Does your family have “that meal” that you make almost every week? Spaghetti, tacos, grilled cheese…whatever…our go-to meal is always stir-fry. My grocery store sells these pre-chopped packets of fresh veggies and I buy one every week because I know it will be so easy to throw them in a wok with some chicken or steak and have a meal ready.
Honestly, stir fry is the best way for me to get vegetables in my kids. Something about the cooking and sauce makes them so much more appetizing to them.
I’ve always bought a stir-fry sauce from the grocery store to keep the meal easy, but it had kind of been nagging on me that there was so much extra stuff in those sauces. Besides the insane amount of sodium, there are all these unrecognizable ingredients and colorings that I knew couldn’t be great for us. I thought I could easily make one that tasted just as good or better, and if I made it in a big batch and froze what I didn’t need, it would be just as convenient.
I was totally right. This sauce is great and easily customizable to the flavors you like. Want more ginger or garlic? Do it. Want something sweeter? Sub in some pineapple juice for the water. Want some spice add in some red pepper or sriracha. You can make this sauce your family’s favorite, and it’s so much better for you. It’s also super easy to freeze and thaw when you need it.
I double this recipe every time. When I do, it makes enough for four family-sized meals for us. I use one portion and freeze the rest. Lately, I’ve been freezing it in ice cube trays so I can just pop out a few cubes and throw them right in the stir fry — no defrosting needed.
p.s. I am not kidding when I say use low-sodium soy sauce. It will taste waaaaaaaay too salty if you use regular. This is a thick sauce like you would find in Chinese restaurants. If you like yours thinner, cut down on the cornstarch and water mixture.
Ingredients
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
Instructions
In a bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and white pepper.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup water.
Heat a pan over high heat; add the cooking oil, swirling to coat; add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Add the soy sauce mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 minute. Add the mixture and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.
Makes enough for two family-sized stir-fry meals. Freeze any extra in an ice cube tray and throw cubes in with your next stir-fry meal for easy defrosting! (I usually cover the ice cube tray with foil after it's frozen just to keep it fresh.)
https://sugarmamacooks.com/simple-homemade-stir-fry-sauce/
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