Hello!



I'm cooking dinner for friends on Thursday, and I need help. I've decided to make veggie stirfry. I have a frozen stir-fry vegetable mix, water chestnuts and edamame beans. I might get some bean sprouts too. I plan to serve it over rice and I have some frozen vegetable pot stickers to serve with it. The problem...what kind of sauce should I serve with it? I do have a recipe for a killer pineapple sweet and sour sauce, and I think that could be okay. What do you think? The recipes I've looked at include garlic, ginger, soy sauce, veggie broth and corn starch. I'm a little worried about getting the proportions right and getting it to thicken if I do the sauce that you cook with the vegetables. If I make my sweet and sour sauce I would probably make it separately and then everyone can spoon it on top.



What do you use for veggie stirfy? Any suggestions?



Also, my friends are not vegetarians. I'm not sure I want to use the tofu or fake meat because I don't think they'd be into that. Do you think the edamame beans are good enough?



Thanks!

I would definitely use some fresh veggies. Don't worry about making too much. Veggies can cook down to less than half their size. The pineapple sweet & sour sauce is killer. I have made that myself and drooled while eating it.



Ask if anyone is allergic to any veggies (especially mushrooms, sesame seeds and soy). If no one is allergic, I would add in some shiitake and porcini mushrooms. I would prepare some tofu or fake meat on the side for those who do want it. In my experience, omnis are usually open to trying vegetarian dishes just to see if they are edible. Every time I cook for omnis they are totally impressed. If you decide to go with some tofu, remember that it takes like a full 20-30 minutes to fry it well. It does not cook quickly. Bok choy, broccoli, and snap peas are Asian classics that help fill the plate.



Go to an Asian store and look for chili flavored oil and sesame oil. Those two oils add a lot of subtle flavor to dishes (if you don't go overboard with them). While at the Chinese store, ask for some good soy sauce. The no-name brands are often much better than the American brand names. They taste lighter yet more flavorful and less salty.



One thing to note in case you don't know: mix the corn starch in cold water before adding it to the stir fry. Adding it directly to a hot frying pan will make it clump up. It must be dissolved in cold water.



Good luck on your get together.

I wish we had a local asian store around here, but I don't believe we do.....I'd love to find some of the things you're recommending in your post.