Best Amanda Cohens Secret Weapon Stir Fry Sauce Recipes

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AMANDA COHEN'S SECRET-WEAPON STIR-FRY SAUCE



Amanda Cohen's Secret-Weapon Stir-Fry Sauce image

On her nights off, Amanda Cohen, the chef at Dirt Candy in Manhattan, uses up the white takeout containers full of rice that accumulate in her fridge by making vegetable fried rice (see the recipe here). To ward off blandness, she stocks her freezer in advance with flavor bombs: small, dark green ice blocks of garlic, ginger, cilantro, parsley and other ingredients, frozen in ice cube trays. When the rice and vegetables are hot in the pan and ready for a boost, you simply melt a flavor cube or two in the mix and let the rice take on a tasty coat of green.

Provided by Jeff Gordinier

Categories     sauces and gravies

Time 30m

Yield 1 cup (about 1 ice cube tray)

Number Of Ingredients 6

2/3 cup cilantro
2/3 cup parsley
2/3 cup Thai basil
4 cups spinach
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger

Steps:

  • Tear all the stems off the herbs and spinach. (No need to be exact, just rip off most of them.)
  • Blanch the cilantro, parsley, Thai basil and spinach in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds. As soon as they turn bright green, take them out and drop them into a bowl of ice water.
  • Take the greens out of the ice bath and shake off excess water (but leave the greens wet). Put them into a blender or small food processor with the garlic and ginger. Blend until you have a smooth, dark green purée. If it's too thick, add a little water to keep it moving, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Pour purée into an ice cube tray and pop it into the freezer. To use in fried rice, add a few cubes to the pan once the vegetables and any other protein are cooked and the rice is translucent; keep stirring as the cubes melt and coat the rice. Season and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 33, UnsaturatedFat 0 grams, Carbohydrate 6 grams, Fat 1 gram, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 63 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE



Vegetable Fried Rice image

Amanda Cohen, the chef at Dirt Candy in Manhattan, loves how easy it is to make fried rice. "If you're a chef, the idea of cooking at home on your one night off is like some kind of terrible nightmare," she said. "Takeout becomes your best friend. but before long half your fridge is taken up by those little white cartons of rice." At home, she digs into those cartons to make fast batches of vegetable fried rice, and she combats the threat of blandness by stocking her freezer in advance with her Secret-Weapon Stir-Fry Sauce: small, dark green ice blocks of puréed garlic, ginger, cilantro, parsley and other ingredients, which she freezes in ice-cube trays (they can be slipped directly into the hot pan). She uses brussels sprouts, fennel, chard and mushrooms, but this dish is the definition of flexibility. "As long as you maintain the proportions, this recipe can take any vegetable you throw at it," she said. "Think of it as a chance to clean out your crisper drawer."

Provided by Jeff Gordinier

Categories     dinner, lunch, quick, main course

Time 15m

Yield 2 main course servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup of trimmed and quartered brussels sprouts
1 cup diced fennel
2 cups chopped chard
1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
4 loosely packed cups of leftover rice (about 1 large, quart-size carton, or 2 small pint-size cartons)
Rice wine vinegar, to taste
4 frozen cubes (or 4 tablespoons fresh) Secret Weapon Stir-Fry Sauce (see recipe)
Soy sauce, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste

Steps:

  • Heat sesame oil and canola oil in a large pan or a wok over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the vegetables and stir constantly until they have started to soften and brown, about 4 minutes.
  • Toss in the rice, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the clumps. Some of the rice will stick to the pan, but don't panic. The older and drier the rice, the longer this takes. If it starts sticking a lot, add a dash of rice wine vinegar or water. Keep stirring until the rice softens and becomes slightly translucent.
  • Add the frozen Stir-Fry Sauce cubes, and keep stirring as they melt and coat the rice. Transfer the rice into a bowl and season to taste with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce or hot sauce, or all four.

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