Basic Stir Fry Sauces

One of the greatest things about creating a stir fry is that you don't really have to HAVE anything to make one. There are the ultimate "anything goes" dinner.  We recently got back from a little weekend away and I needed to make something to use up all the odds and ends we were left with from vacation food. 

So I emptied the fridge (which was really just full of stuff I emptied from the cooler) and put it all out on the counter. The only problem that I run into when making a stir fry is that I get stuck when it comes to the sauce.  I'll be honest with you, I have really screwed up the sauce before and completely killed dinner. I have made almost all the mistakes you can make - I have made it too spicy, and way to bland, I have made it with so much vinegar it bites you back and one time I even made it way too "fishy" - that was a disaster no one wanted to eat. 

So I gathered a little collection of basic stir fry sauces. You can still make up your own and be super creative, but for those of you who are like me and your creativity isn't always edible - here is a starting point. 

Lemon Stir-Fry Sauce – Great with seafood stir fries, such as shrimp and/or scallops, as well as chicken.

1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar

• • •

Lemon Stir-Fry Sauce II – nice with chicken and seafood.

2/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
Optional: red pepper flakes

• • •

Soy Sesame Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round Asian sauce, suitable for all proteins.

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. rice wine vinegar
4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sugar

• • •

Basic Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round sauce.

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup rice wine or rice vinegar
3 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

• • •

Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken and pork.

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider or rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

• • •

Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce II – great with chicken, pork, beef and shrimp.

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

• • •

Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce III – great with chicken, pork, beef and shrimp.

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pineapple juice (or addition 1/4 cup water)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

• • •

Hot and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round sauce.

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. chile paste (sambal oleek)

• • •

Thai Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken or shrimp.

2/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili
2 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

• • •

Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce – perfect for noodles or chicken.

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. granulated sugar (less if not using natural peanut butter)
4 tsp. natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp. water
2 teaspoons Asian chili garlic paste

Combine all ingredients and heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds.

• • •

Orange Stir-Fry Sauce – nice with chicken and pork.

3/4 orange juice
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. Oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Finely grated orange zest

• • •

Orange Stir-Fry Sauce II – nice with chicken and pork.

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 green onion, finely chopped

• • •

Spicy Orange Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken!

3/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper, or to taste

• • •

Orange Sesame Szechuan Stir-Fry Sauce – nice with chicken.

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or rice wine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 fresh red chili, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or 1/2 tsp. sambal oleek)

• • •

Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry Sauce – great all-round spicy stir fry sauce.

3-4 Tbsp. sodium-reduced soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine or rice vinegar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp.sesame oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. green onion, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili paste (sambal oleek or chili paste sauce with garlic)

• • •

Tips:

1. Some of these sauces already have cornstarch added but if they don’t, you can use this to thicken any sauce that you think is too thin. Simply combine 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add a bit, stir and cook until sauce thickens. Add more as necessary.

1. Consider using low-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce to avoid an overly-salty finished dish.

1. Each of these sauces makes 1/2 – 1 cup of stir fry sauce. You may not need it all, depending on the amount of meat, noodles and/or vegetables you are stir frying. Add as necessary to make it as saucy as you like and thicken with the thickener above, if desired. Of course, you can also double the sauce if you’re making a lot of stir fry.

1. Some of these sauces already contain things like minced garlic, ginger, onion or chilis (or other heat) but if they don’t, be sure to consider adding some into your stir fry.

1. Everyone’s tastes are different so you will likely want to tweak the sauces to your tastes. If you print out the list, you can simply make notes as you go to develop your perfect sauce.

Once you have chosen your sauce, all that is left is to throw everything together.  We chopped up the veggies so they were in a uniform size, since we were dealing with leftovers some were in big pieces and some were smaller. Making everything roughly the same size ensures that things will cook evenly and you won't end up with some crunchy and some mushy. 

 Then we tossed it all into the electric skillet. I needed to use the biggest pan that I have so that the pan could stay nice and hot and so that I would have room to stir everything around without it flying out of the pan.

 Dinner turned out amazing, all the vacation leftovers got used up and best of all - everyone got full bellies.

Beef and Broccoli Pasta

Ever since I can remember when my dad gets Chinese food, he orders Beef and Broccoli. I don't think anybody even asks him what he wants anymore. We just order him Beef and Broccoli. 

Anything that classic and that somebody loves that much deserves to be made at home, right? 

