Simple Blackpepper Stirfry Sauce

Dinners: sometimes simplistic, and others laboursome. Some starches, a helping of meat and some fresh, vibrant vegetables makes up what most of us see as the core of a balanced meal. One of the easiest ways I have found to put a balanced meal on the table in a hurry is with a simple stir-fry. Stir-fries are fast, convenient, nutritious and allow enough variables to not become a boring dish.

Let’s face facts, on weekdays speed is key in the kitchen. You may have time to put something special together on the weekend if you’re lucky but weekdays, no. Boiling and cooking rice is in no way labour intensive. The vegetables take a few stirs here and there but otherwise take no effort either. Oh, the preparation, chopping and such, you may have noticed in recent times grocery stores have began providing ready chopped vegetables and even stir fry packs to cut out that excuse. Meat, if chopped finely enough, can be sautéed with the vegetables in ten minutes or so.

When cooking at home you have complete control over proportions of your dish. With an emphasis on more vegetables and meat, and less on the rice, the nutrient value of your dinner just shot through the roof. Keep in mind to offer a mix of colourful options to maximize the number of nutrients in the dinner.

Sauces are an easy way to greatly enhance an influence the flavour of your stir-fry, which takes us to this week’s recipe:

Stir-fry Pepper Sauce:

Ingredients:

½ cup soy sauce

4 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cool water

Recipe:

Bring soy sauce and pepper to a simmer on medium heat.

Add the cornstarch to the water and stir until combined into a slurry or paste.

Slowly pour the slurry into the soy sauce and pepper.

Stir regularly while keeping on medium heat until desired consistency has been reached.