This is a mix-and-match guide to stir fry: one technique with your choice of meat, vegetable, and sauce, and you can make 400 different stir-fry combinations!
1 pound protein*, cut into bite-size, even pieces
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sherry or low sodium chicken/vegetable broth
3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 scallions (green onions) white parts only, minced
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound vegetables**, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup water
1 recipe stir-fry sauce (see below)
*Protein choices: flank steak, pork tenderloin, boneless skinless chicken breasts, shrimp, or extra firm tofu
**Vegetable choices: carrots, onions, bell peppers, scallion greens, mushrooms, asparagus, bok choy, eggplant, cabbage, celery, chard, fennel, green beans, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower...
Toss the protein with the soy sauce and sherry (or broth) in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot and beginning to smoke. Add the protein and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the protein to a clean bowl and cover with foil.
Add the vegetables and water to the pan, cover, and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover and stir frequently until all the water is cooked off. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the garlic mixture to the empty side. Stir and mash the garlic mixture with a spatula until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables, and add the protein back in. Re-whisk the stir fry sauce to recombine and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Toss and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the meat and vegetables, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately over sticky rice (recipe follows).
Sticky Rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup long grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring water, rice, and salt to boil in a medium saucepan of medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the water level just barely drops below the surface of the rice. Cover and reduce heat to lowest possible setting. Cook 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave the lid on until ready to serve. (Serving size: packed 1/2 cup)
Stir Fry Sauces: To make any sauce, simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. In each sauce, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth can be substituted for the sherry.
Hot and Sour Sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
*3 medium garlic cloves, minced
*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
*add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the stir fry recipe itself.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons orange or pineapple juice
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oyster Sauce
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
6 tablespoons sherry
3 tablespoons jarred oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Coconut Curry Sauce
2/3 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
*2 teaspoons curry powder
*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
*add the curry powder and pepper flakes to the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the stir fry recipe itself.
Lemon Sauce
6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Spicy Orange Sauce
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup juice from 2 oranges
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Ginger Sauce
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
*1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound protein*, cut into bite-size, even pieces
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sherry or low sodium chicken/vegetable broth
3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 scallions (green onions) white parts only, minced
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound vegetables**, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup water
1 recipe stir-fry sauce (see below)
*Protein choices: flank steak, pork tenderloin, boneless skinless chicken breasts, shrimp, or extra firm tofu
**Vegetable choices: carrots, onions, bell peppers, scallion greens, mushrooms, asparagus, bok choy, eggplant, cabbage, celery, chard, fennel, green beans, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower...
Toss the protein with the soy sauce and sherry (or broth) in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, scallion whites, and 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil.
Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot and beginning to smoke. Add the protein and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the protein to a clean bowl and cover with foil.
Add the vegetables and water to the pan, cover, and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the cover and stir frequently until all the water is cooked off. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add the garlic mixture to the empty side. Stir and mash the garlic mixture with a spatula until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables, and add the protein back in. Re-whisk the stir fry sauce to recombine and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Toss and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the meat and vegetables, 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately over sticky rice (recipe follows).
Sticky Rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup long grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring water, rice, and salt to boil in a medium saucepan of medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the water level just barely drops below the surface of the rice. Cover and reduce heat to lowest possible setting. Cook 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave the lid on until ready to serve. (Serving size: packed 1/2 cup)
Stir Fry Sauces: To make any sauce, simply whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. In each sauce, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth can be substituted for the sherry.
Hot and Sour Sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
*3 medium garlic cloves, minced
*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
*add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the stir fry recipe itself.
Sweet and Sour Sauce
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons orange or pineapple juice
6 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
Oyster Sauce
3 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
6 tablespoons sherry
3 tablespoons jarred oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Coconut Curry Sauce
2/3 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
*2 teaspoons curry powder
*1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
*add the curry powder and pepper flakes to the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the stir fry recipe itself.
Lemon Sauce
6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup juice from 1-2 lemons
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Spicy Orange Sauce
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup juice from 2 oranges
1/4 cup sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Ginger Sauce
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
*1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
*add the ginger to the garlic, ginger, and scallions in the stir fry recipe itself.Teriyaki Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon mirin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
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