This recipe takes less than 15 minutes to get on the table. Your longest cooking time will be boiling your pasta, but you cook the broccoli in the pasta water and stir fry the meat at the same time. So you are really using your time to your advantage. 

My kids loved this and so next time I make it, I am going to double the amount of broccoli that I added. Bonus - More Veggies and a bigger meal at a low cost.

This would also be a great recipe to use up any leftover steak or beef roast and just heat it up in the wok before adding your pasta and veggies. 

Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry

I have two really important things to share about this recipe - 

1 - I have never used ground meat in a stir-fry and it is fantastic, Game Changer!

2 - Every time I make a stir-fry I ask myself, Why do I not make these more?

This one was completely genius, the addition of the cabbage made it feel like a cross between a noodle dish and a stir-fry. Plus, I'll be honest, the cabbage that Joseph picked out at the store was so amazingly sweet and mild, it cooked up like butter and was fantastic. I have such a love affair with cabbage. I was so glad the recipe called for just 1/2 of it because I was so excited to make something else with it.   Perhaps Haluski. 

I did feel though, that the recipe ended up being a little bit meat-heavy when it was all said and done. We just ate it like this, but perhaps that wouldn't feel that way if you served it on top of some brown rice. When I make it again, I will use half the amount of ground beef  since considering the size of my pan, doubling the veggies isn't really an option. 

 Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha (This amount is for a mild stir-fry)
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

Stir Fry
1/2 head green cabbage
2 carrots
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup sugar snap peas
3 green onions
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
Pinch of salt and pepper

Optional
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp sriracha


Directions
Prepare the stir fry sauce first. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sriracha, and brown sugar. Set the sauce aside.

Now you’ll want to prepare your vegetables. Cut one small cabbage in half, remove the core, and then finely shred the leaves of one half the cabbage (4-6 cups once shredded, save the other half for another recipe). Peel two carrots, then use a cheese grater to shred them (1 cup shredded). Chop your broccoli into bite size pieces. Slice three green onions.

Mince two cloves of garlic. Peel a knob of ginger using either a vegetable peeler or by scraping with the side of a spoon, then grate it using a small-holed cheese grater.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cooking oil, ground beef, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the beef until browned (about five minutes). Drain the fat if necessary.

Add the cabbage and carrots to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted (or fully wilted, if you prefer). Stir in the prepared sauce and the green onions. Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and a drizzle of sriracha, then serve.

Fast Curried Chickpeas

This might be my new favorite quick comfort food.  I just love a good curry and this one I have been serving over veggies and adding more veggies to like sweet potatoes and bell peppers. It is a great recipe base to begin a lot of fun experiments with.   

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 med yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 20 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro


Directions

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook the onion and garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened (3-5 minutes).

Drain and rinse the canned chick peas and add to the pot. Also add the tomato sauce, water and curry powder. Stir the pot until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat.

While the chick peas are simmering, rinse the cilantro and pull the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pot. Give everything a stir and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency (about 20 minutes total).

Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom.

Serve over rice, or with Naan bread

Bang Bang Broccoli and Cauliflower

I just love this recipe. I made it first as a quick test side dish and it was so delicious and so popular that I have started serving it as a meatless main dish. 

I just put the Bang Bang Veggies on top of a hearty grain and that's dinner. How simple and perfect is that? 

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp. sriracha

Juice of 1 lime

1 large broccoli head, cut into florets

1 large cauliflower head, cut into florets

salt

black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425º. 

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha and lime juice.

On a large baking sheet, toss broccoli in sauce until fully coated. 

Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until slightly charred and tender, about 20 minutes. 

Serve warm.

Sausage Sheet Pan Supper

Sheet pan suppers are all the rage right now, and once you have made a few, it is easy to see why everyone likes them so much. 

For me, they are a simple as tossing a few ingredients into a crock-pot, except, I don't have to plan ahead. You lay your ingredients out on a sheet pan (I line mine with foil or use a silicone baking sheet for easy clean-up) and put it into the oven. It couldn't be easier than that. 

Lots of recipe include amazing sauces, but you don't really need them. a little bit of olive oil and some salt and pepper will be just fine. The roasting of the vegetables is what makes it taste so darn good. 

I made this dinner with a kielbasa sausage that was made with turkey that I cut into slices. 

