Shūcài Fān Chǎo Jiàng Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce

This stir fry sauce can be made in advance to make preparing a quick, healthy, and delicious weeknight (or anytime) meal that much easier! It is designed to be used for vegetable stir fries but works just as well with tofu, shrimp, chicken, and pork stir fries too!

Yield: Apx 2 Cups

Ingredients:

3 cloves Fresh Garlic (Dàsuàn) - grated into a paste ¼ inch piece Fresh Ginger (Jiāng) - grated into a paste ½ Cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (Shūcài Tāng) ¼ Cup Shao Xing Rice Wine (Liàojiǔ) ¼ Cup Oyster Sauce (Háoyóu)* 3 Tbs Light Soy Sauce (Shēng Chōu) 3 Tbs Dark Soy Sauce (Lǎo Chōu) 3 Tbs Cornstarch (Yùmǐ Diànfěn) 2 Tbs Toasted Sesame Oil (Zhīmayóu) 1 Tbs Honey (Mì Táng)*

Preparation:

1) Whisk the cornstarch into the vegetable broth until fully dissolved 2) Transfer to a 1 pint airtight container (a mason jar works well for this) with a tight fitting lid and add the remaining ingredients - Shake well until everything is well incorporated 3) Use immediately (apx 1 cup of sauce to apx 1 lb of vegetables) to prepare any stir fry (especially vegetable stir fry) -OR- Store in the refrigerator for up to 30 days

* To make sauce vegan friendly, substitute Hoisen sauce (Hǎixiān Jiàng) for the oyster sauce and granulated sugar (Táng), for the honey

Taz Doolittle www.TazCooks.com

Shūcài Fān Chǎo Simple Vegetable Stir Fry

In truth, you can use any vegetable combination you want for a vegetable stir fry as there are no hard and fast rules when it comes these quick and nourishing dishes but here is a recipe to give you inspiration - Adapt it to your own taste!

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 Cup Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce (Shūcài Fān Chǎo Jiàng) 4 cloves Fresh Garlic (Dàsuàn) - minced ¼ inch piece Fresh Ginger (Jiāng) - minced 8 oz [Western] Broccoli (Xīlán)** - cut into small florets 2 Green Onions (Cōng) - cut into 1-2 inch pieces 2 Large Stalks Celery (Qíncài) - cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces 1 Medium Carrot (Húluóbo) - sliced thin 6 Shiitake Mushrooms (Xiānggū) - sliced thin ½ Red Bell Pepper (Hóng Shìzijiāo) - cut into thin strips and halved ½ Green Bell Pepper (Lǜsè Shìzijiāo) - cut into thin strips and halved 2 Cups Snow Peas (Hélándòu) - stems removed 4 Tbs Oil - can use peanut, vegetable, or canola oil Ground White Pepper (Bái hújiāo) to taste

Preparation:

1) Heat oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking - Add garlic and give it a quick stir - Add ginger and stir fry until fragrant (apx 15-20 seconds) - Add both bell peppers and stir fry for 1 minute - Add remaining vegetables and continue to stir fry for 1 minute 2) Add the stir fry sauce and continue to stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes to thicken the sauce - Add ground white pepper to taste and stir to combine 3) Plate and serve immediately along with steamed rice

** For a 'more authentic' Chinese sir fry, substitute Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) -OR- Chinese Flowering Cabbage (Choy Sum / Cài xīn) - cut into 2-3 inch pieces

Taz Doolittle www.TazCooks.com