One of my FAVORITE foods is Chinese stir-fry! I could eat it almost everyday… if I weren’t allergic to soy… and gluten… and 9 other foods! When my food allergies were diagnosed, my diet became very limited!!!
Although it is difficult to eat out at a lot of places, I actually really enjoy the challenge of trying to recreate an allergen free version of the foods that I love. I especially love sharing those recipes with others who are dealing with the same problem.
One of the foods that I really miss is a good brown stir fry sauce. Some Chinese restaurants offer a delicious gluten free white sauce, which I very much enjoy. But I really do miss my soy sauce!!!
Yesterday, I decided to try to make myself some sort of a soy-sauce replacement that would go well with a stir-fry. I can’t believe that my first attempt actually worked!!! This sauce tastes like a mix between a traditional brown stir-fry sauce and orange chicken sauce. It is absolutely delicious!!!
Some notes about this recipe:
- When you buy the fresh ginger for this recipe, I recommend peeling it and storing it in the freezer. It is super easy to grate straight out of the freezer, and it will help you to avoid having the extra go to waste.
- When I made this recipe yesterday, I used the full 3 Tbsp. of oil. I personally thought that I might have been able to get away with using less. However, my husband said that it was perfect just how it was, so I will leave that decision up to you!
- In the recipe, I mention my method of freezing garlic into ice cube trays. Find the full set of directions in this post.
- If you like your sauce spicy, add some red pepper flakes to heat it up.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I’m planning to make a huge batch and freeze individual portions in freezer bags for quick and easy meals in the future!
Please let me know what you think of this recipe by emailing me at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com!
Dairy, soy and gluten free... and absolutely delicious!!!
- 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil (or canola oil)
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. molasses
- 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic (or 3 cubes, if using my method of freezing garlic in ice cube trays)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice (I used mandarin orange juice)
- 3/4 tsp. fresh ginger (grated)
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1- 1 & 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (substitute arrowroot if you can't tolerate corn)
- just enough water to make a cornstarch slurry
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Combine all ingredients (except the cornstarch and water) into a small saucepan.
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Stir over medium-low to medium heat until sauce is heated through.
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If a thick sauce is desired, create a cornstarch slurry by combining cornstarch with a few drops of cool water. (You want just enough water to dissolve the cornstarch when you stir it.)
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Pour your cornstarch slurry into the sauce mixture, and continue to stir the mixture until it comes back up to a simmer.
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Allow to cook about one more minute or so, stirring constantly. If sauce is not thick enough, add more cornstarch (in slurry form) and repeat the above step until desired consistency is reached.
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Mix your sauce into a stir-fry, or pour it over your chicken or pork for a delicious meal! Enjoy!
*If you prefer a thinner sauce, do not add the cornstarch slurry at the end of the recipe.