Then I had a giant bag of frozen vegetables (these happened to be an Asian mix) that I defrosted for a few minutes in the microwave. I then took the veggies and I dried them off with a paper towel as much as I could.  I think this is the real trick to being able to use frozen vegetables. If you take some of the moisture away they won't just steam in the oven and they'll roast up beautifully. 

I used a tiny bit of olive oil, not too much because the sausage will add a little fat as well. Then I just added some salt and pepper. That was it.  I put it in the oven at 420 degrees and started the timer for 20 minutes. I turned it with a spatula and then set the timer for another 10 minutes. - that was all it took.  But you can keep setting your timer and checking every 10 minutes if you want your veggies darker or you have bigger pieces. 

Szechuan Asparagus

There are so many simple ways to make veggies stand out and be even more delicious. We love asparagus at our house, but after having it the same ways that I always make it, I like to try something a little bit different. 

This recipe isn't any more difficult than the ones I normally use and it was a fun change. I also used it later in the week to make an Asian salad and that was fantastic!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon diced green chilis
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
10 asparagus spears
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Begin by draining and rinse 1 tbsp diced green chilies. Add to a bowl the drained chilies, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce and rice vinegar. Refrigerate while you prepare you asparagus or as long as possible perhaps even overnight.

Trim and cut the asparagus spears into thirds. Grate the ginger and chop the garlic.

When ready to make the dish, add the contents of the bowl to a food processor and pulse once or twice. Set aside.

Heat a heavy frying pan on medium-high heat. It will be hot enough when water evaporates almost immediately after hitting the pan.

Pour in the oil making sure to rotate the wok or pan to get all sides coated evenly as you pour.

Toss in the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the asparagus, and pureed green chili paste and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and place into a serving dish.

Easy Anything Curry

I hope that I am not the only person out there that has been confused by the word "Curry"  - is it a spice, it is a complete dish, is it a method of cooking?  What does it contain, why are there so many different colors and heats and why can't I understand it!

So I did some research and it turns out that any dish that starts with some chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilies and then fried with spices mixed in and finished by adding canned tomatoes - Makes a Curry!

The spices that you use can very the color, the eat and even the name of the dish. But as far as making a simple curry - There you have it. 

It is not wonder people are making these everyday of the week. I feel so out of the loop. 

I started my curry sauce and then let it simmer while the rice cooked. That means dinner could be done from start to finish in 30 minutes. 

Ingredients : 

Since Curry can vary so much - I have put in Italics that ingredients that you don't Have to have. 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced 

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced

1 or 2 green chiles, seeded and diced 

1 tbsp cumin powder 

1 tbsp corriander powder 

1/2 tsp chile powder or cayenne pepper 

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1 can of petite-diced or crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a sauce pan, dutch oven or pot until it gets really hot (i.e. when a drop of water hits the pan, it sizzles like crazy).

Add the cumin seeds and fry until they start to brown. (You may not be doing this if you don't have cumin seeds)

Add the onion and stir well. Mix it up occasionally. When the onion starts getting soft and translucent, it's cooked enough.

Add the garlic, ginger and chiles. When the garlic turns light brown, it is time for the next step.

Put in the spices, stir well, and cook for another minute or two.

Pour in the tomatoes and stir occasionally. You want to make the tomatoes' water evaporate, so the sauce is thicker. Aim for something roughly as thick as tomato sauce; not too watery and not too thick.

** Now - Add your anything ingredient. 

This can be anything that you can think of -  from canned red beans to zucchini to pieces of leftover chicken. 

I chopped up some raw sweet potato and use a bag of frozen stew vegetables. 

Stir well, to let it absorb the ingredients. If the sauce starts gets too dry, just add some water and mix well.  - Since my sweet potatoes and the potatoes in my frozen stew veggies were both uncooked, I have to simmer mine for 20 minutes or so. 

Add the cilantro as garnish (cooking destroys a lot of its flavor and fragrance) and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with long-grain rice and the fantastic homemade naan from yesterday.  

Maple Chicken Sheet Pan Supper

Yup, I know. Sheet Pan Suppers are a fad. Not as big as the Insta-Pot, but still there are all over out there. 

But like any recipe that takes off and goes viral, it is for a reason. They are so delicious, they are really easy and you can vary the recipes lots of different ways. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless, chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 pound Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
Pepper

You can add more of less vegetables. Usually when I make one of these, I will double the veggies and keep the meat protein to a minimum.  This not only cuts my cost quite a bit, but I can't argue with any way to get my family to eat more veggies - and when they are roasted like this, they go crazy for them.  I made this once and we like it so much, I wanted to make it again. I was short on time, so I cut the chicken into smaller pieces (for faster cooking time) and then I used bags of frozen veggies. Loved It!

