Recipes

[house_cat]

Does anyone have a simple, tried and true stir fry sauce?  I'm making a stir fry this week with leftover pork tenderloin and I'd really appreciate it if you'd share.

Thank you.

[dex]

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@house_cat wrote:

Does anyone have a simple, tried and true stir fry sauce?  I'm making a stir fry this week with leftover pork tenderloin and I'd really appreciate it if you'd share.

Thank you.

---

I use the recipe from skinny taste chicken and broccoli stir fry.It works well for us.

[mimomof4]

Marlene Koch is my go to for home cooked chinese take out.  Here is her recipe for Panda Style Mushroom chicken.  The sauce in this recipe could be used for anything.  I use her Mongolian Beef sauce on Chicken and pork all the time.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons minced ginger
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 medium zucchini sliced into half moons (about 1 pound)
1 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms

1. In a small bowl, combined the first 5 ingredients (soy sauce through ginger) plus 2 tablespoons water; set aside.

2. Slice chicken across the grain into very thin slices. Place in a large bowl and toss with cornstarch. Add both oils to a wok or large nonstick skillet and heat over high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, while tossing, until lightly browned yet barely done. Remove and set aside.

3. Spray the wok with cooking spray, add the zucchini, and toss for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover, and steam zucchini for 1 minute. Uncover, add mushrooms, and stir-fry just until softened and lightly browned, then add the chicken and the sauce mixture. Cook for an additional minute, tossing until the sauce slightly thickens and evenly coats the chicken and vegetables.

[novamc1]

The one I use often these days is an off-the-shelf .General Tso  Stir-Fry Sauce from House of Tsang.

It is available at our local Kroger and Publix stores.   The manufacturer's  website says it can also be found at Walmart and Target.

It's usually located on a top shelf in the Asian condiment secton.

Used it last night with a mix of vegetables, rice and shrimp.  Also use it with pork and chicken.

We like it.  It's a little hot, but not overly hot, and a little seems to go a long way with a generous amount of vegetables, rice and meat.

Here's a little tip I read somewhere about doing stir-frys...

Cook the rice and refrigerate ahead of time.  It holds up better when stir-fried with other things, including sauces.

Kroger sells frozen bags of  mixed stir-fry vegetables, either containing rice or noodles.  I use both.

Costco sells big bags of frozen vegetables designed for stir-frying, too, but didn't have the blend I wanted last time I went to Costco.

[sunshine45]

@novamc1 

house of tsang makes excellent stir fry sauces.....i also love their wok oil.

[Eileen in Virginia]

I got this recipe for teriyaki sauce from Gourmet magazine many years ago. It's easy to make and stores well in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you use it up.

TERIYAKI SAUCE 

1 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar 

1 1/4 cups tomato purée (I use crushed tomatoes)

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Mix thoroughly with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat,stirring to prevent sticking ( I turn it off when the bubbles turn a pale orange color). Cool, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If the recipe's too bitter, add a little more brown sugar; if it's too sweet, add more pineapple juice. This doesn't smell that great while it's cooking, but it's delicious on everything  I put it on. 

CAUTION: Due to the high sugar content, be careful that the boiling mixture doesn't splash on you while cooking or while you're pouring it into the container. 

[deepwaterdotter]

My favorite stir-fry sauce has a tomato base:

2 tbsp dry sherry

3 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

[house_cat]

I bought a bag of stir fry veggies in the produce section of my Kroger store.  I've always cooked the rice and served it separately, because DH likes very little rice, but I've never been sure when to add the sauce.

[aroc3435]

@house_cat   Here is a sauce I've used succesfully for Asian stir frying and a second one which is a marinade, along with some other tips/tricks I use.

Five Flavor Oil

from the ChinaMoon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp

Makes 1 and 3/4 cups

1 and 3/4 cups peanut oil

1/2 cup Japanese sesame oil

3 large green onions (scallions) cut in thick green and white rings

10 quarter size thin coins of smashed fresh ginger

1 and 1/2 tsps. dried red pepper flakes

2 tsps peppercorns (She uses Sichuan peppercorns.)

I also use a little white ground pepper in all my Asian sauce recipes.

Whisk well and heat all the above to a boil in a saucepan and then simmer for 15 minutes.  Let stand overnight to cool.  Strain without stirring into a clean jar and store in the refrigerator.

Another sauce I use as a marinade follows.

Chinese Barbecued Spareribs

Adapted by Saveur magazine from Joyce Chen's 1962 cookbook

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp dry sherry

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp red food coloring (I don't bother using it.)

1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder*

1  2 lb. slab of ribs (preferably St. Louis style) cut into ind'l. ribs

Whisk all together.  Add ribs.  Cover and marinate at room temperature for an hour.

Put ribs on a rack meat side up in a rimmed baking pan with water halfway up the sides under the rack.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 mins.  Baste with marinade; flip and baste again.  Bake an additional 35 mins.  Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees, and flip ribs and baste again, for about 20 mins.

*Five Spice Powder

1 Tbsp each of whole cloves, fennel, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns ground up together.  Yields 1/3 cup.

I also sometimes just use peanut oil,  jarred oyster sauce, lite sodium brewed soy sauce, fresh ginger, and white pepper for a quick sauce/marinade.  For Thai stir fry I use Asian fish oil and/or some anchovy paste with the above.  Go easy on the fresh ginger, finely grated or sliced.  You can always add more but the flavor is quite intense.

For all of the above sauces/marinades I always add fresh garlic and/or garlic powder as well and a little Coleman's dry mustard powder with some prepared on the side for serving.

For the frozen vegetables I cook the meat in a little peanut oil, set aside, add the frozen vegetables and stir briefly and then add the sauce to finish cooking them and reintroduce the meat to the pan or wok.

Hope one of these helps.

aroc3435

[house_cat]

@sunshine45 

@novamc1 

Can you please check and let me know if the House of Tsang sauce contains MSG?

Thank you.