Stir-Fried Vegetables in Black Pepper Sauce

For Stir-Fried Vegetables in Black Pepper Sauce that look (and taste) great, use a mix of veggie colors. The dish cooks in a flash, so prep all your ingredients before you turn on the burner.

This recipe was developed by Kate Sherwood, The Healthy Cook. Have a comment, question, or idea? Email Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.

Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1½ Tbs. dry sherry*
½ tsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. + 1 Tbs. peanut oil
4 cups mixed chopped vegetables

*You can substitute 1½ Tbs. white wine (or 1½ tsp. sherry vinegar + 1½ Tbs. water). Don’t use cooking sherry.

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch with 3 Tbs. water. In another small bowl, mix together the black pepper, garlic, and 1 tsp. peanut oil.
In a large sauté pan or wok over high heat, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. peanut oil until very hot but not smoking. Stir-fry the vegetables until tender-crisp, 2–3 minutes.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add the oil/garlic/pepper mixture to the open space and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Whisk the soy sauce mixture again, then pour it over the oil/garlic/pepper. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Toss the vegetables with the sauce.