Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry with Garlic Sauce

This recipe is something I tossed together for a quick, tasty vegetable dish awhile back, using things we had in our fridge and among our pantry items.  I was in a mood for Chinese, so I decided to stir-fry a bunch of different vegetables and serve the vegetables with a thick garlic sauce. 

This dish offers a variety of textures and a mix of nice vegetable flavors, all unified by a savory, slightly spicy sauce.  It is both simple and quick to make.  Since it uses a lot of canned vegetables along with a few fresh ones, tt took me right around 1/2 hour to make, from start of prep to having it on the table.  If you start the rice at around the same time you start the prep, you'll have a healthy, tasty meal all ready in very little time. 

We both loved this one.  For something I tossed together from scratch, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  We'll definitely be making this again.

Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry with Garlic Sauce

yield = 3-4 servings

3               tablespoons cornstarch
1               cup low-sodium chicken broth
2               tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1               tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
1               tablespoon minced garlic
1               tablespoon hoison sauce
1/2            teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3               tablespoons peanut oil
12             ounces baby bok choy, trimmed and chopped, leaf and stem
                          pieces separated
2               large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin discs
1               can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
6               ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
6               green onions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated
2               teaspoons fresh, peeled and grated ginger
1               can (15 ounces) whole baby corn, drained and sliced into
                         bite-sized pieces
1               can (14 ounces) straw mushroom, drained and sliced into
                         bite-sized pieces

In a measuring cup, dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth.  Add soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, hoison sauce, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir to mix, then set aside.

Heat peanut oil to shimmering in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add bok choy stem pieces, sliced carrots, water chestnuts, sliced button mushrooms and the whie parts of the green onions.  Stir-fry until the bok choy stems have softened and the button mushrooms have given off their liquid and that liquid has cooked off (6-7 minutes). 

Push aside the vegetables to clear a space in the middle of the skillet, add the ginger, cook 30 seconds, then stir the ginger into the vegetables.

Add the bok choy leaves, baby corn pieces and straw mushroom pieces to the skillet.  Stir-fry the vegetables until the bok choy leaves just start to wilt. 

Stir the contents of the measuring cup, the pour into the skillet with the vegetables.  Stir to mix and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the vegetables.  Stir in the green parts of the green onions, transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with rice.

Options:
If you'd like to make this vegetarian, use vegetable broth or water in place of the chicken broth.