Unlimited stir fries

Many grocery store chains have a store brand of sauces and marinades, and some of them are actually quite good! Hannaford is my local grocery, and they have a selection of grilling sauces, stir-fry sauces, marinades, salad dressings, salsas, mustards, oils, and bread toppers. An amazing array, really! These items are usually spread throughout the store rather than all in one spot, but they are worth looking for. I’m sure that whatever market you shop, they will also have these types of store-brand products.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, whether or not they are actually labeled as stir-fry sauces, almost all of them can be used that way. Even the salad dressings. The tapenades and bruschettas may need to be mixed with some olive or canola oil in order to spread well throughout the fry, but they add a delicious flavor. I think you can see where I’m going with this…

Imagine that you get home with only about 15 to 20 minutes to put a dinner together so your family can eat before flying back out of the house for an evening event. That morning, place 1 or 2 bags of mixed frozen vegetables (any variety you like) into the fridge to thaw out during the day, or choose several containers of fresh veggies that you chopped during your once a week food prep time. That evening, you can grab your veggies plus whatever sauce or dressing you’ve collected that strikes your fancy. Stir fry your veggies in olive oil and add the sauce in the last minute or so. Serve this with either pre-cooked rice that you re-heat in the microwave, with couscous, or with good crusty rolls. No meat required, although you can also throw some in if you’ve got some precooked or at least pre-sliced thin. Cook the meat first before adding the veggies if it’s raw.

You can repeat this basic meal pretty frequently before they will start to catch on. Even then, they might not complain if you let them take turns picking which sauce for the night

My two favorites are the Chipotle Grilling Sauce and the Wasabi Grilling Sauce!

Image: Hannaford

Here is a wonderful video from YouTube that shows you the “secrets” of making a great stir fry: