to. So, to compromise, I decided to try out some new sauces so that I didn’t get bored of eating them all the time, and my husband still gets to enjoy them regularly. Any vegetables work with these sauces, but my favourites are; sugar snap peas, bell peppers (all colours), broccoli, carrots, red onion and celery.
For the sauces, I try to use all organic ingredients for these sauces because even your basic ketchup has some “iffy” ingredients in it. My rule of thumb is, if I can’t pronounce the ingredient, I don’t buy it. You’d be surprised at what is hiding in your basic ingredients.
Here are three sauces that I have tried recently, all of which have been a hit.
Teriyaki Sauce
3 tbsp organic sugar cane
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp minced ginger
3/4 cup organic ketchup
¼ cup light soy sauce
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients in a container. Refrigerate for about an hour before using.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon organic ketchup
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water
Combine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixed with water. Continue to cook for a couple of more minutes. Use immediately.
Basic Sauce
I don’t really know what to call this sauce, it is really just an all-purpose sauce that is quick and easy, and tastes great with any vegetables.
1/4 cup light soy sauce
4 tbsp. Hoisin sauce
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1 ½ tbsp. corn starch
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir until the corn starch has dissolved. Add to vegetables as they are cooking in the wok. This sauce must be added to heat, otherwise it won’t thicken.
