garlic hoisin stir fry with mixed vegetables

Maybe I've mentioned it before, but stir fries are popular in our house. A go to meal. Once again, at mid-day, I'm chopping vegetables for one. I'm also very excited to take another stab at making my own sauce. The last time I did my own sauce there was one major thing that needed improving: we wanted more.

Why am I not surprised? We like things saucy. I have been known to eat gravy with a spoon. (Not, like, a whole bowl of gravy or anything, but I will stand over a pot of gravy and taste-test far more than needed. Non-stop.) Bunny douses everything he can in hot sauce, or bbq sauce or whatever else he can get his hands on. For stir fries he has been very clear in that he wants enough sauce to heavily flavour his rice or noodles and would I please just use more.

So this is a double-sauce recipe. If you don't like things as saucy as we do, reduce things a little. We weren't swimming in sauce at the end, but could easily scoop up a few good spoonfuls to dump on Bunny's noodles. Alternately, if you're trying to feed more than two people, bulk up on your veggies (or other additions) and go crazy with the sauce.

I'm also funny in that I like all my veggies to be similarly shaped. So everything that can be cut into strips or matchsticks is. But that's just me.

Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks
• 1 bunch bok choi, rinsed well, trimmed and cut lengthwise down the ribs
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp chili flakes in oil
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (such as peanut or safflower)

Directions:

1. Chop and prep all your vegetables and garlic in mise en place bowls. You'll need these all easily at hand when you're ready to start cooking.
2. In a small bowl, mix hoisin, soy sauce, chili flakes, sesame oil, salt, sugar, water, lemon juice and garlic powder. Wisk together until well mixed.
3. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over a burner on high.
4. Add onions and garlic to skillet, saute for 2 minutes. (We like our onions cooked down - if you don't, start the onions with the carrots.)
5. Add carrots to the skillet, saute for another two minutes.
6. Add zuccini and bell peppers, saute for about one minute.
7. Add the bok choi, saute for about two minutes. You're looking for the greens to begin to wilt.
8. Add the sauce to the mix. Stir things up and make sure that the sauce is coating things fairly evenly.
9. Remove from heat. Serve on a bed of rice or noodles (we used udon noodles). Garnish with a handful of sesame seeds or finely chopped green onion. Eat. Enjoy. Repeat.