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, maple syrup, thyme, garlic and ½ tsp salt. 

Pour half over chicken in a zip plastic bag and marinate at least 30 minutes in refrigerator. Set aside remaining glaze.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. (or use your silicone mats - which I highly recommend buying for yourself)  

Place Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and onion on baking sheet, drizzle with reserved glaze and season with remaining ½ tsp salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and add chicken to pan, discarding marinade. 

Return to oven and bake 30 minutes. 

Super Simple Pad Thai

In my mission to eat all the comfort food in the entire world - I present to you, the easiest recipe for Pad Thai ever. 

I can totally vouch for this recipe. It is delicious. It loses a little bit of authenticity, BUT way makes up for it in ease. 

I have been trying to find a Pad Thai recipe that would work for me. Nearly all of them call for Fish Sauce, and frankly, I can't stand the stuff.  I am sure every "real" recipe for Pad Thai has it in it, but I can't eat anything that I put it in. Then the stuff sits in my fridge and just goes bad. Fish Paste gone bad is not something you want to experience. That makes this recipe Perfect for me.  

 Ingredients:

8 ounces pad thai or lo mein noodles ( I use my favorite spaghetti, you could use fettucine to get the flat shape, but frankly, I like to have this be a pantry staple dish and strange noodles just don't work for me.)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 medium lime)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( feel free to leave this out completely if you don't want it spicy)

3 green onions, sliced
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped, unsalted peanuts

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles and cook for 7 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain the noodles and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until tender.

Whisk the eggs lightly with a fork. Pour them into the skillet and cook just until they solidify, but are still moist, moving the eggs around the skillet slightly as they cook so that they lightly scramble. When the eggs are cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the scrambled eggs. Add the noodles and toss to coat in the sauce.

Sprinkle the green onions, cilantro, and peanuts over the noodles. Toss lightly to combine.

Southwest Steak Bowls

Whew! That was a close one.  I almost let this week slip by without posting a recipe for a rice bowl. 

I just can't get over how easy and flavorful and inexpensive they are. We have started portioning the leftovers into containers and Joseph and Jarren have been taking them for lunch.  

Plus I get to look like I am making this amazing food, and really I am just standing in my kitchen thinking, "what else can I put on this" With that thought in mind, here are some additional things you might want to consider adding to yours. 

• Olives
• Sliced Tomatoes or Pico de gallo 
• Any type of beans - perhaps kidney?
• Caramelized onion
• Onions and peppers - like in fajitas (or a whole fajita bowl... YUMMY!) 
• Cilantro
• Fresh or pickled jalapenos
• Cheese
• Experiment with your rice, try brown rice, or flavor your rice with lime & cilantro or chili powder

This "recipe" essentially takes any of the ingredients that cost more and cutting the portions very small and then bulking up the meal with as many veggies and other healthy low cost items (like beans)

I used 5.99$ worth of steak in this recipe and I made 6 bowls. 

Ingredients:

For the Steak
¾ - 1 lb. flank or skirt steak
1½ Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
1 medium lime

For the Rice
1½ cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken broth

Toppings

1 can black beans ( But I used ones that I made myself. Here's the Recipe) 
corn kernels
sour cream
your favorite salsa
Avocado (We used pre-made guacamole that I found on a screaming deal)
green onions

or see your list above...

Instructions:

To make the steak marinade, mince the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the olive oil, cumin, salt, and the juice from half of the lime. Add the marinade and steak to a zip top bag, make sure the steak is coated in the marinade, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes while the rice cooks.

Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but substitute chicken broth for the water.
While the rice is cooking and steak is marinating, gather your toppings. Slice your olives or avocado, cut your tomato, make your pico, thaw your corn and drain your beans.

To cook the steak, heat a large skillet over medium-high until very hot. Add the steak and cook for 3-5 minutes on one side, or until deeply golden brown. Flip and cook in the same manner on the second side. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and allow it to rest for five minutes.

Once the steak has rested for a few minutes, slice it thinly against the grain (look for the lines in the meat and cut across them).

To build the bowls, lay down one cup of rice, your desired amount of beans, corn, and salsa, a few slices of steak, a bit of guacamole, and a dollop of sour cream.