The Best Stir-Fry Ever

At least once every two weeks, if not every week, Brandon and I make a stir-fry.

We use all sorts of veggies, spices, and sauces. Over the years, it has been perfected into an awesome, infallible dish, which we are going to share with you.

Brandon created quite possibly the best stir-fry sauce on the planet. It is flavorful, yet mild. So it complements almost any veggie combination you can think of. Using this base, we've thrown together a very traditional Asian Stir-fry: bell peppers, bok choy, zucchini, squash, etc. We've also gone crazy and put a lot of unlikely stir-fry veggies in there together, like sweet potatoes (zapped in the microwave to get them a little soft), eggplant, brussel sprouts, or turnips. It all tastes good in this sauce... seriously. Throw in a protein of some sort, if you'd like: pre-baked tofu is fantastic; chickpeas are divine; or, like you'll see below, marinate some tempeh and throw it in. Have fun with it! We definitely do.

This is the basic Asian stir-fry recipe we use on a regular basis:

Ingredients:

Rice, as much as you want or need (my favorite is Jasmine rice with this recipe)

1 Tbs toasted sesame seed oil (this is practically mandatory, although you could use other oils if you absolutely have to)
Roughly 1 tsp ginger powder (a little less or a little more depending on your love of ginger)
3 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, halved and sliced thinly
2 carrots, sliced thinly
1 bell pepper (red or yellow are the best), sliced thinly
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 bunches baby bok choy, rinsed and sliced into chunks

Brandon's Awesome Stir-fry Sauce

3/4 Cup veggie broth
1/4 Cup Hoisin sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch

Tempeh Marinade

3/4 Cup veggie broth
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tsp sweet red chili sauce (or any chili sauce you have on hand or red pepper flakes)
crushed garlic clove
1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
(optional) 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp liquid smoke (it's just however much smoky flavor you want)

1 hour and 30 minutes beforehand: heat up a medium sized pot full of water. Chop up your tempeh. Once the water is boiling, throw the tempeh in for 15 minutes. While that cooks, get your marinade together. Find a shallow dish. Once the tempeh is finished, drain it and put it in the shallow dish. Pour the marinade over it. Cover and let it sit for an hour, tossing occasionally.

Put your rice in your rice maker and cook according to the directions on the bag.

Chop up all your veggies. Put your sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Grab a wok or a nice, big skillet and heat it to medium high heat. Pour your toasted seasame seed oil in and let it heat up. Throw in your onions and carrots. Cook till the onions are translucsent and the carrots are softening up, about five minutes. Put in your garlic and ginger. Cook it for another minute. Toss in your tempeh (not the marinade though). Let the tempeh brown a little. Give it maybe five minutes or so. Toss in your zucchini, squash, and bell pepper. Let it cook for a minute. Pour in your sauce. Let it come to a boil. Turn down the heat a little and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Put in your bok choy and cover. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until your veggies are still slightly crisp.

Serve, and enjoy!!!