You only need 3 ingredients to make the best, healthiest stir-fry sauce ever

February 12, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC

Want to transform your cauliflower rice from basic to unforgettable? Watch Chef Dale Talde get it done. 

When the work week draws to a close and the contents of your fridge can best be described as “this and that,” an easy stir-fry can transform that rando bell pepper, quarter onion, single lonesome egg, and bag of sad carrots into a dinner miracle. Of course, though, one component of your dish will make or break the entire meal: the sauce.

Rest assured you never have to be satisfied with the pre-bottled sauces again, because we learned the easiest, best stir-fry sauce ever from celebrity chef Dale Talde on the premiere episode of Well+Good’s new video series, Cook With Us. The series, which launches today, invites some of our favorite chefs and foodies into the kitchen to, well, cook with us. Literally.

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In the episode, Well+Good senior food and health editor Jessie Van Amburg challenges Talde—a three-time contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef and co-founder of Food Crush Hospitality—to whip up a 30-minute healthy fried rice recipe. The catch: it has to be high in protein, vegetarian, and rice-free.

However, before adding anything to the pan, the cuisinier immediately pulls out the ingredients he needs for a shockingly easy and flavorful sauce:

• 1/2 cup tamari sauce (aka gluten-free soy sauce, although you can use soy sauce too
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil

According to Talde, the tamari acts as the base of your sauce, giving the entire dish its salty flavor. Meanwhile, the rice wine vinegar brings “a bright acidity” and the sesame oil adds that je ne sais quoi flavor (but don’t add too much—it has a low smoking point and an overpowering flavor in high quantities).  Stir well and there you have it, Sauce Master!

Once your sauce is ready and waiting, turn your attention to the rice and veggie mix. Van Amburg asked Talde to replace the rice in fried rice with his choice of grain alternative. And in the spirit of peak cauliflower consumption, Talde went with a broccoli and cauli rice blend as the dish’s base. To see how it went, catch the full episode.

Want to cook for yourself more? Here’s why even 101 level cooking can majorly benefit you. Plus, how to master the late-night dinner. 

Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good
Selected by CWC